A comic about the spectrum of stress responses, big or small, part 1:

Part 2- ( I think freeze and fawn are lesser known, especially in their more subtle behaviours)

Ppl talk about the more extreme responses to trauma, but there are smaller more everyday responses that might be harder to spot. Often it's easier to blame someone else for conflict, but I was thinking a lot this week about how my responses meet other ppl's responses.

I've been feeling better about some stuff I've had to deal with recently, and it helped to see my behaviours and other people's behaviour in this way - it allowed for more empathy and better understanding of my knee jerk feelings and reactions. Hope it helps!

I’m muting this but wow how cool it blew up! Permission granted to share with whoever you like! Love each other, empathy is the answer to life’s problems ish! Xxx

FAQ: "I've experienced one or more of these, is that normal?" - yes that's totally normal! None of these reactions are unnatural or not normal, simply different ways in which you've learned to cope with stress over the years - totally normal to have cross overs :)

FAQ: "I have these = I must be so messed up!!" - not at all. The reason I wrote this comic is to help people identify when they might be experiencing stress without realising it/to recognise when someone else is doing it rather than assume you're weird or they're weird. >>

>> eeeveryone to a bigger or lesser extent does these things, it does not mean you are messed up, it means you are human! And recognising those things means you can take a step back from knee jerk reactions to everyday conflict and deal with stuff in a more self aware manner.

Ps. None of these reactions are bad. They are just reactions :) it's only bad if it has a negative impact on your life (aka the more extreme end of the behaviours) but the behaviours themselves are certainly NOT bad, just learned ways of dealing with stuff xxx