How to Come Out of Freeze Response in Trauma: Polyvagal Theory & Somatic Experiencing

Many people may not even realize they are in the freeze response state. See if you have any of these indicators and learn how to come out of chronic freeze to free up your energy for a more satisfying and connected life. If you need assistance, please see a somatic experiencing practitioner or appropriate health care professional.

Polyvagal chart used with permission from SWTT. Updated version of the chart is available at:

*These videos are for informational purposes only and are not medical advice or a substitute for psychotherapy. If you have a trauma history or medical history, please see your healthcare provider, doctor, psychiatrist or psychotherapist near you to help you resolve it safely under guidance.

*Nina Goradia is a coach trained in a variety of modalities. She has gone through the 3 year SEP certification program and offers Somatic Experiencing coaching sessions with the option of adding Non-Dual Awareness & Self-Inquiry. *Coaching is neither psychotherapy nor medical advice and it does not treat mental or health disorders. If you choose to work with Nina and a mental or health disorder is suspected, you will be referred to an appropriate professional.

May you live in peace!

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#somaticexperiencing #traumahealing #nervoussystem #nonduality #emotionalregulation #emotions #nervoussystemregulation #selfregulation #fightorflight #polyvagaltheory #polyvagal #tension

[Nina.Goradia]

Visit thesomaticpt.com/subscribe to get your Free Trauma Flow Chart (a different graphic than the one used in this video).

The Polyvagal chart was used with permission from SWTT. An updated version of the chart is available at:


Disclaimer: Always go at your own pace and please seek help from a mental health provider if your case is more involved than being able to do yourself.

I have rewatched this video today and counted over 15 times I have referenced going slow, titrating, working with someone, watching and linking previous introductory videos and saying to trust yourself if you can't handle something if there is a situation you have that I can't know or account for plus the disclaimers written in my description box, but someone has given me feedback that this is still not clear and someone might do more than what they can handle, so I am pinning this comment.

Use your own judgment if you are safe to practice this on your own or if you need to see a practitioner to be safe. This is a general video made for education. This is not therapy.

At 11:03, I say "dissociate to survive." Also, the jaw tension example I give in this video is for the freeze response. Jaw tension that is a fight response can be worked on by biting a tongue depressor. I will make a video on this.

[sylvia]

I was taught that having and expressing emotions and vulnerability was not safe and caused abandonment. That's probably why many things I have supressed, but they are constantly with me, they never left. They cause me to live life on auto mode. No trying new things. No being vulnerable with people. No talking about my emotions/feelings with anyone. No experiencing joy. Just scrolling, going to work and playing video games mindlessly

[themaggattack]

15:19 This is so helpful to know! We will have to come back down from freeze through fight or flight and feel the supressed emotions in order to release them. Now that I know this, I won't panic because I know that the feelings will pass. And then they will be released!

[elizabethwhite]

Omg, I can’t tell you how thankful I am for this. I’ve been in therapy for years and also trying to reach out for help to anyone who would listen, I was becoming so desperate for release from this and no one has been able to help. Over the last few months I have figured out myself that this is what I’m going through, and doing the work on my own and feeling like I’m stuck in the pattern of allowing trauma to come up and then sending myself back into freeze. I am beginning to feel like my body is a prison for me.

[thebackyardhorseenthusiast]

As a certified Gestalt practitioner, facilitating inner child healing, this is quite useful, as many times a “trigger”, causes my clients to go into the fight, flight, freeze mode. In my work groups I teach clients how to acknowledge the trigger, explore it, be kind to it, and take the energy out of it through breath work. They learn new healthy strategies and anchors to shut the FFOR as quickly as possible and return to a calm and clear thinking state. Being in a constant state of fight or flight destroys health. After doing this work in my healing groups, I’ve witnessed so many participants lives improve dramatically. Healing the wounded inner child is paramount to a healthy existence.

[teresaring]

Thank you so much for explaining this. As a child I constantly went into freeze cuz the only thing we were allowed to be was good, quiet children.

As an adult I’ve been with a loud narcissist for 23yrs and realize I’m in fight/flight or freeze daily. The freeze response majority of time and realize since childhood how often I do this for survival.

Will be so good to have awareness so I can stop automatically doing this.

So thankful I found your videos.

[claraficatin]

recently the only way i am able to get things done is to acknowledge im scared and let myself cry while i'm doing said task. hopefully one day i can do tasks without balling!

[amytaylor]

I appreciate your observation that being afraid of going into freeze creates even more distress…the very thing that your body is trying to cope with by going into freeze in the first place! I am quite sure that I have spent a LOT of time stuck in this pattern, both as a child when I was shamed and punished for behaviors caused by freeze response.

[yiravarga]

I went into freeze so severely, that I am at the “preparing for death” phase. I have given up on life, and healing, and accepted the consequences of being overweight and eating unwell. I will not torture myself trying to get healthy, eat healthy, and not get medical support or results. The body suppresses emotions intelligently when it’s too overwhelming is true! I thought it was emotion snatching being done by other alters. Yet another thing on my list of, “things that were not cptsd itself.” My life goal is emotional well-being (emotional regulation). Hunger and physical health are the biggest contributing factors to emotional dysregulation, and emotional regulation. I went for the top prize, but just don’t seem good enough for it, even after having achieved everything else? I’m honestly just venting, because of the frustration of existing in an uncomfortable body, and not having enough willpower and skill to maintain my health.

[aidanbrooks]

Currently in Freeze. This was a stunningly informative video. Now going to sit and see what comes forward.

[cattifyed]

I've been living most of my life in dorsal vagal shutdown. I have so many health problems and I haven't been able to find any help. Thank you for making this video.

[stellaancimer]

That is why nutrition is so important, to lover inflamation, cortisol, ect

[Winning]

I feel like just listening to the 432 frequency is just as healing is doing everything you mentioned. The sympathetic nervous system, the hypothalamus… It is all integrated and frontal cortex/Magilla. I’ll respond very well when we just turn on music that calms our entire nervous system.

I had this experience so strongly at one time before knowing what it was. I was deep in shame over a drug addiction resulting from childhood parental addiction, and was thrown into a new realm of responsibility and exposure at my job and the bodily response I experienced was so intense. I literally felt myself curling my neck and spine downward and inward, completely overcome by discomfort. I had the sensation that I would be physically struck in the face if I stopped resisting what was happening. Really intense.

[sawdustadikt]

First time seeing one of your videos. I’ve been to a fair amount of coaches and therapists, even one trauma therapist. They all had the same thought that duality is normal, in working with them, they would all push me into a level of duality that my health and psyche would blow out simultaneously. This has happened many times. I’ve taken a break from all this because I’m not sure if my people picker is that broken, or I’m pursuing the wrong method of healing. Your chart here kinda vindicates my experience, carrying and dealing with all the past trauma, trying to get through what today brings, and creating massive internal confusion and divide on where I want to go. Gunna check out more videos when I get the bandwidth.

[Dares]

You talking about the process with a smile, and what is clear passion for the subject, is very encouraging. Thank you!!

I've been in therapy for over 8 years now, and at 30 it does feel like most of the baggage is cleared; however now, when finally expanding out of my "basement" (comfort zone and survivor mindset) into new challenges, I noticed these mechanisms turn up in the same old way. The freeze response is what I'm targeting now so it doesn't prevent me from doing what I dream of!

[cinderling]

* me watching this, hunched over on the couch, tightly *

"I'm not tensed up, how ridiculous, i am

😂😂 Haha. Thank you for this video! It helps... Lots of wisdom here.

You have a sweet voice too, very calming ❤

[susanaaronova]

Thank you so much for sharing this helpful information.
I m in a freeze right now, and those suppressed emotions are hidden inside the bidy. The one that was mainly suppressed is the restriction of speaking out and expressing all the feelings with others . Right now, it manifested in vocal cords as VCD, where vocal folds are closing during breathing and speech that restricts air and makes it so difficult for the body to function with elevated anxiety and depression. It s not easy to concentrate and perform any mental and physical activity . It feels like you're drowning. It's not easy to swallow, eat, and drink water. Getting easily overstimulated when in social settings. It's been for there for a while, and doctors just puzzled. There is nothing really that brings joy at this point. I know it will resolve eventually. That I need to face that fear and let live thru it being in a present moment . To be grateful for each moment , and in that moment to connect to this condition and accept it from the bottom of my heart feeding it with love and thank it for being here for me to wake me up for newer and higher emotions of appreciation and LOVE ❤️🙏💓💗
Thanks to everyone for being here for me

[pd]

amazing lecture! know that this information is helping real people heal. I have been dealing with an overactive freeze response for about 4 years now. The response triggers due to groups of people, so it happens multiple times a day and i rarely get to talk to anyone while unfrozen. The insight that this video gave me about my problem gives me hope that I will get better, thank you!

[sunnybadgr]

Your voice sounds so soothing and uplifting. I can't even focus on the content. Have to listen again..