/ˈfʌŋk.ʃən.əl friːz/
Putting off getting up to use the bathroom. Binge-watching TV while scrolling for hours. Sitting on your bed in a towel for 10 minutes after showering. Apparently, these aren’t just traits of distraction or procrastination—they’re signs you’ve entered a state called functional freeze. It feels like being on autopilot: completing tasks, but doing so in a dissociative state or while feeling empty inside (even if you look A-okay on the outside).
According to Frank Anderson, MD, a psychiatrist, trauma specialist, and author of To Be Loved, functional freeze isn’t *technically* a nervous system response or a term rooted in science. “It’s more of an ongoing, chronic adaptation,” he explains. “I would call it a protective response to functioning in the world. It’s withdrawing, disconnecting, or distancing yourself so you don’t get hurt.” The idea stems from the freeze response, which, per Anderson, is a real physiological sensation. But unlike all-or-nothing, survival-level instincts like fight or flight (you can read about them here), functional freeze is more of a mixed mental state: “You can be shut down but also functional,” Anderson explains.
For instance, you might slip into functional freeze to protect yourself from rejection in a relationship (“I can’t be heartbroken if I’m not really feeling anything”) or because the news is so bleak (“I can stomach the latest headlines if I’m getting dopamine boosts from puppy reels”). Try to pay attention to when you fall into these patterns. Taking stock of what’s freezing you up is the first step toward learning to thaw.
Cassie Hurwitz (she/her) is an associate editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers everything from culture to entertainment to lifestyle. She can typically be found in the middle of multiple books and TV shows all at once. Previously, Cassie worked at Parents, Rachael Ray In Season, and Reveal. Her love language is pizza (New York slices, Chicago deep dish, and otherwise).
