Fight-or-Flight Response

A Fight-or-Flight Response is a physiological response that prepares the organism for immediate action when facing perceived threats (activating specific neural circuits and hormone cascades to optimize survival behavior).

• AKA: Acute Stress Response, Hyperarousal, Fight-Flight-or-Freeze Response, Emergency Reaction.
• Context:
  • It can typically activate Sympathetic Nervous System through fight-or-flight response neural pathways and fight-or-flight response autonomic regulation.
  • It can typically trigger Hormone Release through fight-or-flight response adrenal stimulation and fight-or-flight response endocrine cascade.
  • It can typically increase Cardiovascular Function through fight-or-flight response heart rate acceleration and fight-or-flight response blood pressure elevation.
  • It can typically enhance Respiratory Performance through fight-or-flight response breathing rate increase and fight-or-flight response bronchial dilation.
  • It can typically redirect Blood Flow through fight-or-flight response vasoconstriction and fight-or-flight response vasodilation pattern.
  • It can typically mobilize Energy Resources through fight-or-flight response glucose release and fight-or-flight response metabolic shift.
  • It can typically sharpen Sensory Perception through fight-or-flight response attentional focus and fight-or-flight response sensory threshold reduction.
  • It can typically prepare Muscular System through fight-or-flight response muscle tension and fight-or-flight response motor readiness.
  • ...
  • It can often suppress Digestive Function through fight-or-flight response gastrointestinal inhibition and fight-or-flight response digestive slowdown.
  • It can often alter Cognitive Processing through fight-or-flight response threat prioritization and fight-or-flight response decision narrowing.
  • It can often impair Complex Thinking through fight-or-flight response executive function reduction and fight-or-flight response analytical impairment.
  • It can often enhance Memory Formation for fight-or-flight response threat-related information through fight-or-flight response emotional tagging.
  • It can often generate Subjective Experience through fight-or-flight response emotional intensity and fight-or-flight response urgency perception.
  • It can often affect Social Behavior through fight-or-flight response communication pattern and fight-or-flight response social signal.
  • It can often increase Physical Capability through fight-or-flight response strength enhancement and fight-or-flight response pain suppression.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Mild Fight-or-Flight Response to being an Extreme Fight-or-Flight Response, depending on its fight-or-flight response activation intensity.
  • It can range from being an Adaptive Fight-or-Flight Response to being a Maladaptive Fight-or-Flight Response, depending on its fight-or-flight response situational appropriateness.
  • It can range from being an Acute Fight-or-Flight Response to being a Chronic Fight-or-Flight Response, depending on its fight-or-flight response temporal duration.
  • It can range from being a Physical Threat Fight-or-Flight Response to being a Psychological Threat Fight-or-Flight Response, depending on its fight-or-flight response trigger type.
  • It can range from being a Complete Fight-or-Flight Response to being a Partial Fight-or-Flight Response, depending on its fight-or-flight response system engagement.
  • ...
  • It can be regulated by Brain Regions including fight-or-flight response amygdala function and fight-or-flight response prefrontal control.
  • It can be modulated by Psychological Factors including fight-or-flight response cognitive appraisal and fight-or-flight response emotional context.
  • It can be influenced by Individual Differences like fight-or-flight response genetic variation and fight-or-flight response developmental history.
  • It can be triggered by Environmental Stressors including fight-or-flight response physical danger and fight-or-flight response social threat.
  • It can interact with Immune System through fight-or-flight response inflammatory response and fight-or-flight response immune modulation.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Threat-Evoked Fight-or-Flight Responses, such as:
    • Predator Encounter Fight-or-Flight Response during wildlife confrontation with pupil dilation, heart rate increase, and adrenaline surge.
    • Physical Danger Fight-or-Flight Response during accident situations with rapid breathing, muscle tensing, and heightened alertness.
    • Violent Confrontation Fight-or-Flight Response during interpersonal threat with blood pressure spike, threat scanning, and defensive posturing.
    • Natural Disaster Fight-or-Flight Response during environmental emergency with rapid decision making, time perception alteration, and survival prioritization.
  • Social Fight-or-Flight Responses, such as:
    • Public Speaking Fight-or-Flight Response during performance situations with dry mouth, trembling, and cognitive narrowing.
    • Social Evaluation Fight-or-Flight Response during judgment situations with blushing, sweating, and self-consciousness increase.
    • Interpersonal Conflict Fight-or-Flight Response during argument escalation with vocal pitch change, defensive body language, and emotional reactivity.
    • Authority Confrontation Fight-or-Flight Response during power differential interactions with submission signals or defiance behavior.
  • Modern Context Fight-or-Flight Responses, such as:
    • Workplace Stress Fight-or-Flight Response during deadline pressure with cortisol elevation, sleep disruption, and irritability increase.
    • Financial Pressure Fight-or-Flight Response during economic threat with rumination patterns, vigilance behavior, and resource conservation.
    • Traffic Fight-or-Flight Response during commuting hazards with muscle tension, aggressive driving, and risk assessment alteration.
    • Digital Notification Fight-or-Flight Response during message alerts with attentional capture, task interruption, and micro-stress reaction.
  • Clinical Fight-or-Flight Responses, such as:
    • Panic Disorder Fight-or-Flight Response during panic attack episodes with catastrophic interpretations, autonomic hyperactivation, and escape behavior.
    • PTSD Fight-or-Flight Response during trauma trigger exposure with flashback experience, hypervigilance, and exaggerated startle response.
    • Phobia Fight-or-Flight Response during feared stimulus encounter with avoidance behavior, physiological arousal, and safety seeking.
    • Generalized Anxiety Fight-or-Flight Response during ambiguous situations with threat overestimation, worry spirals, and persistent muscle tension.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Rest-and-Digest Response, which activates parasympathetic processes rather than sympathetic processes.
  • Freeze Response, which induces immobility behavior rather than active response.
  • Tend-and-Befriend Response, which promotes social connection rather than confrontation or escape.
  • Fawn Response, which triggers appeasement behavior rather than defensive action.
  • Flow State, which creates engaged absorption rather than threat vigilance.
  • Relaxation Response, which reduces physiological arousal rather than increasing activation.
• See: Stress Response, Sympathetic Nervous System, Parasympathetic Nervous System, Adrenal Medulla, Catecholamines, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Amygdala Function, Threat Detection, Stress Hormone, Alarm Reaction, General Adaptation Syndrome, Anxiety Response, Trauma Response, Polyvagal Theory, Survival Mechanism, Emergency Reaction, Stress Physiology.

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References

2023

• (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response Retrieved:2023-5-7.
  • The fight-or-flight or the fight-flight-or-freeze-fawn (also called hyperarousal or the acute stress response) is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon. His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, preparing the animal for fighting or fleeing. More specifically, the adrenal medulla produces a hormonal cascade that results in the secretion of catecholamines, especially norepinephrine and epinephrine. The hormones estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol, as well as the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, also affect how organisms react to stress. The hormone osteocalcin might also play a part.

    This response is recognised as the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms.

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