The Resulting Consciousness of Fight-or-Flight Trigger

Due to the social survival mechanisms of our past, humans are currently subject to unnecessary fight-or-flight triggers. A significant amount of humanity is living in states anywhere from highly reactive conditions like PTSD or depression, to things as unrecognizable as low-level stress. The once natural and rarely occurring state of being under ‘threat of imminent death,’ has now become a household commonality and with it, the devastating effects these conditions have on the body.

The most commonly recognized result of fight-or-flight- trigger is thought. Primal survival is steeped in thinking, hence the term ‘monkey mind’. Too much thinking is always the sign of a trigger and any and all negative thinking is the result of a fight-or-flight response. Thoughts relating to fear are an obvious outcome of being triggered but don’t take fear mildly. It’s not just phobias or fear of being harmed. It’s fear of the future, needing a plan. For some, it is the fear of loss, fear of judgment, or fear of failure. It can be as extreme as paranoia or maybe even the simple fear of being late to an appointment. 

Fear is about a lot more than consciously being afraid. It can reveal itself as the judgment of others, low self-esteem, or shame. It can be insecurity, doubt, or even a simple lack of motivation.

Another area where we commonly recognize the effects of this trigger are the emotional reactions we experience. Being triggered might result in feeling insignificant or weak, abandoned or alone. It can be stagnation, anxiety, vulnerability. Our response could be anger or fatigue. Anything we experience as emotional suffering is the result of a chemical. Even in situations as subtle as righteous indignation, it is still the chemical.

If you have lost a loved one and you are sad, it is a chemical. If you were attacked and you are angry, it is a chemical. If you look around the world and you see its failings, it is a chemical. Actions like terrorism or murder are the same response of the brain as mocking or mild stress. They might be more extreme, but they are still just response to threat triggers and the truth is, even though we have the right to these feelings, they are still the result of a chemical reaction that might well be killing us.