Keeping it Together: What is 'functional freeze?'

Fight. Flight. Freeze?

Hi, it's David Oliver, one of the wellness reporters here at USA TODAY. Yes, our bodies react all kinds of ways to all kinds of stressors , one of which is to "freeze," i.e. shut down physically, mentally and emotionally. This might make sense in the case of a life-threatening situation, but not something that makes sense for everyday life like going to work, casually dating or meeting up with a group of friends. And it really doesn't make sense when you're under the covers at home not planning to move and not texting people back, because even simple tasks feel overwhelming (at least according to one viral TikTok ).

This phenomenon is known as a "functional freeze." It's not a clinical term, but you might hear names like freeze response, autopilot mode or stress paralysis, if you're talking to a therapist about similar feelings. Or you might have a more common diagnosis like depression or anxiety that's manifesting as a freeze.

Everyone might experience a freeze from time to time, but mental health professionals encourage people to watch out for warning signs in case something more serious develops.

For more on this story – including tips on how to stop – click here . Otherwise, peruse more offerings from the team below. Thanks, and hope you're having a lovely summer!

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Keeping it Together: What is 'functional freeze?'