Complex post-traumatic stress disorder

You have probably heard of “fight or flight” responses to distressing situations. You may also be familiar with the tendency to “freeze”. But there is another defence or survival strategy a person can have: “fawn”. When our brain perceives a threat in our environment, our sympathetic nervous system takes over and a person can experience any one or combination of the four F responses.

What are the four Fs?

• A fight response is when someone reacts to a threat with aggression.
• Flight is when a person responds by fleeing – either literally by leaving the situation, or symbolically, by distracting or avoiding a distressing situation.

What does fawning look like?

Previously known as appeasement or “people pleasing”, the term “fawning” was coined by psychotherapist Pete Walker in his 2013 book Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving. A fawn response can look like:
• Fawning is also observed in people who are in situations of interpersonal violence (such as domestic violence, assault or kidnappings), when the person needs to appease or calm a perpetrator to survive.
• Fawning is also different to the other F responses, in that it seems to be a uniquely human response.

Why do people fawn?

Research suggests people fawn for two reasons:
• This type of response is adaptive at the time of the traumatic event(s): by appeasing an attacker or perpetrator, it helps the person avoid harm.
• Read more:
  Trauma is trending – but we need to look beyond buzzwords and face its ugly side

What can I do if I ‘fawn’?

• Because fawning is typically a response to interpersonal or complex trauma, using it in response to everyday stressors may indicate a need for healing.
• If this is you, and you have a history of complex trauma, seek psychological support from a professional who is trained in trauma-informed practice.
• Setting healthy boundaries is also a common focus when working with the fawn response, which you can do by yourself or alongside a therapist.
• If this article has raised issues for you or you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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• What we found is that there are strong misconceptions on everything from symptoms to treatments."
• The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults and conducted by The Harris Poll, offers a broad overview of Americans' perceptions of PTSD.
• Although PTSD is associated with an increased risk of violence, the majority of veterans and non-veterans with PTSD have never engaged in violence.
• "The misconceptions that exist around PTSD are obstacles standing in the way of people receiving critical mental health care.

• The funding will be used for studies of patients diagnosed with PTSD related to ASUD and will be the first time the Company is investigating BXCL501 as a potential chronic treatment.
• For the first time, we will be exploring BXCL501 as a daily treatment to address a chronic disorder.
• BXCL501couldbe a valuable therapeutic option to reduce the hypersympathetic response in patients with PTSD and has the potential,upon further study and approval,of becoming a first line chronic treatment for PTSD patients.
• The Company also plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial in hospitalized patients suffering from agitation associated with delirium within the next several months.