The Freeze Response: Why Feeling Numb or Stuck Is a Sign of Protection -- Part 8 Narcissistic Abuse Blog Series
- Randi Camirand
- Jan 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 24
When the Spell Breaks: Healing After Narcisssitic Abuse
If you feel numb, stuck, or exhausted—your system is protecting you.
After experiencing narcissistic or emotional abuse, it’s common to feel like you’re “frozen”—emotionally, mentally, or physically.
You may notice:
Feeling numb or disconnected from your emotions
Difficulty making decisions or taking action
Physical exhaustion, even with little activity
A sense of being stuck in life or in your healing
This is not failure. This is your body responding exactly as it needs to in order to survive prolonged threat.
Understanding the Freeze Response
Trauma activates the body’s survival responses: fight, flight, or freeze. While fight and flight are often visible—anger, anxiety, agitation—the freeze response is subtler and less understood.
Freeze is your nervous system’s way of conserving energy when the threat feels overwhelming and escape feels impossible. It may show up as:
Emotional shutdown
Dissociation or zoning out
Feeling immobilized or stuck in patterns
Your system is trying to protect you from further harm. While it can feel frustrating or isolating, freeze is a normal, adaptive response—not a sign that you’ve “failed” at healing.
Healing Through Gentleness
Because freeze is a protective response, it cannot be undone with force or pressure. The antidote is gentleness and presence—small steps that help the body feel safe again.
This includes:
Softening into sensations rather than pushing them away
Restoring connection with your body through breath or movement
Allowing rest and recovery without guilt
Over time, these small acts of self-care retrain the nervous system to regulate itself safely.
A Brief Grounding Prompt
Here’s a gentle way to begin reconnecting with your body if you feel frozen:
Notice your breath. Feel the natural rise and fall of your chest or belly.
Place your feet on the ground. Sense the connection between your feet and the floor.
Scan your body gently. Notice areas of tension or numbness without judgment.
Offer a soft invitation. Silently say to yourself: I am here. I am safe enough to feel this moment.
Move slowly. If you feel able, wiggle your fingers or toes, or stretch gently.
Repeat for a few minutes, returning to the breath whenever your mind wanders. This is not about forcing emotion—it’s about signaling to your nervous system that safety is possible.
Moving Forward With Compassion
The freeze response can feel like a pause in life, but it is not a permanent state. With patient, gentle attention, your nervous system learns that it can regulate itself, even after prolonged threat.
Healing is not about rushing or “snapping out of it.” It’s about cultivating safety, presence, and trust in your own body. When you approach yourself with compassion, even small movements—like noticing breath or touch—become powerful steps out of freeze and toward freedom.
You are not alone. I am available for individual sessions, when you are ready.
In the meantime, here are some Resources For Your Healing Journey:
Read blog posts from my series When the Spell Breaks: Healing from Narcissistic Abuse. https://www.randicamirand.com/blog/categories/healing-from-narcissistic-abuse
Follow my Women’s Wintering Well Series on Instagram for almost daily self-care reminders. https://www.instagram.com/randicamirand/
10 Grounding Practices for Women
Visit my Homepage www.randicamirand.com
Learn more About Me and My Approach https://www.randicamirand.com/about
Learn about my Women’s Online Meditation Classes and email sign up to receive notifications. https://www.randicamirand.com/womens-meditation-classes
Check out The Blog for therapy insights and self-help tips.
