Stuck Not Broken What Everyone Gets Wrong About Fawn vs Appease (even the Polyvagal Theory)
Jun 17, 2025
Discover the intriguing difference between fawn and appease, two fascinating trauma responses. Learn how these behaviors connect to Polyvagal Theory and their significance in the recovery process. The discussion highlights how these responses serve as survival adaptations. Gain insights into self-regulation and the journey toward authenticity after trauma. Plus, find valuable resources to aid your understanding and personal growth.
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Fawning As A Behavioral Adaptation
- Justin Sunseri argues fawning is a behavioral adaptation, not a primary autonomic state.
- He links fawn to prolonged shutdown/freeze with dissociation, reframing its origin.
Disagreeing With Polyvagal Orthodoxy
- Sunseri disputes Polyvagal orthodoxy that freeze and fawn share the same neural basis.
- He insists fawning should be seen as an adaptation to chronic shutdown rather than an autonomic state itself.
Appeasement Uses Pseudo Social Activation
- Appeasement involves contextually driven behaviors that reduce a threat by engaging the other person.
- It appears to require some ventral social activation but often produces a pseudo-connection, not true safety.
