Anna's story highlights the dangers of mistaking relief for love after escaping a controlling relationship. While she found temporary comfort in Leo, they staged a fake breakup to evict her ex-boyfriend's emotional hold on her. Although feeling relief was a welcome change compared to her previous anxiety, it emphasizes how easily our nervous system can misinterpret safety for affection, particularly after trauma. The concept of the 'fawn response' illustrates how individuals react to perceived threats, underscoring the complexity of navigating relationships post-trauma.
Relief can masquerade as love, and the nervous system, after being stuck in fight-or-flight, will cling to anything that feels like peace.
The fawn response—in which a person overly attaches or merges with someone perceived as safe—isn't weakness; it's the nervous system trying to create stability.
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