When you stay in a situation that is toxic or unsafe for too long, your brain and body can begin to adapt to it as if it were safe. At first, when we encounter something that threatens us mentally, physically, or emotionally, the brain does exactly what it is designed to do: protect us. It activates a survival response commonly known as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. This response is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which shifts into a heightened state of alert wh