Discrimination: Our silent response

Author: Zackery Hilton 12/31/2025

Experiencing discrimination can affect victims on a physiological level, meaning not only do victims experience mental and psychological changes, but physical changes as well. When someone experiences discrimination, bullying, or other threatening situations, it can trigger our sympathetic nervous system (SNS), sometimes referred to as our “fight or flight” response. There are two important things to note here: 1) this response is an automatic reaction to a perceived threat, which can be to our social standing, our way of life, or our life itself, and 2) “fight-or-flight” is a bit of a misnomer because this response encompasses so much more than the two. A more descriptive name, “fight-flight-freeze-fawn,” does more justice to this response, but a bit longer.

Let's first unpack the SNS by understanding its counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS is our “normal” or baseline state, sometimes referred to as our “rest and digest” state. This is when we are going about our normal day. Our heart rate is within a normal range, we are somewhat calm and relaxed, and our internal bodily functions are operating normally, like digestion, respiration, and our endocrine system (hormones). Once we perceive a threat, that information is carried throughout the brain (the amygdala and hypothalamus), activating neurotransmitters and then sending signals to our adrenal glands, which release the hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine. These hormones run through our body, increasing our heart rate and diverting blood flow from our internal organs to our muscles, in an effort to prepare us for our fight or flight. At this point, the SNS is in full effect, but how we act upon these changes in our body can differ among individuals, situations, and social contexts.

This automatic response is not unique to humans; it’s a basic survival function shared by many animals and can be life-saving in some instances. For example, Angela Cavallo, who lifted a 3,500-pound car off her son to save his life1, or Cole Frazee, an 11-year-old who was able to narrowly flee a charging black bear2, or William Pfendler, who played dead during a bear attack in the Alaskan wilderness3. Angela’s response of “fight” saved her son's life, Cole’s response of “flight” saved his life, and William's response of “freeze” saved his life as well.

The last type of response to discuss is fawning, which appears to be unique to humans. Fawning is when someone submits or gives in to the will of others, forgoing their own needs and preferences, as a way to seek safety4. The fawning response appears to be learned during childhood when the other three F’s are ineffective or not a valid option, so it can become a default safety response later in one’s adulthood. The fawning response disproportionately affects women and is seen primarily in relationship dynamics, usually with an abusive and/or narcissistic domestic partner who exploits this autonomic response5. One’s fawning response can be exploited in other situations as well; as we mentioned at the beginning, experiencing discrimination, or even believing that you might be discriminated against, can trigger the SNS, leading to the sequence of automatic physiological responses.

We can see that there can be a whole lot more going on when we are faced with discrimination that often gets overlooked. Discrimination can directly affect one’s livelihood by limiting access to employment, opportunity, and sustainable resources. We all may respond differently to given situations that seem out of our control, and it's nothing to be ashamed of, but understanding why we respond the way we do can lead us to become more self-aware and monitor our reactions in an effort to respond in a more effective manner.

1. Schrader, J. (2012, August 20). Tapping Into Our Super-Strength with Adrenaline. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-babble/201208/tapping-our-super-strength-adrenaline[↩︎](about:blank#fnref1)
2. Hussain, Z. (2025, November 19). Black bear chases “screaming” 11-year-old boy into dollar store before leaping over counter: video. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2025/11/18/us-news/black-bear-chases-screaming-11-year-old-boy-into-dollar-store-video/[↩︎](about:blank#fnref2)
3. Hopkins, K. (2016, May 12). Peninsula bear mauling victim describes attack to family. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/peninsula-bear-mauling-victim-describes-attack-family/2010/09/22/[↩︎](about:blank#fnref3)
4. Walker, P. (2013). Complex PTSD: From surviving to thriving: A guide and map for recovering from childhood trauma (1st ed., p. 122). Azure Coyote.↩︎
5. Moss, D. (2025). Feminist and Strength-Perspective Alternatives to Fawning Diagnosis in Trauma Survivors: A Critical Review. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 0. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894251363658[↩︎](about:blank#fnref5)