Is This Freeze, Autistic Shutdown, Or Fawn Mode

Question 1 of 15

What usually triggers your shutdown

Conflict, rejection, feeling unsafe, or sensing that someone is upset with me. Too much sensory input, social overload, or having to switch tasks/contexts too fast. Sensing tension or someone's mood shifting. I go into "fix it" or "make them okay" mode.

Question 2 of 15

When you are overwhelmed, what does your body do

I freeze. I cannot speak, move, or think. My body goes still and I feel paralyzed. I shut down. I can not process language, my brain goes offline, everything feels muffled. I go on autopilot. I smile, agree, make everything smooth, while dying inside.

Question 3 of 15

Is your shutdown more about relational threat or sensory overload

Relational threat. Abandonment, rejection, someone being mad at me. Sensory overload. Too much noise, light, people, or demands on my brain. Relational threat, but I do not freeze. I start performing to make it okay.

Question 4 of 15

What is happening in your mind when you shut down

Fear. Panic. Hypervigilance. My mind is racing but I can not move or speak. Nothing. Static. My mind goes blank or loops on one thing. Language stops working. Calculation. I am scanning for what they need, what will make this okay, how to fix it.

Question 5 of 15

Do you feel like you are in danger, or do you feel like your brain just hit a wall

In danger. My body thinks something terrible is about to happen. Like my brain hit a wall. Not fear exactly, just... offline. Depleted. Done. In danger, but I respond by trying to fix it, not by freezing or shutting down.

Question 6 of 15

When you are shut down, can you still speak

Sometimes. But my voice sounds flat or I can only say "I do not know." No. Words do not come. I might be able to text but talking feels impossible. Yes, I can speak fine. I might even sound calm and reasonable while I am dying inside.

Question 7 of 15

What do people usually think is happening when you shut down

That I am being cold, avoidant, or "shutting them out" on purpose. That I am being rude, ignoring them, or have an "attitude." They think I am fine. They have no idea anything is wrong because I hide it so well.

Question 8 of 15

After you shut down, do people know something happened

Yes. They can tell I went somewhere else. They ask if I am okay or get frustrated. Sometimes. If I am with people who know me. Otherwise I just seem quiet or checked out. No. They have no idea. I perform through the whole thing and crash later alone.

Question 9 of 15

How long does your shutdown usually last

Until the threat feels resolved. Could be minutes or hours depending on repair. Hours to days. I need serious recovery time even after the situation is over. Until I am alone. Then I crash hard and need days to recover from the performance.

Question 10 of 15

What brings you back online

Knowing the conflict is resolved. Reassurance. Feeling safe again. Time alone in quiet. Stimming. A specific routine or comfort activity. Being completely alone with no one to perform for. Then I can finally let go.

Question 11 of 15

Can another person help you come back, or do you need to be alone

Another person helps. A safe person co-regulating with me brings me back faster. I need to be alone. People make it worse even when they are trying to help. I need to be alone. If anyone is there, I will keep performing instead of resting.

Question 12 of 15

Did this start after trauma, or have you always been this way

After trauma. I was not like this before. Something rewired my nervous system. Always. I have been shutting down from overload since I was a kid. Started early with family. I learned to perform to survive before I knew I was doing it.

Question 13 of 15

Does this happen even when you are alone, or only around people

Only around people or when I am anticipating conflict or rejection. It can happen alone if I am overstimulated or have too much going on. Only around people. When I am alone I can finally be myself without performing.

Question 14 of 15

Do you feel emotionally numb during shutdown, or emotionally flooded

Flooded but paralyzed. The feelings are there, I just can not access or express them. Numb. It is like the emotional processing system turned off entirely. I feel everything, but I suppress it completely to take care of the other person.

Question 15 of 15

Which statement fits you best

"I freeze when I feel unsafe. My body shuts down to protect me from threat." "I shut down when I am overloaded. My brain hits a wall and needs to reboot." "I perform when I feel unsafe. I go on autopilot to smooth things over and collapse later."