11/26/2025
What is flooding? Flooding is what happens when our brain and body decide that something we just experienced was a threat. This is usually subconscious, happens instantly, and is our brains way of “protecting us” from the perceived threat. However, emotional flooding can be devastating in our intimate relationships. When we go into this state of mind, we simply CAN NOT function properly in an emotional conversation. For some, this may be shown by shutting down to avoid the feelings coming up in an attempt to avoid any additional conflict. For others, it may present as an intense defensiveness against the topic of discussion or whatever the brain has perceived as the “threat”.
Flooding is not always avoidable, but there are many ways that we can learn to manage and regulate it when it does arise, so that we do not allow it to be in control of our responses.
How can we manage flooding once we have recognized it? I’ll discuss more in Pt.2!
