Carlos described his return home as a journey filled with memories of familiar neighborhoods and voices, yet he felt a quiet distance from them. Years spent in Tampa reshaped his identity, altering how he spoke and related to others. He recognized everything around him but felt a disconnection, as if the bond between his place and self had loosened over time.
Someone says something to us, and we are suddenly struck with a sinking feeling in our stomach. Someone does something, and instantly we become enraged or alarmed. Someone comes at us with a certain attitude, and we go to pieces. We hear mention of a person, place, or thing that is associated with an unresolved issue or a past trauma, and we immediately feel ourselves seize up with sadness, anger, fear, or shame.
"The 'four F's' ― fight, flight, freeze and fawn ― refer to automatic nervous system responses to a perceived threat," Caitlyn Oscarson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost. "These are ingrained responses that can show up in traumatic situations, as well as everyday stress and overwhelm."
