Stress and Serious Illness: Understanding the Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response

https://getpalliativecare.org/stress-and-serious-illness-understanding-the-fight-flight-or-freeze-response/?utm_source=Get+Palliative+Care&utm_campaign=44db4a8980-GPC+-+Stress+Awareness+%2F+04.01.26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4ef32a103e-44db4a8980-378264050 April is Stress Awareness Month. When you’re diagnosed with a serious illness, it affects more than just your body. It can stir up deep emotions, shift your thoughts, and unsettle your sense of safety. You may feel overwhelmed, afraid, or even emotionally numb. These reactions are part of a built‑in survival system known as the fight, flight, or freeze response. It’s hardwired into all of us to help protect when we sense danger, or are under significant stress. When you’re living with a serious illness, that same system can leave you feeling stuck or emotionally exhausted, especially when recovery feels like a long path.