Think Thursday: The Fawn Response-The Survival Response Hiding in Plain Sight

Episode Summary:

Most people know the three classic stress responses—fight, flight, and freeze—but there’s a fourth that’s often missed because it hides in plain sight: the fawn response. This is when your nervous system decides the safest way to handle a threat is to please or appease it. It’s not weakness—it’s a deeply ingrained survival strategy that can run for years without you realizing it.

In this episode, Molly explains what the fawn response is, where it comes from, why you may never have heard of it, and how it might be shaping your relationships, boundaries, and even your drinking choices. You’ll learn how to spot the signs of fawning and take the first steps toward responding from authenticity rather than fear.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• A quick refresher on fight, flight, and freeze—and how they compare to fawn.
• Pete Walker’s definition of the fawn response and how it forms.
• Everyday examples of fawning and why it’s often praised instead of questioned.
• Common childhood environments that lead to fawning.
• Why the fawn response is both common and invisible.
• How the fawn pattern can influence your drinking decisions.
• A simple, four-step process to pause and respond intentionally instead of automatically.

Key Quote:

“The child relinquishes the fight response, deletes ‘no’ from her vocabulary… flight exacerbates the danger… freeze doesn’t protect… so the child learns to fawn her way into the relative safety of becoming helpful.” – Pete Walker

Links and Resources:

• Pete Walker’s work on the Four F’s of Trauma: pete-walker.com
• Join the free Alcohol Minimalist Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/alcoholminimalists
• Learn more about “Making Peace with Alcohol” coaching: www.mollywatts.com/workwithme

Listener Challenge:
Notice one moment this week where you have the urge to please or accommodate someone else at your own expense. Name it: That’s the fawn response. Pause before responding, and ask yourself if this is what you truly want—or if it’s an old survival pattern.

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