Simulation Scenario - Explaining the Freeze Response to a Client

[SOFT MUSIC]

Oh, hi, Jess.

Oh, it's great to see you again.

How have you been going since
our first appointment last week?

I've been OK, I think.

I've just been trying
to get on with my week.

I didn't have a really
good weekend, though.

So what happened?

Well, I was at the shops, just
getting all my groceries done.

And I saw a man.

I don't know if it was him or
someone that looked like him,

but he came--

walked past me and I--

Yeah, that would
be really scary.

Even just now, talking about
it, I'm feeling quite--

my heart's--

Panicky?

Yeah.

Yeah, so I just-- all these--

I had all these
really bad memories

or thoughts or something.

They just kept coming
back immediately after.

And I just-- it
was almost like I

felt exactly the same as
when it was happening,

when he did that stuff to me.

So can you tell me a
little bit about how

you responded in the moment?

So when you were in the
supermarket, what happened?

How were you feeling?

What did you notice
in your body?

Definitely, my heart was just
pounding and I was so sweaty.

It was gross.

And then, I don't know, I froze.

I felt like I wanted to do
something, but I couldn't.

I just felt stuck.

And I was really quite angry
when I came home because--

With yourself?

Yeah, because I kept
thinking about it

and I was thinking like, why--

I shouldn't be feeling this way.

Why am I still feeling
scared or shocked?

I just couldn't do anything.

I was quite pissed off.

And I can hear that.

And I can hear how scared
you were in the moment.

I'd really love to just
take this opportunity

to tell you a bit more about
how the body responds to trauma

and to triggers
just because it can

help to normalize that response
because it's making sense to me.

So when you're in the
shops, you said you froze.

Yeah.

It just felt very still,
very stuck in the moment.

Yeah.

And that's part of
the stress response

or the fight or flight
or freeze response.

So a lot of people talk
about fight or flight.

So when there's some kind of
perceived threat or danger,

that you react very
quickly, it's automatic.

It's not conscious.

But you're prepared for
action, like to run away

or to fight them.

But what can happen when your
body and brain decide that those

aren't really options for you,
you can't get out of there

and you can't fight this person.

They're just too big
and they're too strong,

or you've tried before
and it hasn't helped.

Then what happens is you can
be overwhelmed and shut down,

and that's the freeze response.

And it's actually
quite adaptive.

So as awful as it feels
because you feel numb

and you actually
can't do anything.

Your body shuts right down.

It's almost like
paralyzed with fear.

But it can help you to
get through those moments.

And I'm wondering if you've
noticed that before, freezing

like that before?

Yeah, actually,
it's making sense

now because that feeling
that I got at the shops

was exactly how it used to
feel, how it felt when he

was doing those things to me.

So it was just--

So that's what you've learned.

You've learned to
cope in that way.

And that's how you
responded at the time

when there was a real danger.

And then your body has
learnt to react to triggers,

so anything that
reminds you of him.

So someone that looks like him,
just similar features, or even

similar smells, or sounds can
be enough to trigger that stress

response and get you ready
for action right away.

And that can also
involve that shutdown.

Do you have any
questions about it?

No, it makes sense.

I feel a lot better now.

I feel normal.

I came in really
worried and quite angry

with myself, like, why am
I feeling this way still?

It's so good to
just learn about it.

And I've got some
information here

that you can take away as well.

But the more you
notice it yourself,

so you realize like,
I'm being triggered

and I'm reacting as if it's
happening again, but it's not.

I'm OK.

I'm safe.

You can help to ground
yourself and just tell yourself

that I'm OK.

I'm safe.

And you can use
some of those skills

that we spoke about
last week just

to help to regulate your body
and bring it back down again.

And just have a broader
look around and go,

hey, I'm not there.

I don't need this kind of
response in this moment.

So take this away.

Some of it will be relevant.

Some of it may not be.

So have a read-through, and
if you've got any questions,

just bring it back and we
can talk about it next week.

OK, thanks.