Understanding the Freeze Response and Brain Fog

What if the brain fog you're experiencing isn't just tiredness—but your nervous system's way of disconnecting you from an unbearable reality?

In this mini episode, Dr. Aimie Apigian answers a question from Rachel, a therapist in Seattle, about why the freeze response is associated with brain fog. Many people think of the freeze response as simply paralysis, not understanding the sophisticated biological mechanisms happening at the cellular level.

This episode dives deep into the freeze response—when it happens, why it happens, and the brain inflammation that creates the disconnection and fog we experience. Understanding this biology helps us recognize when we or someone we're working with has a chronic functional freeze, so we know where to start with healing.

In this episode you'll hear more about:

• The five steps the body takes to go into a trauma response—starting with activation and crossing the critical line of overwhelm

• The two reasons we cross that critical line: "too much too fast" (excessive activation) and "too little for too long" (prolonged stress without recovery)

• Why your nervous system decides certain situations are life threats—even when logically they're not (like being berated in residency or hearing hurtful words from someone you care about)

• The cellular biology of brain fog: How immune cells in your brain (microglia) unleash inflammation, cytokines, and chemokines that create the mental disconnection and fog

• The surreal feeling of freeze: Why voices sound distant, why you feel like you're in a daze, and why people around you seem far away even though they're right there

• Chronic functional freeze: The state where you're still functioning and going through life, but secretly wanting to hide, using substances like caffeine or food (especially histamine-producing foods) to push through

• Why anxiety is often your body fighting the freeze—using stress to stay out of shutdown, which is why relief from anxiety can sometimes make you fall into that heaviness

• The brain inflammation protocol: Specific nutrients and practices to keep your microglia in their resting state, including NAC, magnesium L-threonate, luteolin, GABA, resveratrol, and turmeric

• Ocular-cardiac reflex (eye support): A simple but powerful tool where gently pressing on closed eyes activates the vagus nerve for immediate calm

• Why starting with the freeze is essential—opening up the chronic functional freeze gives you more energy to dedicate to the healing journey

• Dr. Aimie's personal story of a biking accident and concussion—experiencing the freeze response firsthand as she regained consciousness on the sidewalk

The freeze response isn't weakness or paralysis—it's your nervous system's sophisticated survival strategy when it perceives a life threat. Brain fog is always part of the freeze response, created by immune cells in your brain that help you disconnect from unbearable reality. Understanding this biology helps you recognize the freeze in yourself or others, and know that working with it is where healing must start.

🎧 Want the full conversation? This mini episode expands on Episode 142: Why Stress Isn’t Trauma: How to Spot Overwhelm and Start Healing Your Nervous System with Dr. Aimie Apigian, where Dr. Aimie explores the difference between stress and trauma responses and how to recognize when you've crossed the critical line of overwhelm.