Renewing the Mind: Navigating the Flight, Fight or Freeze Response

For many Christians battling chronic illness, the struggle feels like a never-ending desert. You’ve tried the diets, the supplements, and the protocols, yet your body remains trapped in a state of exhaustion, brain fog, or persistent pain.

Understanding the flight, fight, or freeze response from both a scientific and biblical perspective is the first step toward regaining your health. By leveraging the power of neuroplasticity and the spiritual mandate to "renew the mind," you can move from a state of survival into the "social engagement" state where true healing occurs.

The Science of Survival: Polyvagal Theory Explained

Historically, researchers believed the autonomic nervous system (ANS) was a simple seesaw: the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) on one side and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest) on the other. However, Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized our understanding.

"Poly" means many, and "vagal" refers to the vagus nerve. This theory suggests there are actually three neural pathways that dictate how we interact with the world:

1. Sympathetic Pathway (Fight-or-Flight): This is the mobilisation system. It revs us up to face or run from a threat.

2. Dorsal Vagal Pathway (Freeze): This is the immobilization system. When a threat feels insurmountable, the body shuts down to conserve energy or "play dead."

3. Ventral Vagal Pathway (Social Engagement): This is the state of safety. It is where we connect with others, feel present, and where our body focuses on cellular repair and digestion.

1. The Fight or Flight Response: The Revved-Up State

When you are in a sympathetic "fight or flight" response, your body is preparing for battle. The amygdala, the brain's fear center, signals the hypothalamus to flood the body with adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol.

Physical Signs of Fight or Flight:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure.

• Rapid, shallow breathing.

• Dilated pupils and sharpened hearing.

• Reduced digestive and immune activity (as the body diverts energy to muscles).

• Feeling "revved up," anxious, or irritable.

In a modern context, we rarely face lions, but our brains perceive a pile of bills, a strained marriage, or even negative thinking as a "life-threatening" threat. If you are constantly talking fast, feeling panicked, or dealing with chronic inflammation, you may be stuck in this sympathetic loop.

2. The Freeze Response: The Shutdown State

If the fight-or-flight response is the "gas pedal," the freeze response is the "emergency brake." This occurs when the brain perceives that fighting or fleeing is not an option. It is a parasympathetic state, but not a healthy one.

Physical and Mental Signs of Freeze:

• Lethargy and Exhaustion: Feeling like you are walking through molasses.

• Dissociation: Feeling "spaced out" or disconnected from your body.

• Brain Fog: An inability to focus or process information.

• Hopelessness: A recurring thought pattern of "I can’t do this" or "Nothing will ever change."

For those with chronic illness, the freeze state is often where "stuckness" happens. The body’s heart rate may actually decrease, and the immune system becomes sluggish, leaving the individual vulnerable to infections and toxins.

3. The "Fawn" Response: The People-Pleasing Trap

While not a primary neural pathway in Polyvagal Theory, many therapists identify "Fawn" as a complex stress response. Fawning involves attempting to appease or reconcile with a threat to avoid harm. In a Christian context, this can manifest as unhealthy people-pleasing, an inability to set boundaries, or "niceness" rooted in fear rather than genuine love. This, too, keeps the nervous system in a state of hyper-vigilance, preventing the body from resting.

The Power of Perception: The Spider Example

In this video, Brooklyn uses a powerful illustration regarding perception. If two people see a small spider, one might jump on a chair in a full fight-or-flight response, while the other calmly catches and releases it. The spider is the same, but the perception is different.

As Brooklyn and Nick Hanna explain in this video, the root of these symptoms often isn't just a physical pathogen or a genetic predisposition; it is a nervous system stuck in a survival loop. This is the crux of limbic system dysfunction. For many with chronic illness, the brain has become "hypersensitive." It begins to perceive non-threatening things, like certain foods, smells, or even social interactions, as dangerous "spiders." With neuroplasticity, you can retrain the brain to stop perceiving these things as threats. When the perception changes, the stress response deactivates, and the symptoms eventually go away.

Why Christians Get Stuck: The Spiritual Component

In the video, Brookly and Nick speak about how the disconnection from God, or certain patterns of sin (like chronic worry or perfectionism), can impact the mind and body. In Christianity, the flight, fight, or freeze response is often exacerbated by a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty.

• Fight: We try to control everything ourselves, leading to anger and irritation.

• Flight: We run from our problems or use distractions to avoid reality.

• Freeze: We fall into despair, forgetting that God is our "ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

Scriptural Anchors for the Nervous System:

• For the Fight Response: 2 Timothy 1:7 – "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

• For the Flight Response: Psalm 56:3 – "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."

• For the Freeze Response: Isaiah 41:10 – "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you."

Moving Toward the "Social Engagement" State

The goal of brain rewiring is to move into the Ventral Vagal (Social Engagement) state. This is the biblical "rest" for the soul. In this state, you feel mindful, joyful, and present.

What happens physically in Social Engagement?

• Better digestion and intestinal motility.

• Increased resistance to infections.

• The ability to tolerate foods and environmental factors.

• Compassion toward yourself and others.

Research shows that the body usually takes 20 to 30 minutes to return to this baseline after a stressor. However, for those with chronic illness, the body may stay in survival mode for years or even decades.

How to Rewire Your Response: Practical Steps

If you realize you are stuck in a flight, fight, or freeze response, the "Good News" is that neuroplasticity allows you to change your neural pathways.

1. Awareness Without Obsession

Recognize when you are "revved up" (Fight/Flight) or "shut down" (Freeze). Instead of obsessively researching symptoms or asking "Why is this happening?", simply acknowledge: "This is just my limbic system in a survival response." This de-escalates the fear.

2. Interrupt the Vicious Cycle

When you feel a negative emotion or a physical symptom flare, use "self-directed neuroplasticity." Stop the negative thought spiral immediately. Replace the "danger" signal with a "safety" signal.

3. Biblical Affirmations

Replace perfectionism and fear with the Word of God. If you are overworking (a fight/flight behavior), meditate on Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

4. Relaxation Techniques

• Deep Abdominal Breathing: This stimulates the vagus nerve and signals to the brain that you are safe.

• Repetitive Prayer: Focusing on a calming phrase like "The Lord is my Shepherd" can lower cortisol levels.

• Social Connection: Engaging with safe, supportive friends helps pull the brain out of the freeze state.

Conclusion: The Road to 100% Recovery

Staying in the fight, flight, or freeze response is what keeps the cycle of chronic illness alive. It creates a "leaky" immune system and a body that is too tired to heal. But as Brooklyn and Nick emphasize, you are not a victim of your genetics or your environment.

By retraining your limbic system and anchoring your identity in Christ, you can move back into the social engagement state. Imagine being mentally clear, eating the foods you love, and having the energy to enjoy your family again. This isn't just a dream for it is the result of a renewed mind and a balanced nervous system.

Do you believe you can get there? If you commit to the work of retraining your brain and trusting in God’s design for your body, 100% recovery is possible.

God bless and Godspeed on your healing journey.

References:

Nunez, K. (2026, January 29). Fight, flight, freeze: What this response means. Healthline.

What is the fight, flight, freeze or fawn response? (2024, July 22). Cleveland Clinic.

Clarke, J. (2025, November 10). Polyvagal Theory: How Our Vagus Nerve Controls Responses to our Environment. Verywell Mind.