THEORIES BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

What Is the Fight-or-Flight Response?

Experiencing Physical Symptoms in Response to
Stress
By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Updated on November 07, 2022

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

Verywell / Joshua Seong

Table of Contents

Evolution

What Happens

Physical Signs

Impact

Examples

VIEW ALL

The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response,

refers to the physiological reaction that occurs when in the presence of
something mentally or physically terrifying. This response is triggered by
the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal
with a threat or to run away to safety. [1]

The three stages of fight-or-flight are:

The alarm stage: During this stage, the central nervous system is ramped
up, preparing your body to fight or flee.
The resistance stage: This is the stage in which the body attempts to
normalize and recover from the initial elevated fight-or-flight response.
The exhaustion stage: If the first two stages occur repeatedly over time,
such as when under chronic stress, this can cause the body to feel
exhausted and begin to break down.

Evolution of the Fight-or-Flight Response

The term "fight-or-flight" represents the choices our ancient ancestors
had when faced with danger in their environment: to either fight or flee.
In either case, the physiological and psychological response to stress
prepares the body to react to the danger.

In the 1920s, American physiologist Walter Cannon was the first to

describe the fight-or-flight response. Cannon realized that a chain of
rapidly occurring reactions inside the body helped to mobilize the body's
resources to deal with threatening circumstances.

Today, the fight-or-flight response is recognized as part of the first stage

of Hans Selye's general adaptation syndrome, a theory describing the
stress response. [1]

What Happens During the Fight-or-Flight

Response
In response to acute stress, the body's sympathetic nervous system is
activated by the sudden release of hormones. Fight-or-flight response
hormones include adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticotropin-
releasing hormone. [2]

These hormones cause the sympathetic nervous system to stimulate the

pituitary gland and adrenal glands. This triggers the release of
catecholamines, including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol.

This chain of reactions results in an increased heart rate, blood pressure,

and breathing rate. [3] Your body can stay in fight-or-flight for 20 to 60
minutes after the threat is gone, which is how long it takes for the
parasympathetic nervous system to return it to pre-arousal levels.

The sympathetic nervous system promotes the fight-or-flight

response while the parasympathetic nervous system helps calm the
body once the threat is gone.

Physical Signs of a Fight-or-Flight Response

Physical signs that can indicate that your fight-or-flight response has
kicked in include:

Dilated pupils: In times of danger, the body prepares itself to become

more aware of its surroundings. Dilation of the pupils allows more light
into the eyes, resulting in better vision of your surrounding area. [4]
Pale or flushed skin: During fight-or-flight, blood flow to the surface
areas of the body is reduced while flow to the muscles, brain, legs, and
arms is increased. Paleness or alternating between a pale and flushed face
as blood rushes to the head and brain is common. [5] The body's blood
clotting ability also increases to prevent excess blood loss in the event of
injury.
Rapid heart rate and breathing: Heartbeat and respiration rate increase to
provide the body with the energy and oxygen needed to fuel a rapid
response to danger. [3]
Trembling: The muscles tense and become primed for action, which can
cause trembling or shaking. [5]

You can probably think of a time when you experienced the fight-or-
flight response. When faced with something frightening, you can feel
your heartbeat quicken, you may start breathing faster, and your
entire body becomes tense and ready to take action.
Impact of the Fight-or-Flight Response
There are both benefits and drawbacks to the fight-or-flight response.

Benefits of Fight-or-Flight

The fight-or-flight response plays a critical role in how we deal with

stress and danger in our environment. When we are under threat, the
response prepares the body to either fight or flee. By priming your body
for action, you are better prepared to perform under pressure.

The stress created by the situation can actually be helpful, making it more
likely that you will cope effectively with the threat. This type of stress can
help you perform better in situations where you are under pressure to do
well, such as at work or school.

Some experts suggest that the flight-or-flight response may even provide
benefits when the urge to fight others in an attempt to harm them is,
instead, transformed into the urge to fight to protect them. [6] This may be
beneficial when the fight-or-flight response is triggered by negative
emotions such as anger and fear.

And in cases where the threat is life-threatening, the fight-or-flight

response plays a critical role in your survival. By gearing you up to fight or
flee, the fight-or-flight response makes it more likely that you will
survive the danger.

Related: Learning Brain vs. Survival Brain: What's the Difference?

Drawbacks of Fight-or-Flight
While the fight-or-flight response happens automatically, that doesn't
mean that it is always accurate. Sometimes we respond in this way even
when there is no real threat.

This is because the fight-or-flight response can be triggered by both real

and imaginary threats. Phobias are good examples of how the fight-or-
flight response might be falsely triggered in the face of a perceived threat.

Constantly being in a state of fight-or-flight, such as when facing

repeated stressors, can also be harmful to your health. Chronic stress can
increase your risk of: [7]

Chronic fatigue
Depression
Gastrointestinal issues
Headaches and migraines
Heart attack and stroke
High blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity
Poor immune function
Reproductive and sexual dysfunction
Worsened breathing problems, such as those related to asthma

Is Anxiety a Fight-or-Flight Response?

Some research indicates that the body's desire to fight or flee can
increase a person's risk of developing an anxiety disorder, making
them more vulnerable to this type of mental health condition. [8]
Examples of the Fight-or-Flight Response
The fight-or-flight response can happen in the face of imminent physical
danger, such as when encountering a growling dog during your morning
jog. It can also be the result of a psychological threat, such as preparing to
give a big presentation at school or work.

Another example of the flight-or-fight response is if a person who is

terrified of heights has to go to the top floor of a skyscraper to attend a
meeting. Their body might go on high alert, with their heartbeat and
respiration rate increasing. If the response is severe, it can lead to a panic
attack. [9]

Related: Fight or Flight Theory of Panic Disorder

How to Calm a Fight-or-Flight Response

Understanding the body's natural fight-or-flight response is one way to
help cope with such situations. When you notice that you are becoming
tense, you can start looking for ways to calm down and relax your body.

Ways to calm the fight-or-flight response include: [7]

Developing a healthy support network

Engaging in relaxation exercises
Getting regular physical exercise
Making sleep a priority
Practice deep breathing techniques

Related: Techniques to Tame the Fight-or-Flight Response

Psychology and the Fight-or-Flight Response

The stress response is one of the major topics studied in the rapidly-
growing field of health psychology. Health psychologists are interested in
helping people find ways to combat stress and live healthier, more
productive lives.

By learning more about the fight-or-flight response, psychologists can

help people explore new ways to deal with their natural reactions to
stress.

Related: How to Trigger Your Relaxation Response

9 Sources

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist,
psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology
Book."

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