The Freeze, Appease or Fawn Response to Harassment

Your nervous system has a built-in Freeze and Appease response to manage the threat of sexual assault, aka the Fawn response. Learn to forgive yourself work through PTSD or CPTSD. Learn the skills to Regulate your Emotions, join the membership: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/membership When someone experiences sexual harassment or sexual assault, their body often doesn’t react the way they expect. Instead of fighting or running, they might freeze, fawn, or appease—smiling, complying, or going still, even when they feel terrified inside. In this video, we’ll explore the Freeze and Fawn Response—sometimes called the Freeze-Appease Response—and how these instinctive reactions are the body’s way of trying to stay safe during sexual violence or threat. You’ll learn what happens in the nervous system during a freeze response, why people can’t “just say no,” and how understanding this can help survivors release shame and start to heal. This is essential education for survivors, loved ones, and anyone who wants to understand trauma responses with compassion and science. If you’ve ever blamed yourself for how you reacted during sexual harassment or sexual assault, please know: it wasn’t your fault. Your body was trying to keep you alive. Freeze Response, Fawn Response, Freeze Appease, Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault, Tonic Immobility, Trauma Response, Nervous System, PTSD Recovery, Survivor Support, CPTSD, survivor guilt 00:00 The Freeze and Fawn Response in Sexual Assault 01:53 Freeze & Comply: A Common Reaction to Sexual Harassment 04:49 Fight, Flight, Freeze… and the Fawn Response 06:03 Freeze Appease Isn’t Consent — It’s Protection 07:14 Why Tonic Immobility Happens During Sexual Assault 10:12 What triggers tonic immobility? 11:06 5 Things You Can Do about Freeze Appease with Sexual Assault 11:17 1) People shouldn’t assault people 11:49 2) Forgive yourself for the past 12:17 3) Train yourself to take different actions in the future 13:58 4) Learn to use