What is Functional Freeze? What To Know and How To Cope.

Understanding Functional Freeze: What It Is and How to Cope

Functional freeze is a trauma response that can occur when we feel overwhelmed or threatened, leading to a state of immobility. Unlike the classic "freeze" response, which is often total and paralyzing, functional freeze allows people to continue functioning outwardly, but in a disconnected or automatic way.

Internally, they may feel numb, dissociated, or trapped. This survival mechanism is part of the body's natural response to danger, similar to the fight, flight, or fawn responses.‍

What Is Functional Freeze?

When someone experiences functional freeze, their nervous system is in a state of hyperarousal combined with shutdown. It's a blend of wanting to react to danger but being unable to fully engage with it. People in functional freeze mode often appear to be “doing fine,” going through the motions of daily life. But underneath, they may feel emotionally stuck, dissociated, or disconnected from their own body and emotions.

Functional freeze often arises from unresolved trauma, especially in situations where someone feels they cannot escape or protect themselves from harm. It is commonly seen in people with a history of complex trauma, such as childhood abuse or long-term emotional neglect.

Symptoms of Functional Freeze

People experiencing functional freeze may not even realize they’re in this state because it can be subtle. Here are some signs and symptoms:

1. Emotional numbness: A lack of strong emotions, or feeling emotionally flat, detached, or indifferent.
2. Chronic indecision: Difficulty making decisions or taking action, often feeling "stuck."
3. Dissociation: Feeling disconnected from your body, emotions, or surroundings; like you're watching your life from a distance.
4. Fatigue or low energy: A feeling of exhaustion, often unrelated to physical activity.
5. Shallow breathing: Often, people in functional freeze breathe shallowly or feel like they can't take full, deep breaths.
6. Procrastination: Avoiding tasks or responsibilities, often due to feeling overwhelmed or emotionally paralyzed.
7. Spacing out: A tendency to daydream or mentally "check out" during conversations or tasks.‍

‍How to Cope with Functional Freeze

‍While functional freeze is a natural survival response, there are ways to manage and move through it. Here are some coping strategies to help you reconnect with your body and emotions:

1. Grounding Techniques‍

Grounding techniques can help you reconnect to the present moment and your physical body. Try focusing on your senses—what you can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste—to bring yourself out of dissociation.

• Breathing exercises: Practice deep, diaphragmatic breathing to calm the nervous system. Try inhaling for four counts, holding for four, and exhaling for four (the 4-4-4 method).
• Body scanning: Mentally scan your body from head to toe, noticing any areas of tension or discomfort, and gently releasing them.
• Sensory grounding: Hold an object in your hand, such as a stone or a piece of fabric, and focus on its texture, temperature, and weight.
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2. Mindfulness Practices

‍Mindfulness can help you stay connected to the present moment and reduce dissociation. Practices like meditation, mindful breathing, or mindful walking allow you to notice your thoughts and feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them.

• Meditation: Set aside time each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath or bodily sensations. Start with just a few minutes, and increase the duration as it feels comfortable.
• Journaling: Writing about your thoughts and feelings can be a way to process emotions and understand what's going on inside.

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3. Movement and Physical Activity

Functional freeze often manifests in a physical sense of immobility or fatigue. Gentle movement can help release some of the stored energy in your body and bring you back into a state of flow.

• Yoga or stretching: These practices encourage body awareness and gentle movement, which can help shake off the sense of "being stuck."
• Walking: A simple walk in nature can be both grounding and energizing, helping you reconnect with your body and surroundings.
• Shaking exercises: Shaking or dancing can help release pent-up energy from the body and break the freeze response.‍

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4. Therapy and Professional Support
If functional freeze becomes a recurring or persistent problem, seeking professional help can be a critical step in managing it. Trauma-informed therapists can help you process unresolved trauma and work through the freeze response.

• Somatic therapy: This type of therapy focuses on the connection between mind and body, helping you release trauma that's stored in your physical body.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A therapeutic approach specifically designed to process trauma and desensitize traumatic memories.

5. Self-Compassion and Patience

When dealing with functional freeze, it's important to be gentle with yourself. The freeze response is your body’s way of protecting you, and it takes time to heal. Celebrate small steps forward, and give yourself permission to rest when needed.

• Positive affirmations: Remind yourself that your feelings are valid and that you're working towards healing. "I am safe," "I am doing my best," and "I am worthy of healing" are helpful reminders.
• ‍Rest and relaxation: Honour your body’s need to rest when you're feeling exhausted. Sometimes, part of coping with functional freeze is allowing yourself to pause and recharge.
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Final Thoughts

‍Functional freeze is a survival response that can keep us stuck in patterns of disconnection and numbness. However, by using grounding techniques, mindfulness, movement, and therapy, you can begin to release yourself from the freeze response and reclaim your sense of agency and aliveness. Healing from trauma is a process, and with patience and self-compassion, it's possible to move beyond the frozen state and live a more connected, empowered life.

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‍References/Resources

1. Van Der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.

This book offers an in-depth look at how trauma affects the body and mind, including trauma responses like freeze, and outlines healing techniques.

1. Ogden, P., & Fisher, J. (2015). Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment.

This book focuses on somatic (body-based) approaches to therapy and trauma recovery, offering techniques for managing freeze responses and dissociation.

1. Herman, J. L. (1997). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror.

A comprehensive resource that covers the impact of trauma and how individuals cope with it, including the freeze response.

1. Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma.

This book explains the body's natural responses to trauma, including the freeze response, and offers body-focused healing strategies.

1. National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM) –

Understanding the Freeze Response in TraumaThis website offers articles and videos that explain how the freeze response develops and how to manage it through clinical approaches.Link to NICABM’s Freeze Response Guide

1. Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute

A resource for understanding how trauma is stored in the body and how somatic approaches can help with trauma recovery.Somatic Experiencing® Official Site