The fight or flight reaction is a normal trauma response to a perceived dangerous and threatening situation. It is absolutely life-saving in extreme situations, such as running from a bear, escaping an intruder, or fleeing from a fire. Your stress hormones kick in. You are full on in survival mode. You have super strength, heightened senses, incredible focus, and an over abundance of energy. In the history of mankind, this reaction has saved countless lives and serves a great purpose.
When you are living in an abusive environment, the fight or flight reaction is not so life-saving and wonderful. You are in a perceived dangerous and threatening situation. Because you never know when the attack will come or what will trigger it, this threatening situation is ALL THE TIME. Remember, the fight or flight reaction is a NORMAL trauma response. When it is turned on for lengthy periods of time though, this reaction causes damage to you!
What happens in your body during a fight or flight reaction?
Stress hormones pump through your body.
Regular hormone production is halted.
Your heart rate and blood pressure increase.
The digestive process is shut down.
Tissue repair stops.
Your body is now using all of its energy to survive this threatening and catastrophic situation, and this situation doesn’t ever go away. Thus it just takes its toll on your body instead. All sorts of medical issues arise in victims of covert narcissistic abuse. Heart issues, digestive issues, blood pressure issues, inflammation problems, immune weakness, autoimmune diseases, and the list goes on.
If you are not in a position to remove yourself from the “threatening” situation just yet, then at least begin working on how you perceive this threat. Our body reacts to perceived threats just as much as to actual threats. If you no longer perceive this person as an actual threat to you, your body will begin the healing process.
To eliminate your perception of this threat to you, learn to change your expectations of them.