Attack - Calming your nerves

[03Lightningrocks]

Funny thing happened. I live alone and my home is a four bedroom two story. The kids grew up and the payment is right. I hate moving. So anyway... It is large enough that I have areas of the house a person could be living and I might not notice.
I was watching TV late one night and heard a god awful crashing noise come from upstairs. I felt a flush come over my whole body as I quickly analyzed what was happening. It was only about three seconds before I opened the coffee table drawer and had a gun in my hand but it seemed like much longer. I even felt a lockup for maybe a second before grabbing the gun. Again, it felt like longer. Almost slow motion. Fortunately it was just a ghost knocking over some boxes stored in my daughters old bedroom. I am guessing some of what I was feeling was the adrenaline surge. I can tell you I was wide awake for a hour after that. It really got me fired up.

I had an incident several years ago where I had to fire on my attackers. While it happened I was in control. When it was over I felt drained and even felt as if it was a dream or something. I remember the first words I said just after firing was "I can't believe that just happened"! I think the adrenaline rush actually got me through the whole situation, which was developing over about a 15 minute time frame from start to finish. It was as if my thoughts at the time where crystal clear and I made moves without question. I have never had any formal training for these situations, so I am not sure why I did everything the way I did with no hesitation. Other than possibly the total commitment to defend my young(at the time) son.

My reason for bringing up these two stories is that in one situation I feel that rush caused me to hesitate, even though it was only a few seconds while in a different situation the adrenaline rush made me react with no hesitation. I suppose I am trying to point out that those of us with no formal training like police or paramedics have in stress management, can never be sure about what the adrenaline will inspire.

[Ericstac]

^^ it definitely caused me hesitation because I was in no shape to fight so I just stood there until I caught up to myself.lol..

In my younger days I had been in situations where I was in the midst of some stupid gunfire situations and looking back it was similar to what y described. No fear or rush or anything was happening to halt my progress, it was pure react to survive up until the threats were over and then the rush and shakes and junk occurred.

[03Lightningrocks]

^^ it definitely caused me hesitation because I was in no shape to fight so I just stood there until I caught up to myself.lol..

In my younger days I had been in situations where I was in the midst of some stupid gunfire situations and looking back it was similar to what y described. No fear or rush or anything was happening to halt my progress, it was pure react to survive up until the threats were over and then the rush and shakes and junk occurred.

In the scenario you and I had that were similar, the hesitation may have been a benefit. That second or two we took to gather our thoughts might have been what kept you from shooting the neighbor and me from shooting a ghost.

In the other scenario where I was under attack and you were in a situation of gun fire, hesitation may have cost us our lives.

Human instinct may have more to do with it than anything. The question is whether or not we suppress our instincts when we sense a danger situation. I have read stories of victims feeling a situation might be dangerous and then suppressing the instinct out of fear of being considered racist or closed minded. I have always tried to instill in my kids that if a situation doesn't "feel right", DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

Sorry... I drifted a bit. Your post has me thinking about the built in mechanism we all have that is suppose to insure our survival. Society, especially liberal society, has created an environment that tells us to feel guilty or even paranoid if we act on our instincts.

[anygunanywhere]

Sorry... I drifted a bit. Your post has me thinking about the built in mechanism we all have that is suppose to insure our survival. Society, especially liberal society, has created an environment that tells us to feel guilty or even paranoid if we act on our instincts.

Which can lead you to being very dead if you don't trust your spidey sense.

Anygunanywhere

[Excaliber]

^^ it definitely caused me hesitation because I was in no shape to fight so I just stood there until I caught up to myself.lol..

In my younger days I had been in situations where I was in the midst of some stupid gunfire situations and looking back it was similar to what y described. No fear or rush or anything was happening to halt my progress, it was pure react to survive up until the threats were over and then the rush and shakes and junk occurred.

In the scenario you and I had that were similar, the hesitation may have been a benefit. That second or two we took to gather our thoughts might have been what kept you from shooting the neighbor and me from shooting a ghost.

In the other scenario where I was under attack and you were in a situation of gun fire, hesitation may have cost us our lives.

Human instinct may have more to do with it than anything. The question is whether or not we suppress our instincts when we sense a danger situation. I have read stories of victims feeling a situation might be dangerous and then suppressing the instinct out of fear of being considered racist or closed minded. I have always tried to instill in my kids that if a situation doesn't "feel right", DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

Sorry... I drifted a bit. Your post has me thinking about the built in mechanism we all have that is suppose to insure our survival. Society, especially liberal society, has created an environment that tells us to feel guilty or even paranoid if we act on our instincts.

Submitting to the liberals' penchant for politically corrupt (PC) thought which requires that we pretend that things are what they aren't or they aren't what they are is not a strategy for survival. In the real world, recognizing real danger without pretension or prejudice is critical to avoiding or mitigating it and this world is unforgiving of mistakes.

[C-dub]

^^ it definitely caused me hesitation because I was in no shape to fight so I just stood there until I caught up to myself.lol..

In my younger days I had been in situations where I was in the midst of some stupid gunfire situations and looking back it was similar to what y described. No fear or rush or anything was happening to halt my progress, it was pure react to survive up until the threats were over and then the rush and shakes and junk occurred.

In the scenario you and I had that were similar, the hesitation may have been a benefit. That second or two we took to gather our thoughts might have been what kept you from shooting the neighbor and me from shooting a ghost.

In the other scenario where I was under attack and you were in a situation of gun fire, hesitation may have cost us our lives.

Human instinct may have more to do with it than anything. The question is whether or not we suppress our instincts when we sense a danger situation. I have read stories of victims feeling a situation might be dangerous and then suppressing the instinct out of fear of being considered racist or closed minded. I have always tried to instill in my kids that if a situation doesn't "feel right", DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

Sorry... I drifted a bit. Your post has me thinking about the built in mechanism we all have that is suppose to insure our survival. Society, especially liberal society, has created an environment that tells us to feel guilty or even paranoid if we act on our instincts.

Submitting to the liberals' penchant for politically corrupt (PC) thought which requires that we pretend that things are what they aren't or they aren't what they are is not a strategy for survival. In the real world, recognizing real danger without pretension or prejudice is critical to avoiding or mitigating it and this world is unforgiving of mistakes.

Nah, that's been going on forever. Guys from WWI and WWII felt guilty for surviving when their friends didn't. Some even felt guilty about killing the enemy even though they were also trying to kill them.

Fight or flight my friends. Depends on the situation and what's inside you.

[03Lightningrocks]

^^ it definitely caused me hesitation because I was in no shape to fight so I just stood there until I caught up to myself.lol..

In my younger days I had been in situations where I was in the midst of some stupid gunfire situations and looking back it was similar to what y described. No fear or rush or anything was happening to halt my progress, it was pure react to survive up until the threats were over and then the rush and shakes and junk occurred.

In the scenario you and I had that were similar, the hesitation may have been a benefit. That second or two we took to gather our thoughts might have been what kept you from shooting the neighbor and me from shooting a ghost.

In the other scenario where I was under attack and you were in a situation of gun fire, hesitation may have cost us our lives.

Human instinct may have more to do with it than anything. The question is whether or not we suppress our instincts when we sense a danger situation. I have read stories of victims feeling a situation might be dangerous and then suppressing the instinct out of fear of being considered racist or closed minded. I have always tried to instill in my kids that if a situation doesn't "feel right", DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

Sorry... I drifted a bit. Your post has me thinking about the built in mechanism we all have that is suppose to insure our survival. Society, especially liberal society, has created an environment that tells us to feel guilty or even paranoid if we act on our instincts.

Submitting to the liberals' penchant for politically corrupt (PC) thought which requires that we pretend that things are what they aren't or they aren't what they are is not a strategy for survival. In the real world, recognizing real danger without pretension or prejudice is critical to avoiding or mitigating it and this world is unforgiving of mistakes.

Nah, that's been going on forever. Guys from WWI and WWII felt guilty for surviving when their friends didn't. Some even felt guilty about killing the enemy even though they were also trying to kill them.

Fight or flight my friends. Depends on the situation and what's inside you.

Your point is valid but not related to the point we are making. Let me give you an example. Woman on elevator. Black man looking like a thug gets on at the next floor. Woman feels that tingling sensation. Woman puts it away because the libtards have brain washed her into feeling like a racist if she gets off elevator. Her instincts said flight. Her social conditioning told her she should ignore her instincts.

By the way... That story actually happened to a woman. In New York I believe. She said she didn't get off the elevator because she didn't want to appear racist. She was assaulted.

That is a different topic than what you are pointing out.

[03Lightningrocks]

One more issue I will mention. We often use the terms... Fight or flight when in reality the third option is the typical immediate response to a dire threat. That third option is "freeze up" and do nothing.

[C-dub]

Your point is valid but not related to the point we are making. Let me give you an example. Woman on elevator. Black man looking like a thug gets on at the next floor. Woman feels that tingling sensation. Woman puts it away because the libtards have brain washed her into feeling like a racist if she gets off elevator. Her instincts said flight. Her social conditioning told her she should ignore her instincts.

By the way... That story actually happened to a woman. In New York I believe. She said she didn't get off the elevator because she didn't want to appear racist. She was assaulted.

That is a different topic than what you are pointing out.

Ah, yes. I see.

[Excaliber]

One more issue I will mention. We often use the terms... Fight or flight when in reality the third option is the typical immediate response to a dire threat. That third option is "freeze up" and do nothing.

There are actually 4 possibilities:

Fight

Flight

Submit

Freeze

Only the first 3 are voluntary. The last occurs when one doesn't have a plan for what's happening and can range from a "deer in the headlights" hesitation from not being able to make a decision on a course of action to actual physical paralysis from the overwhelming effects of life threatening stress. In that condition, the person is aware of what's happening around him but actually can't move to do anything about it.

[texanjoker]

breath....

[03Lightningrocks]

One more issue I will mention. We often use the terms... Fight or flight when in reality the third option is the typical immediate response to a dire threat. That third option is "freeze up" and do nothing.

There are actually 4 possibilities:

Fight

Flight

Submit

Freeze

Only the first 3 are voluntary. The last occurs when one doesn't have a plan for what's happening and can range from a "deer in the headlights" hesitation from not being able to make a decision on a course of action to actual physical paralysis from the overwhelming effects of life threatening stress. In that condition, the person is aware of what's happening around him but actually can't move to do anything about it.

[ELB]

Controlled breathing seems to be key to a lot of things, from dealing with adrenaline dumps and panic to acute and chronic pain. It (controlled breathing) is a key element of the Russian martial art of Systema, and altho I am not a Systema practitioner, at least formally, I have found its focus on breathing and relaxation to be very helpful. I think a key thing here is, like anything else, practice practice practice controlling your breathing in all kinds of situations so that it is a trained response when you hit the "Oh CRAP" moment.

The adrenaline dump, with increased heart rate and all that, is going to happen, and to some degree that is good, because it gets you prepped for battle (or fire suppression, or trauma first aid, or whatever). I think maybe more of what the OP was really getting into was the panic/freeze mode. At least one of the things that induces panic and freezing is not knowing what to do, which is why training as realistically as possible, with some stress involved, is a big help. If you've "been there" before, or at least "close to there," you are more likely to know what to do. Hence all the advice on training.

Rory Miller discusses panic and particularly the freeze response, with respect to being attacked, in his book Facing Violence. It is relatively inexpensive on Amazon, especially in Kindle form, highly recommend it. He goes into some detail as to why it happens, and some things you can do to try to break out of it. He notes that even very experienced fighters get caught by it, but tend to have figured out how to get out of it quickly. He is more focused on the instantaneous event, like the first clue you have that something is wrong is when someone smacks you on the head from behind and (providing you not knocked unconscious) you are instantly confused and frozen. However the extended instance where you know someone is in the house and likely coming for you can induce it as well, obviously, but having mentally and physically trained yourself can help you tamp the panic/freeze monster down.

[Adraper]

I read a book a couple years ago "Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales that really helped me understand how the brain responds to extreme suvivor level stress and how training could affect that by providing a mental map/plan for the situation. A month or so after reading the book, I was bitten by poisonous snake a good distance from medical care. I was able to see my body's response to a massive adrenaline dump and it was an eye opener. Mentally, I stayed very calm. Physically, I was a wreck.

[Excaliber]

I read a book a couple years ago "Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales that really helped me understand how the brain responds to extreme suvivor level stress and how training could affect that by providing a mental map/plan for the situation. A month or so after reading the book, I was bitten by poisonous snake a good distance from medical care. I was able to see my body's response to a massive adrenaline dump and it was an eye opener. Mentally, I stayed very calm. Physically, I was a wreck.

That book is excellent. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to be prepared to deal with how people behave in emergencies and why.