Ways to understand and act during a traumatic event

[Monorail Cat]

This one is not as traumatic as some of the previous ones, but I can't think of any worse ones.  A few of you might remember that 5.8 earthquake Virginia had in 2011.  Well, as a person who has never experienced an earthquake, I thought (at first) that Washington D.C. was just bombed, but that thought was quickly let go.  After about 3 seconds in, I realized that "VIRGINIA is having a FUCKING EARTHQUAKE!" so I grabbed my sister who was watching TV on the couch, screaming, and I got her with me to crouch down to the floor.  If I hadn't done that, she would have been crushed in the head by a heavy speaker that fell where her head was.  But that was the most terrifying part in my life, because I truly thought (for a couple seconds) that a nuclear bomb went off 100 miles away in D.C.

Edit:
After the quake was over, I did what the entire east coast was doing:  I called my relative.  My mom was at a school that was made in the 50's, preparing the classroom for the year.  I was afraid that it may have collapsed, so I tried calling her.  However, because most people were doing what I was trying to do, the cell towers got congested and I couldn't make contact with her until about 15 minutes later.  That was pretty scary, too, not knowing if someone was alive and allright or not.  That made me start thinking:  What if my sister was injured?  I wouldn't have been able to call 911.  I don't know what I would have done then, except for stealing my mom's car and going to the hospital without a driver's license. 

This is also a problem that can occur in the future.  If a major terrorist attack happened, communications networks would be flooded, emergency services over-occupied, and stuff.  That is when a ham radio would be one of the most useful objects I own.

[Ἆxule]

Yeah actually, I almost set my whole room on fire when fiddling with a model rocket near my couch if I did not rush into my closet to put the fire out with the towel my curtains would have caught on fire and who knows what else. For me in that moment it was basically just pure instinct like my actions just took over I only knew what was best really. Not sure if mine counts as traumatic but it could have been.

This definitely counts towards what I'm looking for. Anything where instinct basically kicks in or doesn't. Something where you're cognitive process just goes and it's all instant reaction.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The worst situation I've been in involved someone getting smashed into a mirror during a fight (inside an unsupervised classroom), and then bleeding profusely.

Yes, I did act. I was almost compelled to act, though honestly I was riddled with adrenaline. I had to actively calm myself down, and I barely managed to do that while considering that someone might actually die. It's hard to think straight during events like those, and I don't blame anyone at all for not knowing what to do.

3 people basically just made a circle and clambered in confusion while one person restrained the guy who flung the other guy into said mirror after throwing some punches.

It even took me a few seconds to consider moving in order to get the staff to respond to me dashing through the hallway, after seeing someone get shards of mirror in their head. Flight or fight...


Also saved someone from cutting off their own hand in a workshop (class effort). Scary as hell, because their sleeve got caught in the machinery and it made this horrible whining sound.

I guess sometimes people play the "It's none of my business, someone else will take care of it" card, until no one does.

tl;dr Yes.

I managed to overcome the surreal flux of adrenaline and basically prevented someone from bleeding out, but it was incredibly hard to keep a leveled head when you consider that someone could die while you're running around aimlessly. I don't blame anyone for standing still and doing nothing, but to be honest I couldn't sit back and watch someone get beat up while 30 people cross the street to catch a bus... even though that someone might actually have stolen a purse.

I'd think it'd be better to find out, while applying common sense (e.g. that guy is wearing a ski mask) instead of leaving it for someone else.

I feel like I'd act much like how you did. Even when crazy stuff happens, I'm able to miraculously stay calm and act. At least, much better than most people do. For example, the closet thing I can remember is when I lived in Oklahoma and I was alone with my brothers in the house. I was around 10 I believe and my dad was deployed and my mom off doing something else important. Suddenly the tornado siren went off (I hate the sound of sirens so much) and being the oldest in the house, I acted calmly and quickly, getting all my brothers into the bathroom in the middle of the house, getting a mattress above our heads, and getting our cats in there as well. Luckily, no tornado landed, but it was pretty scary being only 10.

I don't know, I believe I just have a natural talent to at least stay calm during an experience like that.

It's one thing to think about what to do in x situation but it's another to actually be in it as you're in shock/terror and adrenaline is pumping through.

I have a friend which at times lowers their self-esteem because they keep saying that they're not good enough and suck compared to everyone else which is totally not true as that friend is awesome in a lot of ways. One day after school, I noticed some cuts near their wrists. At first I thought in my head "oh shit/wtf" and it scared me for a bit. I swear that the color of my face had gone pale too. I tried talking some sense into them but I couldn't take my mind off of it for a while. It disgusted me. Thankfully, I don't think my friend ever did that again so it's a momentary sigh of relief.

That's why I came here. I know I'd like to think I can do all of these amazing things and save the day, but when it actually happens, I wouldn't be surprised if I was like any other stammering fool not being able to do anything. That's why I'm so worried. I don't want to be one of those people ._.

[Tezuni]

What part of the island was this?  Was it like road rage or something?


The most intense thing that ever happened to me is fighting off a ripped drunk guy at a party, who came at me out of nowhere.  My friend later told me the guy was her ex. 

[Ἆxule]

Ewa, O'ahu.
Not really sure what it was. We believe it was just some crazy dude.