Community Chat

[sfnative]

To be frank, I'm sitting here, eating breakfast and watching "Star Trek: Next Generation," where the entire ship has been hit with an emergent situation, as in life threatening. Of course we know the crew, per the script/story line, is going to pull through in fine mettle.

However, this got me thinking about my Dad's side of the family: these folks just do not function well at all in emergency or highly stressful situations. They shut-down and sort of hibernate. I recall many such instances of my dear Aunt, Dad and Grandmother doing just that. On the flip side of the coin, I seem to have inherited a gene from someone that shifts me into a special gear in cases of emergency/high stress, and I generally function very well in these circumstances.

I'm wondering if any of you have that gene that kicks in when it's really needed.

[Sunnyfield]

I *think* I react well - I have been in only a couple (car accident; attempted mugging; and a couple others) - I felt like adrenalin kicked in and made me very clear headed...don't know how I would react if I saw someone else being attacked or came upon another person in danger...I have often wondered if/how I would act...

[Cakers1]

I just do ""what I gotta do"". I really don't think about it but it's a good question.

I've seen people hand-wringing and over-reacting in RL and I've seen people with calmer heads prevail.

[hckynut]

Not sure I have "that gene", but I feel confident in my ability to respond in an emergency. I have had to do so not only to try to save my own life while home alone when my 2nd heart attack ensued. I also have been to help others that have been pretty seriously injured during my long hockey career. Did also have had to respond to a couple different serious instances with my wife pertaining to getting her to the ER when she was having serious difficulties.

[raven-blackbird]

in an emergency situation........I'm the gal you want around.....I'm calm, in charge, and get things done.....AFTER it's all over, I'm the gal you don't want around LOL........I get a little shocky...........................raven

[MickD]

I spring into action without a thought.....yesterday I looked out my second floor window and saw a person laying next to the gutter and a van. Ran down the stairs sprinted barefoot across the street....thank gawd the woman was okay...she had lost her phone in the gutter ....

[Marp2]

Like Cakers I just react and do what I can without thinking about it. After the emergency is over I sometimes have what were you thinking or how did you do that moments. Once the adrenalin subsides I might get shaky or shut down for a bit.

[AnikaBrodie]

I stay calm and take an in charge attitude in an emergency. It's only after the fact that I might get nervous or scared.

[MarthaStewardess]

I think everyone responds differently. Some people just freeze and others have training that kicks in or they just naturally do what needs to be done. I don't think we know how we'd react until we have to.....hopefully, we'll never be in that position.

[LilacTree]

I would and have reacted quickly in family emergencies. We all do.

As far as strangers, I am not sure. I did do something several times that leads me to believe I would help if I possibly could. Once was in a restaurant when a mother was standing in front of revolving doors with her very young child screaming at him/her to walk through the doors. The child was obviously afraid of the doors and was crying and very upset. She kept screaming and pulling on his arm forcefully. I stood up and said loudly "Stop that!!!" She gave me a dirty look, roughly picked the child up and left. I remained worried about what was happening to that little child once she got him/her into her car.

Another time a woman was beating her child inside a car parked below my mom's bedroom window. I opened the window and screamed at her also. She also stopped after giving me a dirty look.