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Hi collaborator, In the middle of a walk, Muggins spotted the rabbit before I did. They froze their body as all three of us held our breath in anticipation. It didn’t matter what I said or what delicious treats I held under Muggins’s nose, they were paralyzed, until…an explosion at the end of the leash as Muggins ran toward the rabbit then around in a circle, creating an arc opposite to where I was holding on for dear life. This pattern of freeze followed by chaotic mobilization is one that I have been scratching my head about. Over the weekend, I received a nugget of wisdom that helped me understand. My teacher for a continuing education workshop, Kim Barthel, holds a vast amount of knowledge in neurobiology and described that, “the path from immobilized dysregulation to regulation always goes through chaos.” In the freeze state (where the nervous system is immobilized, numb, overwhelmed, and unthinking) it feels like you’re holding down the brake and the gas at the same time – the engine roars but you don’t go anywhere. Then, if you let up on the brake while keeping the gas to the medal – that ride is going to be chaotic until you find a rhythm between accelerating and slowing down. This is the case for human nervous systems as well as for dogs. In my own life, I have experienced the freeze state many times, feeling an incredible overwhelm inside while seeming paralyzed on the outside. This is how I would describe my initial experiences with navigating social situations with Muggins – I would freeze initially, and then stumble over my words and struggle to organize my thoughts to give guidance to Muggins or answer questions from others. I really criticized myself for this – but this freeze-to-chaos wasn’t happening because I am “not good enough,” it was happening because that’s how nervous systems operate. With Muggins and the rabbit, I realized that I can’t overcome that situation by trying to move Muggins out of the freeze because once the freeze happens, the only way forward is through chaos. Instead, I need to try and prevent the freeze from happening in the first place. To do that, I need to reflect on the entire walk, observe what’s going on around me, and notice how I feel. Only then will I see how to make adjustments, set better boundaries, ask for help, or use different tools to ensure that we all feel safe. What I need is a Sensory Safety Plan.
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