Functional Freeze: Overcoming Nervous System Overwhelm

You feel stuck.

You're numb, disconnected, and feel like you're floating above your body.

You might be stuck in functional freeze:

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

From a young age, many of us experience extreme nervous system overwhelm.

Sometimes from 'big' catastrophic events like losing a parent, assault, or neglect.

Other times it's micro-traumas a series of "small" traumas that compound and build over time.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Micro traumas:
-chronic stress
-instability
-chaos/fighting/dysfunction
-bullying
-emotional neglect
-financial insecurity
-emotionally immature parents
-shaming/harsh punishment

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Freeze is a protective response to overwhelm or danger.

We hear a lot about fight or flight, but freeze is just as common and is often overlooked.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Here's an example of a freeze:

A co-worker makes a sarcastic comment about your performance in a meeting. Your breathing gets quicker and you can feel yourself fading out. You might feel a tingling in your body. Your expression goes blank + you can't speak.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

The rest of the day, you feel hazy but can still perform at work going through all of your daily functions.

In functional freeze, we're not fully shut down.

We're still able to seemingly function "normally."

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Many people in functional freeze struggle to form memories. This is because the brain has shut down from processing any new information.

Survival is the only focus.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Trying to communicate with someone in functional freeze can feel very confusing or even hurtful. A person in functional freeze struggles to empathize or take in a conversation. It might seem like they don't care or that they're wearing defensive armor.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Other symptoms of freeze:
-monotone voice
-tension in body or rigidness
-feeling detached
-extreme low energy/body heaviness
-shallow breathing
-losing periods of time
-incessant scrolling
-couch lock
-chronic procrastination

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Many of my clients who were stuck in a freeze state struggled to feel anything. They rarely would laugh, find joyfulness, or have any curiosity in the world around them. It's important to educate people that these are involuntary responses of the body.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

In somatic therapy, the body is used so that the person can "thaw" or come out of freeze. If you've been stuck in functional freeze, there are practices you can do to help your body come out of this state.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

I want to stress these are daily practices, not quick fixes.

It will take repetition for your body to leave this state.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

How To Leave Functional Freeze:

1. Educate those close to you: educate the people you're closest to about the freeze state and how it impacts your life/your responses.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

2. Practice daily breath work to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The best and easiest practice is slow deep belly breathing at a time when you feel most relaxed.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

3. Grounding exercises: freeze keeps us stuck in our head and grounding exercises bring us out of the present moment. Name colors you see out loud, name smells you smell, name sounds you hear.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

4. Mobilize the body: picture a deer in headlights. It's in a freeze state and unable to move. When we're in freeze all the blood leaves our muscles. We need to shake, move, and stretch the body to signal to the brain that we are "back online"

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

5. Co-regulation: sit with someone who is not in freeze. Have them speak to you in soothing ways. Look at their facial expression and let their nervous system communicate with yours. Someone else's nervous system and cue safety and help us leave freeze.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

6. Speak about what you feel: people in functional freeze are deeply disconnected from what they feel and even more disconnected from the ability to communicate it. Practice telling someone how you feel "I feel a bit sad today."

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023

Each of these practices will bring you back to into your body and out of your survival mind.

Remember to take it slow.

Don't overwhelm yourself.

Give yourself patience and grace.

— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) June 14, 2023