Fight or Flight?

warcleric

Banned
May 31, 2000
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I have had my fight or flight instinct tested on several occasions during my life and have almost without fail had my fight instinct take over. Just a short story, wont bring up anything military, because I am not 100% sure on the levels of classification still on some of it.

Last summer we had taken my stepson to the airport to go spend a month with his father. On the way home I was following a church van on a deserted stretch of highway when the driver <an elderly lady> turned completely around in her chair to scorn the children in the back. Well the van drifted completely off the road at 70MPH and when she turned back around and saw this she yanked the wheel back to the left as hard as she could, needless to say the bus proceeded to go sideways and flip 7 or 8 times, ejecting all the children from the back of it. I could not believe my eyes, and my wife was in shock, instincts immediately took over and I jumped out of my car and proceeded to perform first aid on the ones that I thought were saveable. My wife was in so much shock that she couldnt even dial 911 on the cell phone so I had to do that while performing first aid, eventually <seemed like forever> other people showed up and started to help. After 20 minutes or so the emergency crews started showing up. When I finally stepped away from the scene I damn near passed out from exhuastion, the adrenaline had kept me going but it was also wearing me out very quickly. I ended up sitting on the side of the road for about 30 minutes before I had the energy to get back in my car and come home. It was a very dramatic experience and I couldnt sleep for a week after it. Oh and for the rest of the story, there were 11 kids thrown from the van as it rolled over and over, 2 of which were dead or very close to dead immediately, 1 of the others that I was sure would die made it through some miracle, and 1 of the ones that I thought to have only minor injuries died in the hospital 2 weeks later.

Well after this little story I just wanted to know if you have had a situation that this mechanism has taken hold and what was your reaction to it.
 

ArkAoss

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Aug 31, 2000
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whew, I'm quite shocked, but yes, the fight/flight subconsious controls are very powerfull arn't they. A few weeks ago, my folks where in a restraunt, and some guy was chocking, and my dad, who's cpr trained, went to help, but the guy was big, and my dad Had recently broken his shoulder, so he couldn't lift the guy enough, and my mom, who is also trained, but couldn't really help either, and they, I think, got it out or left it to some one who was a practising nurse, who was on scene.

But its very interesting what the body does on its own, and doesn't it make you wonder how could such a powerfull instinct evolve? Or was it created.
 

luv2chill

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Feb 22, 2000
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Depends on the situation. If I'm in immediate danger and there's no one to be saved, flight. But if I were in the same situation as you were I would have definitely stopped. It would take a pretty heartless bastard to keep driving past a scene like that.

l2c
 

warcleric

Banned
May 31, 2000
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luv2chill: heartless or not, on any given day in any situation like that you dont really have control, at least not initially. It is an instinct and your conscious efforts have nothing to do with it. You can fight against them but the initial reaction is not under your control.
 

novon

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Oct 9, 1999
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I used to be a lifegaurd, and once a kid fell off the high dive onto the cement side of the pool, blood was everwhere, I just remember everything kinda happened automatically, evacuate the pool, run to the scene, help treat with the other lifeguard, everything that we had learned just came back in a snap. but it does shake you up, I couldn't stop thinking about it for at least a week.
 

warcleric

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May 31, 2000
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Forgot to add that I watched some of the people that had came to assist, alot of them were really helping but there were a couple that you could tell really wanted to help but were way to distraught to do anything useful, they just kept wandering around in a daze. I grabbed a couple of them and told them to do a few minor tasks and with that little nudge they came back.
 

luv2chill

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2000
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While I agree that your intial reaction may be instinctual, i disagree that you are not in control of your actions in such a regard. We are not creatures of instinct. As human beings we have the unique ability to choose our actual response to such a situation, either going with our against our basic instinct.

However, I agree that some people are more capable in such a situation (e.g. you versus your wife) but if somebody were to see that accident occur and keep on driving, then that is their choice to do so. They were physically able to step on the break and stop the car but did not.

l2c
 

ArkAoss

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Aug 31, 2000
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true, L2c, it isn't brunt instinct, but it is amazing how we can push aside our emotions, and for a little while not do dumb things, or make mistakes, and things just snap snap snap. its almost awe inspiring.. Even people who like arn't trained, or normally able to control situtions,, in some cases can become great leaders, directors in such times of crisis.
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
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I think it depends on the situation as to what I'd do. If it was a situation where I could help, I think I would.