Fight Or Flight Response
The Fight Or Flight Response information handout is an essential psychoeducation tool that aids individuals in understanding the physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying the body's response to perceived threats.
Fight Or Flight Response
This Fight Or Flight Response tool explains how your body reacts when it senses danger. It also explains why these changes happen. Understanding these normal responses can be particularly helpful if you are concerned or worried about certain sensations.
Overview
The fight or flight response is an automatic, evolutionarily conserved physiological reaction to perceived threat or danger. It involves activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, leading to changes such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, pupil dilation, and the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These changes prepare the body to either confront (fight) or evade (flight) a threat.
While adaptive in short-term situations, repeated or inappropriate activation of this response – especially in the absence of actual danger – is associated with anxiety disorders and other stress-related conditions. This handout offers a clear explanation of the fight or flight response, supporting psychoeducation and therapeutic work focused on anxiety, trauma, and emotional regulation.
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