When we talk about the symptoms and reactions to anxiety, we often mention the “fight or flight response.” Fight or flight is a term to describe the reaction to the anxiety that one is feeling internally and the body’s physical reaction to risk. While we often think of the “flight” response as a physiological response only, it also manifests itself in other ways. For those living with long-term anxiety symptoms, it can show up as behaviors developed to cope with anxious feelings.
Consider these flight response behaviors
If you know someone who has dealt with untreated anxiety for a long time, you may notice that they engage in specific behaviors when feeling triggered by an anxiety-inducing situation. You may observe some of the following behaviors in a flight response.
Physically leaving a space
When someone with anxiety encounters something that triggers that anxious feeling, their flight response may be to remove themselves from the situation. This physiological response to anxiety gives these individuals a feeling of “I need to get out of here!” Removing themselves from a situation may help them to reset their body. It can also help them calm down, think more clearly, and engage in learned coping skills to deal with the trigger.
Avoidance
In addition to physically removing themselves from a triggering situation, those with long-term anxiety may also try to avoid known triggers. Their flight response is designed to discourage anxious feelings from popping up. Avoidance may look like someone’s being flaky, or like they don’t care about those around them their plans.
However, for those who are afraid of their anxious feelings or are struggling to cope with symptoms, avoidance may feel like the only option they have for remaining calm. Missed calls, text messages, and avoiding plans with others are avoidance behaviors in the flight response.
Traveling often
Do you see your anxious friend taking a lot of vacations? This give them a sense of escapism from the anxious life that they live at home. If they are surrounded by anxiety inducing factors, such as toxic family members, a bad work or school situation, or memories of anxious times, it’s common to want to get away from these triggers. Traveling away from an anxious environment can help them to reset their mind. It helps them feel at peace with the world around them.
Escapism can be a helpful tool to reset an anxious mind. But too much escapism can indicate a larger problem that the person should address appropriately.
Moving to a new place
Your anxious friend may randomly decide to move away when their environment has become too difficult to deal with. As a flight response, moving is a combination of efforts similar to traveling, leaving a place, and avoiding known triggers.
Moving away may seem like a person is trying to run away from their problems. But it can also be a key step to healing. It’s hard to heal in the same environment in which you had negative experiences. Moving could be helpful to people seeking a fresh start. The problem however, occurs in constant moving and running. No matter where you go, some challenges like job or financial stress are still present.
About Therapist Samantha Nolan, MA, LPC, ATR- Barnum Counseling
Seattle Divorce Services. (2023). [Internet]. On Leaving and Being Left. https://seattledivorceservices.com/leaving-left/
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