Before Porges’ (2011) polyvagal theory became widely known, it was commonly thought that the autonomous nervous system has only two branches: the sympathetic system which manages in times of stress, ...

Being cut off in traffic, giving a presentation or missing a meal can all trigger a suite of physiological changes that allow the body to react swiftly to stress or starvation. Critical to this "fight ...

It happens all at once—your heartbeat becomes a jackhammer, your body closes in on you like a corset. The dizziness, ...

Fight or flight are not the only common responses to a traumatic event. I addressed this a bit in a column published on November 22, 2022 explaining that some authors describe “4 F’s”: fight, flight, ...

For individuals with misophonia, a fight-flight-freeze response occurs when they are subjected to certain sounds or visuals. For these individuals, extreme emotional distress, panic, anger, ...

Meg Josephson, a therapist, used to be a people-pleaser. The author of "Are You Mad at Me?" said Gen Zers can also struggle with people-pleasing. She said growing up online can heighten feelings of ...

PHILADELPHIA - "Take a deep breath" is the mantra of every anxiety-reducing advice list ever written. And for good reason. There's increasing physiological evidence connecting breathing patterns with ...