A raised voice or a sudden sound sets you on edge long after it has passed.
See how your mind and body have learned to protect you
Jumping at small sounds, freezing when you want to speak up, or saying yes to keep the peace can all be ways your body learned to stay safe. Answer 62 questions about the past month, without describing what happened, to see which of six stress responses stand out and what might help.
- Which of six stress responses stand out in your answers
- Real situations from your past month behind each reading
- Gentle next steps and questions for a therapist
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Reactions that can be hard to explain
You go quiet or say yes in the moment, and only feel what you wanted to say hours later.
You keep busy so there is no quiet time, and good moments feel muted too.
You may recognize several of these, one, or none. Naming a reaction is often the first step toward having more choice about it.
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Six stress responses, considered separately
Intrusive memories and triggers
Sounds, places, dreams, or moments that bring old feelings into the present, sometimes before you know why.
Staying on guard and easily startled
Scanning for exits, tones, and changes, jumping at sounds, and finding it hard to relax even when things seem safe.
Avoidance and emotional numbing
Steering around reminders, staying busy, and feeling flat or cut off so that difficult feelings stay at a distance.
Fight: irritability and anger
Anger that rises fast, a short fuse, and pushing back hard when you feel cornered, criticized, or powerless.
Freeze and shutdown
Going blank, feeling stuck or far away, losing your voice under pressure, and crashing afterwards.
Fawn: people-pleasing and appeasing
Agreeing, apologizing, and keeping others calm to stay safe, often at the cost of your own needs and boundaries.
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From confusing reactions to a clearer next step
Describe how you have been reacting
Answer 48 questions about how often reactions happened in the past month and 14 about your context and needs. You will not be asked what happened.
See your preview
See which stress responses stand out in your answers and which fit less.
Choose useful detail
Use the free help information or choose the optional paid report for a fuller explanation and questions for a professional.
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Information you can use beyond the result page
A six-area profile of your stress responses with the answers behind it
How your reactions connect with sleep, relationships, and daily life
Grounding ideas and questions for a trauma-informed professional
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Who this self-check is for
- You are an adult answering about your own reactions.
- You want words for how stress or reminders affect you, whether you are curious, unsure, or already in therapy.
- If you are in crisis or not safe right now, reach out for help first; this self-check cannot assess risk or safety.
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Original questions with clear boundaries
48 questions cover six stress responses described in public guidance on trauma: reminders and triggers, staying on guard, avoidance and numbing, and fight, freeze, and appeasing reactions. Fourteen context answers personalize the report without changing the scores. The questions are original, are not the PCL-5 or the ITQ, and do not diagnose PTSD.
62 questions · 6 areas · About 8–12 minutes
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Questions before you begin
What is a trauma response?
A trauma response is the way the mind and body react after very stressful or frightening experiences: reminders that bring old feelings back, staying on guard, avoiding or feeling numb, and automatic responses such as fighting back, freezing, or appeasing others. These reactions are common, and for many people they ease over time. When they last, cause distress, or affect daily life, they are worth discussing with a professional.
Is this a PTSD test?
No. It uses 48 original questions about common stress responses and 14 unscored context questions. It is not the PCL-5, the ITQ, or any other clinical scale, and it cannot tell you whether you have PTSD or complex PTSD. A qualified clinician makes that assessment from a fuller conversation.
Do I have to describe what happened to me?
No. None of the questions ask about the event itself, and you do not need to recall details to answer. The questions ask how often you noticed certain reactions in the past month. If anything brings up distress, you can pause or stop at any time.
What do fight, flight, freeze, and fawn mean?
Fight, flight, and freeze are well-described automatic responses to threat: mobilizing to push back, getting away, or going still. “Fawn” is a newer, informal term for appeasing others to stay safe, such as agreeing or apologizing to calm a situation. This self-check looks at flight mainly through staying on guard and avoidance. None of these responses is a diagnosis, and everyone uses them at times; they matter most when they fire often or in situations that are actually safe.
What kind of help is available?
Trauma-focused talking therapies, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR, have good evidence for lasting trauma reactions, and medication is sometimes used as well. A good therapist will go at a pace you can manage and will not require you to retell everything at the start. This report does not provide therapy; it can help you prepare for a first conversation.
Is the test free, and do I need the paid report to get help?
The questions and initial preview are free. You can choose a paid full report to read online and download as a PDF. You never need to buy a report to contact a professional or read the free help information.