fight or flight response

[lauraelmore1033]

I've always felt comfortable riding alone because I've always figured I am big enough that I don't look like a vulnerable target, and stronger than your average man, but something happened on my ride yesterday (but not to me)that really makes me doubt that I could even function in a situation of extreme stress.

It started as I was nearly right hooked by a police car, which swooped right into a trailer park after a pickup truck. Lights and sirens started AFTER the swoop and it was clear that he wanted the truck to stop. Truck would not stop and a super slow speed chase ensued through the park which ran parallel to the road I was on. I started feeling fearful that I was about to witness a murder after the driver ignored at least 4-5 commands to stop the car and even more so as the driver began waving his arms about inapproriately. (People have been shot around here for less) I guess there was also a strong concern that bullets could start flying about, willy nilly at any given moment now.

At this point I noticed a change in my breathing; even though the road was nearly flat ,I was gasping as if I were climbing the steepest grade. Then my arms turned to jelly. I felt like I could hardly hold my body up off the handle bars. It took all I had to make it to a trail head about a quarter mile away, where I encountered a long downhill. Breathing and arm strength returned somewhat to normal as I coasted. I had a chance to realize that if that had been a situation in which I had REALLY been in danger, I would have been toast. That was a stretch of road that I ride nearly every day, with the greatest of ease, just to get to the interurban trail, and I just barely made it there yesterday. I thought fear was supposed to give you the strength to get away (fight or flight). Is that just a myth? I was weak as a baby and I wasn't even in real danger!

[Melalvai]

I'm not an expert but I think when you start to notice that kind of thing is when the fight or flight is over and you are experiencing the after effects. When the adrenaline first hits you get super focused on what needs to be done, if anything, and you do it.

[indysteel]

I've had the same thing happen to me after the initial shock of something. In particular, I remember walking out to my garage when I lived in downtown Indy and realizing that someone had broken in, or at least tried to break in, to it. My first thoughts and actions were very calm and I did what I needed to do. But within minutes after that, I started shaking like a leaf. The same thing has happened right after a car accident. So, I tend to agree with Melalvai that what you noted was the after effect of an adrenaline rush.

That said, it couldn't hurt to take a self defense class. That might give you more confidence and teach you some invaluable skills.

[OakLeaf]

My experience is the same as Melalvai's and indysteel's. It sounds to me like the almost-right-hook is what got your adrenaline flowing, and your subconscious decided you were okay after that, in spite of your intellectual feelings about the rest of what was going on.

[Catrin]

I concur - as a survivor of violent crime (several times) I found that while the event was occurring that I was very calm and clear about what I needed to do. It was afterwards that I fell to pieces... Your subconscious decided that the danger was past - regardless of what you were thinking at the time.

[lauraelmore1033]

Oh, ok, that makes sense! Odd how I didn't even recognize almost being right hooked as "real danger" at the time (and was busy analyzing the scene between cop and driver...). It just seemed worrying that by the time I was furiously trying to get away from what I saw as a potentially dangerous scene, my body just wasn't cooperating. It was like one of those dreams where you are furiously running but not getting anywhere. The human mind is a funny thing...

[redrhodie]

I've been "frozen with fear". Only once, during a mugging when I was 14, when my body would not react. I couldn't even scream, even though I was thinking SCREAM! When I finally screamed (much later than I wanted to, but probably less than 2 seconds later), it sounded foreign and faraway, and I didn't recognize it as me.

Take care, laura. You went through a big trauma today.

[Roadtrip]

I can clearly remember the time my mom and I were involved in an accident where another car struck us from behind. I clearly recall hearing the tires from the other car screeching as he tried to stop and thinking to myself... that's odd... I wonder what that is... I think thinking I should turn and look to see what that noise was.. then BAM. It was like those three-five seconds where slowed down and magnified. After it was over I looked over at my mom and the rest is a blur of trying to avoid traffic and finding a phone (prior to a cell phone mania) to call and report the accident.

Luckily I've never been involved in anything remotely like a violent crime, but I'd like to think my body would take over, doing what needed doing.

Just glad you are OK!!

Shannon

[Eden]

I think I first heard about this on NPR - it's a very interesting scientfic article about how peoples' brains work in emergencies and why some people survive when others do not - less flight or fight, more flight or freeze...

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/search/download;jsessionid=7hjspuo5mf160.alice?pub=infobike%3a%2f%2fasma%2fasem%2f2004%2f00000075%2f00000006%2fart00011&mimetype=text%2fhtml

[ny biker]

Luckily I've never been involved in anything remotely like a violent crime, but I'd like to think my body would take over, doing what needed doing.


I thought the same thing until I found myself unable to move, scream or even breathe.

Now I hope the self-defense course that I took will help me if I'm ever in that situation again. Or at least help to decrease the chance I'll ever be in that situation again.

[OakLeaf]

Eden, that link doesn't work for me. It looks like a subscription site? Do you know the name of the publication? Maybe I could find it in a library, or an online abstract?

[Eden]

Eden, that link doesn't work for me. It looks like a subscription site? Do you know the name of the publication? Maybe I could find it in a library, or an online abstract?

I was able to read the whole article free - it was open source. Here's a link to the abstract, at the top of the page there's a link to html or PDF of the entire article - no registration, no fee required.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem/2004/00000075/00000006/art00011

[lauraelmore1033]

Wow, 75% of the population tends to freeze in an emergency! very unsettling.
Thanks for the link Eden.