Fight or flight

Slide 1

Imagine a caveman ‘Igg’ is threatened by a wild animal. Igg needs to be prepared for action; either to run away, or stay and fight.

We still have such a survival reaction. When given enough of a fright or a shock we experience this alarm reaction. This response is automatic. Our brains evolved to help us survive, to find food and reproduce. In Igg’s times danger or threat came from other cavemen, wild animals and nature.

Slide 2

In modern times, however, this can also be triggered by more subtle signs of danger. There are some signs of danger of which we are not even consciously aware. We have many more things to worry about and which pose a potential danger to us. For example, our brains have to deal with worries over paying bills, managing work, building relationships, and mastering machines and technology, as well as potential health concerns to name just a few. The fight or flight response can be triggered by many different factors such as these.