The Fight, Flight, Freeze Response: Can It Lead to Abandoning Loved Ones in Emergencies?

When faced with a life-threatening situation, many individuals automatically respond with one of the three basic responses: fight, flight, or freeze. These primal reactions are designed to help us deal with unexpected and extremely stressful scenarios. However, is it possible that these responses could cause someone to abandon a loved one, such as a child, in an emergency?

While it is true that experiencing a instinctive fight or flight response could temporarily paralyze a person, causing them to forget their previous instinct to protect loved ones, there is indeed another response that would ensure the protection of a child, no matter the circumstances. In an emergency, a person's historical memories and personal experiences would ideally kick in, overriding the primal response and prompting a protective instinct.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A variety of factors can influence a person's response in a high-stress environment, and it is difficult to predict how one might act in such situations. Most of us are not trained or prepared to handle life-and-death predicaments, and we usually don't anticipate being placed in such circumstances. I was once faced with such a scenario, and though I thought I was mentally and physically strong, I found myself frozen in fear. This defeat in a life-or-death situation left me confronted with the harsh reality of my limitations.

During emergencies, people's first thought is often the safety of their loved ones, especially children. However, I have observed in my role as a veteran firefighter and EMT that individuals can act in bizarre ways when faced with emergencies. Tragic stories in the news of parents acting violently towards their own children and instances of people harming family members highlight the potential for such dreadful behavior, even if it is not the norm.

The fight or flight response has proven to be an exceptionally powerful mechanism in extreme situations. I once read a moving story about a 120-pound woman who, in a moment of crisis, lifted a 2,000-pound car to free her 5-year-old son, who was crushed underneath it. This demonstrates that the driving force of the fight or flight response can provide extraordinary strength in times of need.

It is true that in some cases, a coward's response might cause them to prioritize their own safety over the safety of a loved one, but no genuine individual would leave behind a woman or a child without knowing it. Most people, if faced with a situation, would take the necessary actions to protect their loved ones. It is important to remember that while we might not be able to predict or control our reactions in emergencies, instilling the right training and mindset can help mitigate the risk of harmful actions during these critical moments.