Narcissistic Abuse Recovery & Anxiety Specialist | NJ, DC, VA | Lotus MHC

Ready to Kick Anxiety to the Curb? Online Therapist Can Help in NJ, DC

August 17, 2024 By Bari Faye Dean

You’re going through your day, just living your life, and all the sudden you feel a nagging sensation in the pit of your stomach. Your heart starts racing, maybe you begin to sweat and your mind shifts away from whatever it was you were doing.

Now, you feel as though something is terribly wrong. Worse yet, you can’t pinpoint the problem and you don’t know how to stop what can only be described as “anxiety.”

On the other hand, your body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do if you are in a threatening situation. You are having one or a combination of your body’s responses to stress: fight, flight or freeze.

“This is your body’s natural reaction to a perceived threat, and it’s completely normal,” explained Catherine “Catie” Eager, LPC, NCC, CCTP, a counselor licensed to provide video therapy to clients in New Jersey or Washington DC. “Understanding your body’s fight, flight or freeze response can help you manage your anxiety more effectively.”

What’s Fight, Flight or Freeze?

When you feel threatened, your brain is wired to react. “This is true even if it’s just a perceived threat,” said Eager of Lotus Mental Health Counseling, LLC. “If your house is on fire, for example, the flight response makes perfect sense. Get out of there! But sometimes when you feel the need to escape a non life-threatening situation and those bodily reactions occur, even though there is no wild animal chasing you and nothing is on fire, that’s the flight response.”

In real life, there are not many dangerous wild animals living among humans in Washington DC or New Jersey. It’s unlikely to find yourself being chased by a bear in these areas. But, the “danger” could feel very real anyway – like having to speak in public or being confronted by a friend or your boss.

Similar, but also quite different, is the “fight” response you may have when experiencing anxiety. Your need to “fight” kicks in when you feel the urge to confront a threat head-on.

“Imagine you’re in a heated argument. Your muscles tense, and you might feel an overwhelming need to defend yourself or your position,” Eager said. “This response is your body’s way of preparing you to tackle the problem directly. It’s useful in situations where action is needed, but it can feel overwhelming if the threat isn’t something you can actually fight—like a looming work deadline or social anxiety.”

Finally, there is the “freeze” response.

You feel anxious and you want to run or fight back. But, you can’t do anything at all. You seem to shut down. You are stuck in place. You can’t defend yourself or even react. “This can feel like you are very uncomfortable in your own skin,” Eager said. “You can feel overwhelmed but unable to think clearly enough to make any decisions or do anything at all. It’s like you are stuck on pause.”

Fight, Flight or Freeze – Your Body’s Internal Protectors

Anxious feelings can come out of the blue and it’s quite uncomfortable when you are unable to control your body’s decision to go into fight, flight or freeze mode.

“However, you can learn to manage how you react to these anxious feelings,” Eager said. “Recognizing when you’re in “fight, flight or freeze” mode is the first step. By speaking with a therapist, like me, on a regular basis, you can learn ways to ground yourself and take control over these feelings.”

“Tools, including deep breathing, focusing on something in your surroundings or even gently moving your body, can help signal to your brain that you’re safe and help you get out of fight, flight or freeze mode”, she said.

“Remember, it’s okay to feel anxious. Your body is trying to help you, even if it sometimes overreacts,” the therapist explains. “By understanding fight, flight or freeze responses, you can start to regain control when anxiety strikes. More than anything else, know that what you are feeling is a natural part of being human.”

Are You a Member of the ‘Anxious Club?’ Talk to Catie Eager

Catherine Eager, LPC, NCC, CCTP, is unlike many therapists you may find. She is unique in that her practice is 100 percent online and accepts several insurances – while many other online therapists do not. At this time, she is licensed to treat clients located in Washington DC and New Jersey.

Catie takes an open-minded, conversational approach to client wellness. “I specialize in and count myself as part of the Anxious Club, and I’d be honored to give you a helping hand,” she said.

Want to work with Catie to create a plan to help reduce your anxiety symptoms and maybe kick “fight, flight or freeze” to the curb? Give her a shout here.