Typically, individuals tend to think of stress responses as being a choice of ‘fight or flight’.
However, more modern research and evidence suggests that this is not the case and that there are, in fact, different stress responses that have not previously been considered.
Instead, it may be useful to think about stress responses as one of four actions: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
This is what this blog post aims to explore.
The different stress responses can have huge impacts on the individual and those around them, especially when in the context of addiction and rehabilitation – both of which also have very complex and unique interactions.
Different stress responses occur for many different reasons. This can be due to the individual, their current situation, and other factors around them.
For example, some individuals may always respond to stress in the same way e.g., becoming very reserved and mentally ‘shutting down’, whereas others may have different stress responses depending on the specific situation.
Stress responses are techniques that the body uses in order to cope with different stressors or stimuli, and these can be linked back to our ancestors’ responses to the environment around them.
This means that, sometimes, these stress responses are often unnecessary in the modern world, but they are ingrained in us, nonetheless.
In terms of addiction, this can cause huge stress on the body and the mind, meaning that the individual struggling with addiction may also be dealing with a lot of stress, whether this is as a direct result of the substances they are consuming, or because of the indirect effects that it is having on their daily life and lifestyle.
It is common knowledge that stress, no matter it’s origin, can have serious and long-term impacts on the functioning of the body itself (1).
This includes the endocrine system (hormones), as well as other seemingly unrelated areas such as the digestive system.
A change in hormone levels and production can have serious impacts on an individual’s wellbeing, as this will cause the individual to deviate from homeostasis – the resting rates of the body that allows for ‘normal’ or standard functioning.
Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones and, although there has been research that highlights its benefit in the consolidation of fear i.e., not repeating risky actions due to past responses (2), this is not to say that there are not long-term and serious health risks that can be caused as a result of high and regular levels of cortisol.
In addition to the physiological/physical effects of stress, there are also many effects that high stress levels can have on an individual’s mental health.
Especially during rehabilitation, an individual’s mental health is vitally important and must be preserved as well as possible in order to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of an individual’s treatment programme.
Studies have shown that when individuals are provided with suitable resources and support during rehabilitation (as well as during aftercare) their progress is greater, and this is reflected in their scores of both physical and mental health (3).
Mental health is a vital part of overcoming and dealing with an addiction in the long term, so the effects of stress must be carefully monitored over an individual’s time in rehabilitation.
If high levels of stress are something that an individual experiences regularly, then they should ensure that this is made clear to an addiction specialist before they enter any type of drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
So how does the body actually deal with stress? As mentioned in the introduction, there are now four key ways in which an individual may respond to stress, but, as always, there are areas in which these responses may overlap.
The following subheadings outline the four key stress responses: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, as well as providing examples on what these responses may look like and how they can relate to addiction and rehabilitation.
This is one of the original responses to stress, as the fight response refers to taking on the stress head-on and dealing with it directly.
This response can cause additional strain on the individual, but stress responses are often instinctive rather than thought-out, meaning that further issues may arise.
As a general stressor, addiction is a disorder that quickly worsens over time, increasing the stress associated with it at the same time.
In some cases, individuals may choose to deal with addiction as a stress directly. This may include entering rehabilitation as a spontaneous decision and throwing oneself into recovery programmes with full motivation.
However, it may also cause individuals to increase their consumption of the substance that they are addicted to as a way of trying to combat the stress, leading to further and further issues.
As another one of the ‘typical’ stress responses, the flight response is almost completely opposite to the fight response.
Where the fight response involves direct actions in order to combat stressful situations and stimuli, the flight response involves trying to avoid the issues, or to run away from them as a way of coping.
When it comes to addiction, this is not a strong stress response, as it often does not involve the individual seeking care and instead opting to ‘run away’ from their issues by avoiding rehabilitation, treatment programmes, or therapy, for example.
As an addiction can exponentially worsen over time, this is one of the worst responses that an individual can have to the effects of addiction and they should seek support as soon as they are able.
The freeze response could be described as a ‘halfway’ between the fight and flight stress responses as it often refers to an individual ‘freezing’ i.e., taking no action against the stressor at all.
By freezing, an individual does not impact their stress at all, and the stress can often become worse as a result of this.
In terms of addiction and rehabilitation, a freeze response may mean that the individual takes no action toward supporting their recovery, often continuing as normal and continuing their substance misuse/abuse.
This is, again, a serious response to have toward addiction as a stressor as this is not a beneficial way for individuals to take on or begin their recovery, meaning that they often experience greater and greater effects of addiction – some of which can be life-threatening depending on the substance that they are addicted to.
The fawn response is the ‘newest’ of the stress responses that has been identified.
Though this form of stress response is generally associated with individuals who have experienced trauma in their early years (i.e., childhood abuse or trauma), this can also be associated with addiction and rehabilitation.
As part of a fawn response, individuals will often show signs of becoming increasingly agreeable in the face of stress, often becoming easily manipulated and controlled by others, as well as placing an overdependence of the feelings and opinions of others.
In terms of addiction, this may be shown as an ‘over-enthusiasm’ to enter care as a result of the opinion of others.
In some cases, this may result in a choice of treatment programmes that are not suitable or appropriate for the individual is question, but rather the choice of individuals around them.
This is not beneficial for recovery, as an individual’s treatment programme should always be specific to them and their needs and not just for the benefit or desire of others.
Going through rehabilitation can be a stressful time in an individual’s life as it requires great change, a different way of living, and different daily habits and activities to break former patterns.
Though this can be a stressful period of time, it is important to remember that there will always be someone that an individual can talk to about their experiences, troubles, and issues that they may be experiencing in care.
No matter if an individual is in a dedicated rehab centre (inpatient care), or if they are partaking in rehabilitative techniques while remaining living at home (outpatient care), there will always be someone to talk to for stress related to this form of care.
To speak with a member of our friendly and professional team, Rehab 4 Addiction has a dedicated addiction support line that individuals can call at any time.
To receive free and confidential advice for your struggles with addiction or the struggles of someone that you know, give us a call on 0800 140 4690 today.
Additionally, our website has countless different blog posts, articles, and webpages covering all different areas of addiction and the different types of care that are available.
Take a look today or get in contact to ask us anything!
[1] Bohus, B., Benus, R.F., Fokkema, D.S., Koolhaas, J.M., Nyakas, C., Van Oortmerssen, G.A., Prins, A.J.A., De Ruiter, A.J.H., Scheurink, A.J.W. and Steffens, A.B., 1987. Neuroendocrine states and behavioral and physiological stress responses. Progress in brain research, 72, pp.57-70.
[2] Hannibal, K.E. and Bishop, M.D., 2014. Chronic stress, cortisol dysfunction, and pain: a psychoneuroendocrine rationale for stress management in pain rehabilitation. Physical therapy, 94(12), pp.1816-1825.
[3] Lin, W. and Zhou, W., 2020. Factors associated with the physical and mental health of drug users participating in community‐based drug rehabilitation programmes in China. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(2), pp.584-590.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
