Episode 29: Understanding the Flop Response to Trauma
Hello and welcome back to the podcast. If you’ve been following along, you know that we are diving deep into the Five F’s of Trauma Response. In the last episodes, we explored Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn—how they develop, how they show up in daily life, and what we can do to manage them. Today, we’re moving on to the final response: Flop.
The flop response is one of the least discussed but one of the most important to understand. Unlike the other responses, which involve action in some form, the flop response is about complete shutdown. If you’ve ever felt utterly drained, collapsed under pressure, or found yourself unable to take action when faced with stress, this episode is for you.
Let’s break down what the flop response really is, how it manifests in daily life, and most importantly, how we can learn to work with it and regain a sense of empowerment.
What is the Flop Response?
The flop response occurs when the brain perceives a threat and determines that neither fighting, fleeing, nor appeasing the threat is an option. Instead, the nervous system causes the body and mind to shut down completely as a last-resort survival mechanism. This is similar to an animal playing dead to avoid further harm.
For trauma survivors, this response can become deeply ingrained, making it difficult to take action, make decisions, or even feel connected to reality. It can create feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, and dissociation.
Thank you for listening to todays episode! I would love to hear from you and to receive your questions and feedback.
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Until the next time - warmly yours,
Renata
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