Like is it a reaction? Do you want to start fighting when it happens? When does it usually happen? Why is there a “flight” in there? Where are we going?
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“Fight or flight” is a crisis response. When you’re confronted by a threat, you have two immediate choices: stand and defend yourself (“fight”), or run from the threat to escape (“flight”). So “fight or flight” is the most basic, instinctual response people (and most animals, in general) have.
It’s how we respond to threats and there’s actually two other options as well: Freeze and Fawn.
When you perceive you are being attacked in any way, do you:
Fight: get angry, scream. Throw punches. Make threats. General aggressive behavior
Flight: try to escape the situation in any way possible. I.E. leave the room, end the relationship, run away, etc
Freeze: you don’t know how to respond. You get overwhelmed and executive functions like logic, planning, and memory recall become very difficult. Like a deer trapped in place by headlights.
Fawn: people pleasing behaviors to try to stop the attack. Ex: Excessive apologies, begging, self deprecating, complimenting.
[here’s an overview](https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html)
It is referring to a person’s reaction to a situation. Specifically a life threatening situation.
Does a person stand their ground and “fight” for their life?
Or
Does a person run away, take “flight”, to safer place.
You’re faced with a threat to your life. You either choose fight (wherein you confront the threat and attempt to eradicate/eliminate it) or flight (wherein you run away/defuse the threat)
It exists because your innate instinct is to protect your life. You assess the threat and determine whether or not you should fight it or “fly” away.
If you’re startled, you swing and fight. Or possibly run. Maybe you crumple and shut down and cry.
When you’re confronted by danger you have three responses run, fight, or do nothing. When you’re in a dangerous situation, say, confronted by a bully, there will be a split second decision where you choose to fight or flee, it’s closer to an automatic response than one you would consider and weigh the pros and cons of before you commit.
It’s why you might jump in your car and leave if you’re having an argument with your partner, or why you might run into a burning building to save your dog.
It is the reaction of certain parts of our nervous system to perceived danger or stressful or frightening events. The body responds to these perceived threats by preparing it to react to the threats. The body does this by rapidly releasing certain substances called adrenaline and noradrenaline. These substances cause an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. In such a state the body is prepared to run away from a threat or to fight the threat when fleeing is not possible.
Fight or flight is a response reaction to something most likely life threatening. Will you fight or run?
Let’s say you’re walking in the woods and a bear suddenly surprises you and growls. At this moment you’re startled, you might feel a sudden sinking feeling in your stomach. Adrenaline Your heart starts racing very fast, your breathing picks up, sending more oxygen to your muscles. your brain goes into overdrive as you run through scenarios of what to do faster than you can even recognize the thoughts. All of this happens to fuel your fight (defend yourself against the bear) or flight (get away from the bear). Also I’m just using this as an example, don’t fight a bear, and don’t run. Make yourself seem bigger and yell trying to scare it off. An interesting note is that sometimes panic attacks are experiences when a person goes into fight or flight with no obvious or perceived threat. You can literally be doing an every day activity or nothing at all and go into fight or flight. It’s rare but common among people who experience panic attacks.
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