Beyond Fight or Flight – Understanding Your Defence Cascade
- Fortitude Psychological Therapy
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
In the wake of trauma, we’re often left questioning how we responded. We try to apply logic to our actions, framing our behaviour as a series of choices we’ve made in the moment. What if I told you, it’s not as simple as that?
Evolution has endowed all humans with a continuum of innate, hard-wired, automatically activated defence behaviours known as the ‘defence cascade’. You’ve probably heard of the fight or flight response, but this is just one part of a much bigger model. Let’s explore it together…
What is the Defence Cascade?
The ‘defence cascade’ refers to an inbuilt, evolutionary system that exists within the human body. It’s a succession of automatically activated nervous system defences that every single one of us has.
The defence cascade spans both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in its continuum. Your amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for emotion processing, is primed to notice fear or threat. When it does, it sends signals to other regions of the brain including the hypothalamus which activates the sympathetic nervous system. It is most commonly activated when we’re in a stressful or anxiety provoking situation.
The sympathetic nervous system contains a number of physiological functions that prepare our body for action. It releases adrenaline, constricts blood vessels, increases heart rate, and slows down the function of non-essential processes such as the digestive system.
The parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to calm and relax our body after a stressful event. It’s often called the ‘rest and digest response’.
The Defence Cascade Explained
The defence cascade consists of six core states:
1. Freeze
2. Fight
3. Flight
4. Fright
5. Flag
6. Faint.
When we experience something traumatic, our amygdala kicks in and the first thing that happens is a momentary freeze. Some people stay stuck in this state while others move on. Ultimately, the freeze state is designed to prepare us for danger and help us decide whether to confront (fight) it or escape (flight).
The freeze, fight and flight states are your sympathetic nervous system escalating up. The pinnacle of our defence cascade is fright. Then, from this point onwards, we’re on a downward curve.
The fright state tends to occur if fight and flight aren’t possible. It’s a bit like a psychological safety mechanism that causes us to be still, almost floppy, and immobile. Some people describe it as a complete inability to move, as if their muscles have stopped functioning. People might also disconnect from reality, essentially shutting down.
The cascade can then continue into the flag and faint response. When someone is so shocked by bad news they faint, this is that reaction playing out.
Why Is This Important Information?
For people who have experienced trauma, understanding the defence cascade can help them make sense of their responses. They may be wrestling with thoughts like ‘I should have done this’, ‘I could’ve done that’, ‘why didn’t I move?’ or ‘why didn’t I run away?’
Often, the answer to these questions is held within this model. It shows us we don’t have much control over our behaviour during a traumatic experience. It helps us see our actions not as logical, analytical choices, but as primal bodily responses. Through this, we can better understand why we responded a particular way at the time, and how we might be responding to certain triggers in the here and now.
We can also use the defence cascade to understand and identify threat responses that have become overactive and easily triggered due to trauma. Using this model to recognise when this is happening means we can put strategies in place to prevent it.
Find Out More
If you’re struggling with any of the things described in this article and you’d like an expert to help you heal and recover, please get in touch. Alternatively, subscribe to The Trauma Toolbox to receive my insights and tips straight to your inbox every month. I also share lots of mental health education via Instagram.
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