you might have a fawn trauma response if…

if you find yourself constantly:

• agreeing with others’ opinions

• apologizing excessively

• forcing a smile around others

you might have a fawn response. here’s what that means:

the fawn response is one of four trauma responses. fight & flight are commonly referenced responses, freeze is a little less commonly known. fawn seems to be the response that people know the least about. the fawn response typically goes hand-in-hand with people pleasing.

the fawn trauma response often develops as a coping mechanism in response to early experiences of needing to please and appease others to ensure safety, love, and acceptance. within significant relationships, those with a fawn trauma response learned they needed to take care of others to avoid getting hurt.

if you have a fawn response, it means that you have a tendency to prioritize others' needs & desires over your own, you seek external validation, & you avoid conflict to maintain a sense of safety and connection.

let’s look at the examples again & see how those tie in:

• agreeing with others’ opinions even when you don’t actually agree is a way to dodge conflict & maintain peace or harmony.

• apologizing excessively even for small things that are not your fault is a way to appease others & avoid potential disapproval.

• forcing a smile or pretending you’re okay even when you’re experiencing other emotions is a way to prevent upsetting or disappointing others.

you deserve to experience safety in your relationships without fear of rejection. you deserve to teach your body that this response you learned is no longer needed. you deserve to take care of yourself.

*you can read more of these posts on my instagram page, @therapy.with.emilee