The Freeze Response Can Lead to Procrastination After Abuse

Many individuals are familiar with the fight, flight, or freezeresponse to trauma.¹However, one thing I have learned after years of exposure toverbal abuseis that this automatic response can lead to detrimental procrastination in other areas of my life.

The Freeze Response Leads Me to Procrastination

One contributing element of the fight, flight, freeze response I find that still has a strong hold on my life even today is the freeze response. When I face somethingtraumatic or triggering, I will often freeze, unsure how to proceed. Part of this behavior comes from slowly learning toretrain my brainto react differently to present situations rather than the past.

I am still healing and need time to process a circumstance before I proceed. However, this freeze response inevitably leads me to significant procrastination.

Procrastination Turns to Low Self-Worth

After careful examination, I've realized that when I am stressed or face a particularly stressful situation, my body responds as it would to my pastverbal abuse trauma. My body sees the stress as a threat and is unsure how to proceed, making me stop and run away from the problem.

Although this response can be helpful in dangerous situations, it has no place in everyday life. When my days include procrastination, I notice that it has adamaging effect on my self-esteem. Once I recognize these negative emotions, I often turn to thoughts of despair andlow self-worth. I begin to think that if I was more organized, talented, professional, or better than I currently am, I could successfully complete a task on time. My brain begins its harmfulcycle of damaging thoughtsand chips away at my self-esteem and the belief in my abilities to do a task.

Change Is Possible

拖延是possib远离有害的le once you recognize that a stressful situation does not threaten your safety. This change will need time and practice as you retrain your brain to see everyday stressors as harmless. Withstrategies I've learned through therapy, I am slowly inching forward, away from procrastination.

如果你是一个慢性procrastinator and suffer from a past verbally abusive situation, it can be beneficial to look at the real reason why youavoid completing tasks. With therapy and skills to retrain your brain, you can break free fromverbal abuse symptomslike procrastination and live a healthier, happier life.

Sources

1. Fight / Flight / Freeze Response. (n.d.). The University of Toledo. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/counseling/anxietytoolbox/fightflightfreeze.html