Who will you become during a crisis? | Amanda Ripley

"Humans, like most mammals, tend to shut down in really frightening situations for which they have no training or prior experience. Researchers call it negative panic. People do nothing. They shut down."
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We all have ideas about how we're gonna behave in a crisis or emergency, but it’s almost never how it actually plays out when we’re faced with a disaster situation, says bestselling author Amanda Ripley.
In fact, you have another personality - a ‘disaster personality’ - and it's helpful to understand what it is before you are forced to embody it. Studying human behavior in different disasters across history reveals a huge spectrum of responses. Sometimes people start hysterically screaming, others shut down. Some laugh in the face of a life or death situation.
In Ripley’s book, "The Unthinkable," the author followed people who had survived disasters of all kinds, and found that there's a pattern, even across very different contexts, from plane crashes to earthquakes. Almost always, people go through a period of certain emotions. Do you want to learn how to master your disaster response before facing a crisis? Ripley explains how.
Timestamps:
00:00: The psychology of surviving a crisis
01:20: The crisis pattern
01:52: Denial
03:06: Deliberation
04:54: The decisive moment
Read the video transcript ► bigthink.com/s...
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About Amanda Ripley:
Amanda Ripley is a New York Times bestselling author, Washington Post contributor, and co-founder of consultancy firm, Good Conflict. Her books include The Smartest Kids in the World, High Conflict, and The Unthinkable.

[@studgerbil9081]

Anyone who has been through military basic training wonders why instructors are yelling most the time. It's not to be heard. It's to train everyone to react in a negative situation without freezing up. It works.

[@justdiane5]

So I can thank my dad, my sisters, some teachers and a couple bosses for yelling at me all those years? No wonder I'm good in trouble situations!

[@ANNASTESIA-s4o]

I need this

[@TabethaAurochs]

​@@justdiane5Right? By the time I was 10, my parents communicated with me solely in the style of "Full Metal Jacket" boot camp instructor. It wasn't pleasant, but it certainly taught me how to keep my head when everyone else is losing theirs.

[@northernsegageorge6510]

It still blows my mind to this day when I was in bct and we had people who cracked during reception and shark attack and me and my battle had to sit and monitor them whilst they slept or we had to go with them to the ER as they were going to self delete. Had their belts and laces taken off them and no pens etc. day 2 in reception at fort leonardwood and we had to do self delete watch with one guy. How exactly does one mentally fall apart in reception?

[@clawrunner]

this is also why I don't yell when there's an emergency, because, counterintuitively, yelling at people is less likely to get them to do what you need done. the best option for average people is to point at them and give them one calm but clear instruction, and then pick another person for the next instruction, because people can do ONE thing they've been asked to do quite effectively, even if the rest of the situation is too much to handle.

[@victoriamariani3213]

"The fear of panic has killed more people than most disasters themselves"

[@volkerengels5298]

Yes - right now Fear of Panic actually rules the world.

[@TheStoicBeacon-TGG]

It's true that fear can often paralyze us more than the situation itself. In moments of crisis, our minds tend to magnify the potential dangers, leading to a heightened state of panic. This makes me wonder, how can we train ourselves to remain calm and focused in such high-pressure moments? What strategies do you think might help in turning fear into a source of strength rather than a threat?

[@BeStillLittleTree]

​@@TheStoicBeacon-TGG I was just learning about this and replaying times when a crisis was occuring and what I did to get through it despite being diagnosed with panic disorder. I always found the next thing I needed to do outside of me and focused on that. And kept doing that through the whole crisis. Everytime I started to get afraid of how I was feeling I said okay to it and got right back to the task at hand. Turned out I was most calm person in the situation and was handling everything that needed to be done. The energy I had from the panic made it easy for me to get things done super quickly and if I needed strength I had plenty of energy to power it.

[@HomeFromFarAway]

Fukushima is a great example of this

[@yevgeny79]

​@TheStoicBeacon-TGG I lived 2 blocks away when The Station night club fire took 100 people. In the morning everything outside was covered in a thin layer of ash. Now, every time I enter a building, I survey the exits. I notice which direction the doors open. And I position myself if possible with a clear line of exit. To answer your question, being mentally and physically prepared helps me stay calm because I have a plan and I reverse it in my mind. Some people think this is somehow morbid. I think it's survival instinct.

[@mcc.o.4835]

I've experienced this. I was on an airplane that was boarding for a flight. I looked out my window and saw a massive tornado coming towards us. I called the flight attendant and told her there's a tornado coming and we need to get everyone off the plane. Other passengers were asking each other what they should do. The people at the gate said we couldn't get off the plane because of FAA rules, but that doesn't make sense in the current situation. I don't know what a tornado would do to an airplane, but I'm not sitting around waiting to find out. I'm getting off the plane. I was was forceful on my need to get off the plane. Ultimately, they determined it was safer to de-board the plane and get everyone in the basement (concrete underbelly) of the airport.

[@Cicatrixce]

Unbelievable how people can completely bypass their common sense for stupid rules that don’t apply to all contexts. Good for you!

[@CheyenneAF]

OMG, I just hate the phrase "de-board" so so much. We all use it but it truly should not exist. What the heck is that crap?

[@ashleykinder8877]

Holy mother of God, that's my biggest fear: tornadoes and being out in the open with one, defenseless. I grew up and live in Texas and I've been remarkably lucky to have not experienced a tornado yet, despite the fact that the immediate surrounding area gets hit several times a year. I have recurring nightmares about tornadoes. I would've been right there with you, demanding to be let off the plane.

[@srirachaaaa]

Same. Diff context though. I was in a serious incident as a teen with friends. We were getting mugged and they all froze. Long story short, I had to drive the car home for everyone and keep them moving to the police station etc.

[@maryhildreth754]

Did the tornado hit the area?

[@PeaceJourney...]

There are no fearless heros, just regular people doing what needs to be done even though they are scared. Just breathe and do what needs to be done.

[@stevejordan7275]

Exactly so. Bravery is not a lack of fear in the face of scary things, it's doing the scary thing *in spite of it.*

[@anonperson3972]

I don't know about you but when my adrenaline is really high and stuff is happening I don't consciously feel any emotion. Car crash? Nothing during the event. In a fight? I could be in a furious argument and the moment he takes a swing at my all my emotion switches off (noted by people around me, apparently it's horrifying seeing me knock someone out like I'm doing chores), calling up the insurance companies as a child when my mum had a seizure on holiday? Completely numb. Friends vein gets sliced open because someone was fucking around with a knife? I'm applying first aid before anyone else has moved.

[@PeaceJourney...]

@anonperson3972 no emotions at the time, it's like a shutter closes off all emotions. Later on when I can finally relax, usually alone, I have an emotional storm, shaking and crying myself to sleep. When I wake up, I am ready to go on with life.

[@shawnathin7450]

I’m the way when something happens I can turn off my emotions and feelings and just get things done one task at a time just do it I also can get people to do what needed to be done. Now after it’s done I will have a breakdown mostly when I’m alone when It skinks in what just happened. Fear is a good thing it can keep you alive in some situations. It all comes down to the 3 Fs. Fight Flight Freeze.

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

@@stevejordan7275 Tunnel Vision and the fear may more so often occur after the emergency is sustained or neutralized.

[@Colorcrayons]

I have suffered from PTSD for decades, undiagnosed at the time. What she is saying is just the tip of the iceberg that people with trauma have learned as a survival skill. The people that you know who are hypervigilant, are likely the ones who will operate in a functional way during a crisis.

[@originallizzah]

I was waiting for her to bring up trauma survivors. I am sorry about your PTSD, I am right there with you. I have found that despite PTSD and having anxiety/panic disorder, when life threatening crises happen I seem to be the only one that knows what to do while everyone around me just sits. I don't know if we compartmentalize survival (not just our own!) in a different way in our brains or what. You'd think I'd be in the "paralyzed" club, maybe it's the "NEVER AGAIN!" mindset? It sounds crazy - for an every day regular person like me to say this and it's not a brag but I've saved lives before and been shocked that in a small group it was me of all people who knew how to keep everyone safe and asap. We can save lives, perhaps because our own have been threatened and that counts as "training" and our hypervigilance definitely helps us in these situations, too.

[@TheLampini]

​@@originallizzah same here! Strange, isn't it? Small stupid stuff can put me in a tail spin - but a real crisis? I almost feel at home! 😂

[@weaviejeebies]

Lol I actually came here to say this. I survived a very adverse childhood, a toxic mix of poverty, association with a religious cult, and parents who were addicted and rotated between extremely abusive and then completely neglectful. I have ADHD and in the 80s, nobody knew girls could have it, so at school, I was just labeled weird and bullied by everyone, both students and teachers. I was thrown out of home and shunned by the cult at 16, so I couch surfed and worked 2 jobs the last 2 years of high school, then lied about my age to get my own apartment lease, and on went life from there. Adulthood has been substantially better since I am able to advocate and decide for myself, but that abuse and neglect (certain illegal pictures were taken from ages 4-12) is a ghost in my head that has caused complex ptsd. My entire life has been spent acting halfway normal, halfway crisis; because I have major trust issues and even some very everyday ordinary things are big triggers. I tend to withdraw and go my own way without asking for ir really even wanting help. When serious life events do happen, I don't shut down. I don't mill around discussing. I don't consider the opinions of other people except for maybe 2 or 3 out of 8 billion. My instincts tell me what actions are right, and I do them. Fear goes away until afterwards, when I can quiver for a week. I've been told I get scary eyes if I need to be aggressive in the situation, like the time I intimidated a drunk guy who tried to mug me and my best friend. I've been called courageous for putting out an itty bitty office wastebasket fire with an extinguisher. I didn't particularly feel brave or virtuous. I was just relieved the problem was gone. Then there's the downside of it: that my actions are completely self-centeted towards me and the people I love, my husband and kids, my friends, and that's it. In my mind at big crisis times (like the pandemic and all the toilet paper shenanigans), society can kiss my ass. I'd like to think I wouldn't turn into a pirate in a societal collapse, I'd like to think in a public safety crisis, like a natural disaster, if there were people injured or in danger, that I'd help them. That I wouldn't just be selfish and somewhat antisocial. I haven't ever had to find out. I don't want to find out. I hate trouble.

[@canavar1435]

Likewise. It's a blessing to be present in those dangerous situations, to realise what is happening and to take appropriate action. It is also bliss to be helped by an unexpected guardian angel. These are the moments where humanity is at its finest, I feel. ​@@TheLampini

[@CestLePanda]

@@Colorcrayons heyyyy, that makes sense. It applies to me too, I guess. Lol

[@hgoodin1013]

During my freshman year of high school i took a CPR training course offered in the student lounge. I'm not sure why i did ( Probably because a boy I had a crush on was also taking it). But I did take it and really never thought much more about it. By my senior year my parents had gotten divorced and I had been shuffled back and forth. I ended up living with my father who had had some heart problems. One night I had come home from a date around midnight and got in bed. Within a few minutes my father stood in my doorway and said, "I don't think I'm going to make it this time." And then he just walked away and disappeared around the corner. I quit got out of bed just in time to see him collapse on the kitchen floor. I went over to him and checked for a pulse and I couldn't find one. And I looked at his eyes and they were rolled back in his head. At this time they were just starting to roll out 911 in my state, It was in some of the Chicago suburbs but not all. So the first thing I did was try calling 911... And it didn't work. I tried again because I thought maybe I had made a mistake. And it still did not work. So I went on automatic pilot and immediately started doing CPR on him. This was back when you still had to do mouth-to-mouth. I kept doing the chest compressions and breathing into his mouth and telling him he couldn't die on me. I want to say that maybe between 5 and 8 minutes later his eyes fluttered. And then he opened his eyes. I asked him if he could hear me. He mumbled something So I knew he was alive. I then called the operator and said I needed an ambulance. Skipping ahead, He ended up having a massive heart attack and needed a triple bypass. They told me if I had not been there and done CPR he would have died. For some strange reason I seem to be able to keep my head in a crisis. Some kind of automatic pilot thing just kicks in and my brain starts organizing and delegating. I'm usually the one people call or come to when things are dire. But I came from a household that was full of crisis a lot. I guess that was my way of coping...to take control.

[@wacowildcat]

Its called low startle response.

[@hgoodin1013]

​​​@@wacowildcatyes. I went on to become a mental health care therapist and worked primarily with children and adolescents and their families who were considered high risk. Lots of suicidal ideation and attempts/self harm, abuse, sexual abuse. I was also a therapist at a juvenile prison. It takes a lot to rattle my cage. My mother on the other hand has a very exaggerated startled response and always has.

[@bevanfindlay]

Your story is exactly why I think emergency training, evacuation drills, and first aid should be done with everyone. Your first emergency, you'll freeze up, unless you have some ingrained training to fall back on. After you've faced and gone through an emergency, you're more likely to go "Ok, I've seen this before, I need to act" and just get going. The first time I ever had to call emergency services, I was panicking, but once I did, I was calm, and I've been calm in almost every crisis situation since then. Getting past that first delay - just starting to act, to do something, just do *anything* - gives your brain the kick start to keep going. You can train this, but because most people don't face true crisis moments, we don't know how to start. I think people are affected by adrenaline and cortisol and all the stress hormones differently, so I don't think everyone can become cool in a crisis (past trauma affects these responses too, usually negatively). But if you're someone who can learn calm, train it, because it can save lives.

[@TheHairlessGibbon]

You are a 5%er now. That is the realistic percentage of CPR/EAR recipients that survive.

[@Noctua8]

Im usually good in a crisis but the idea of doing cpr scares me more than the crisis itself. I feel like I'd hurt the person, its terrifying

[@meows_and_woof]

I have really severe ADHD and in case of situations like this I become highly productive, otherwise I’m not being able to get up and force myself to brush my teeth or take a shower, can’t focus, can’t find motivation, but in a highly stressful situations I become a totally different person, I would solve world’s hunger problem and find a cancer cure if one could stress me enough

[@HappinessOrDeath]

Wow. Same here. And yes literally 😊

[@aleksejjovanovic986]

Forget adhd, its bs. you lack discipline and self control

[@akeeracy22]

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

[@Kirtahl]

Same, I am filled with anxiety from mundane. But when someone's hurt, power goes out for a week, or there's chaos. I am collected and rational. Kinda frustrating.

[@maryanchabursky9148]

There have been studies that suggest that people with ADHD are better able to function in crisis situations.

[@lightreign8021]

Was a Wildland firefighter. Have a very calm life now, still lust after emergencies. Suddenly everything makes sense. Not existential dread. Real problems. Came across an active car accident recently, people injured -yelling, vehicles still rolling. Time stops and a cascade of problem solving flow charts and triage priorities begin flowing like a symphony . Work all the time to make life predictable and safe but seeing the chaos my first response was “ awesome, I can be helpful. let’s go! 😃”

[@hunteruhuruazrael]

Nice brotha, I'm just waiting for next fire season, I'm straight up lusting for the adrenaline again

[@Content_Deleted]

Thank you for your service!

[@ForestSavage-m1r]

Sir. That is because you are a man.

[@geordannicholson2854]

Absolutely, I'm only new in healthcare but have done a few cardiac arrests. It's like everything clicks into place and your brain just stops and goes "okay, let's get to work"

[@josephjarosz9009]

Which crew?

[@SirShmoopyofAwesometon]

I witnessed this process several years ago when I was working at a restaurant. I was standing right outside of the entryway to the kitchen when suddenly the stoves burst into pretty good-sized flames (grease fire). Every employee ran out of the kitchen past me, stopped where it was relatively safe, and just froze and started watching the fire from a distance. In this group of employees was even the manager. I remember looking at all of them standing there and thinking, "Why is no one putting it out!?" Only to realize that I was doing the same thing. That thought instantly snapped me out of it, and I ran into the kitchen, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and put the fire out. I probably wouldn't have reacted had I not had previous experience in putting out my neighbor's small apartment fire a couple of years prior. My reaction also caused one other employee to react and run into the kitchen to help me, I had never spoken with him before that, so that was pretty cool. What was not cool was the company only giving me a 15-cent raise after a year of working there when I was one of only two people who saved their entire building from possibly burning to the ground. I put in my two weeks quickly after that.

[@lamilanesa99]

Just share the name of the company on the internet and reddit justice warrior neckbeards will boycott them for you ;)

[@Tony-zg7xn]

My B-I-L was on 92 floor of WTC on 9/11 .. the guy he was meeting with had been there when the bomb had gone off underneath a few years earlier. The guy said “we’re leaving” when the first plane hit the other tower, they didn’t know what the sound was, and the tannoy system was telling them to stay put. They waited for the express elevator to stop on their floor, rather than take the stairs, and were able to exit the building minutes before it was attacked…. Their calm response to be under threat, and not simply complying with instructions, saved their lives

[@ProxyAuthenticationRequired]

I am far from "fearless" but there are few things that really put a sense of fear in me. I learned that the biggest was the madness of large crowds in a panic. Years ago at an overcrowded night club, I was sitting with a girl I was dating at the time and with a friend of mine and his girl. We were all in our 20's. The table we were sitting was about 8 meters at most from the exit. Amidst the loud music and dancing, there was suddenly a sense of shifting mood. People were scramming around, shouting and heading to the exit and yelling at people as they were leaving. In hindsight, they were warning others of a fire that erupted in the back. But their voices were largely drown out by the music. Soon, the music stopped and as now visible smoke was pouring into the main hallway, the DJ announce for people to "calmly evacuate." But panic quickly sat in and people began rushing to the only one exit. It didn't help that the hallway rated officially for 500 people probably had twice as many people. Nor did it help that the exit was no more than two standard doors wide. As people funneled to the exit, a bottleneck quickly formed. Tables were overthrown or pushed. My party were quickly swept by a wave of what can only be described as a human wall of utter chaos of unbelievable and uncontrollable force that left you convinced you would have been crushed alive and if you fell and would have been trampled to death. You could not move or go to any direction other than where this solid confinement chose seemingly by its own according to move. But forced to the edge of the wall, where I narrow ledge was, I managed to get myself onto it and pull my girlfriend, watching as my friend and his girl were hopeless pulled apart from the mindless torrent of people as if dissolved in mouth of a mindless, indifferent beast. My heart was racing, and my mind was ever observant, searching for some escape. But there was nothing to do but wait for a chance for some gap, as improbably as that was to come. More smoke poured in and people, now coughing, some screaming, pushed violently but to no avail. Some frantically grabbed onto my ankles trying to pull me down, making me have to kick their hands away. At this point, most people become mindless animals, reacting to dangers in such deeply irrational ways they create almost a certainty of the death and outcomes they fear. Had people stayed calm and filed out calmly, that entire room would have been easily cleared out in under two minutes, but instead the majority of people were stuck inside for well over ten minutes, until at long last enough had finally cleared out for people to begin moving faster. By this time the fire department and police arrived making loud announcements for people to stop pushing at the back and remain claim and allow those in the front to exit. This went out for a few minutes until people seemed now more relaxed in seeing they were not dying and seeing other in front were getting out. Around this time, there was enough room for me and the young woman I was with to get down and in a minute or so there after we were out on the street. She broke down and cried and later remarked how "brave I was" but I was internally absolutely in shocked and nearly frightened to death by the terrible chaos I was witnessing and the sense of utter hopelessness there was nothing you could do against the madness of a panicked crowd. I have since been held up at gun point, nearly died in a small aircraft stall, and other arguably eventful life-and-death situations, but nothing has scared me more than this event and if I were to choose having to relive any of the worst scares experienced, it be facing that man with a gun. I'm not special. I honestly don't know had I been in the middle of that crowd how I would have reacted instead of sitting on the edge near the wall. I doubt I would be much if at all different from anyone else. Panic is like a contagion of the mind that spreads rapidly and hijacks the brain. And it is a truly frightening thing to witness and perhaps the worst "injury" as such is the indelible realization it leaves in you that you are not special but just as vulnerable in being any one of the other mindless monkeys in a crowd and when all is said and claimed, an animal still.

[@jeaniebird999]

Wow! What an horrific experience! I'm so happy you made it out ok! 😮

[@kimsherlock8969]

True Humans stampede the same as all the frightened groups of large animals 😊

[@gachabloxgirl3958]

Many human stampedes often cause more deaths than the actual disaster itself

[@pinchebruha405]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 you just described exactly what it’s like to try to get onto the subway cars at 5pm in NY’s Wall Street station….😂😂😂😂😂😂 pretty much minus the smoke…..man you were very observant and ready to deal with all that, it’s good you didn’t panick it likely saved you and your girl! You got the Stuff needed for a Hero ❤

[@cademcmanus4306]

please use spaces

[@ethanallentv]

A couple of years ago my wife slipped on ice and dislocated her knee. I knew immediately that it was bad, and while she was making jokes and asking for help up I was already calling the ambulance. It was -35°C and we were on the side of a street so put my mitts, hat, and undercoat beneath her to keep her body off the ice until the ambulance arrived. I kept assuring her that she'll be okay and trying to distract her for the 10 mins we were waiting. My affirmations helped keep her calm and even though I was doing the correct actions, she said I looked terrified the entire time and I was. Thankfully before this incident my wife and I were lifeguards with training in first aid and CPR. Before my training I used to freeze and avoid any situation that I didnt know how to deal with so having even a minimal amount of training really does help you become a decision-maker and action-oriented in the face of an unfamiliar and scary situation

[@HomeFromFarAway]

Training makes a life and death difference.

[@aidey8mph605]

Even if you don’t feel super confident about your abilities in crisis say with needing to administer CPR, the fact that you trained means you have run through a scenario in your head that you can tap into during crisis. So many people have never had the thought pop into their head of what to do.

[@hud86]

I respond well in stressful situations. It’s “normal” life I can’t feel comfortable with

[@aaftiyoDkcdicurak]

I knew it couldn't be just me who felt this way.

[@hunteruhuruazrael]

Yeah normal life fkn sucks

[@donaldkeith139]

Same. Patient arresting, chill. Getting up in the morning, I'm collapsing in my mind

[@UtopiaOnFire]

I’m pretty sure my ADHD is partially to blame for this. In new and unique situations I thrive. I’m very good at solving complex problems quickly if there are major consequences of not solving it. Normal life… I have no drive to do anything if it all feels the same. I freeze under normal circumstances.

[@bonD6002]

I think your life has been so chaotic that it just feels normal to you now, and that calmness is uneasy because you're not familiar with it

[@Robynhoodlum]

I don’t know if I would call it “training” but my childhood PTSD has given me a dissociative response to fear. I can delay the fear until after I’m out of danger. It’s really useful for staying level headed in a crisis.

[@anonperson3972]

I'm the same. It's quite adaptive really. Fear is a warning system, once the event is going on you shouldn't be feeling emotion, just adrenaline and calculation. when my adrenaline is really high and stuff is happening I don't consciously feel any emotion. Car crash? Nothing during the event. In a fight? I could be in a furious argument and the moment he takes a swing at my all my emotion switches off (noted by people around me, apparently it's horrifying seeing me knock someone out like I'm doing chores), calling up the insurance companies as a child when my mum had a seizure on holiday? Completely numb. Friends vein gets sliced open because someone was fucking around with a knife? I'm applying first aid before anyone else has moved. But I did have a couple of times when I was a kid when I panicked and it didn't help. One time I was being choked out, panicked and then I managed to calm myself down and then with a calmer mind get the guy off and win (when your 12-13 being choked from behind by a 15-16 year old is quite scary). I think after that, my brain learned to avoid panic and dissociate from emotions.

[@PeaceJourney...]

@anonperson3972 I never thought about exactly what I am feeling during a crisis, but you hit the nail on the head, adrenaline and calculated response. Thank you,

[@jackbennett185]

@@anonperson3972sounds like you and me had a very similar life mate. Everything you said is spot on, though people in your life tend to view you in a bad way because of it.

[@mr67927]

I’d call it growing up middle class aka “real life”.

[@magfamous]

Absolutely right. The people in power do not trust the masses, hence, people panic. Information should always be honest, transparent and deliberate and aim to empower people, not disempower them into fear

[@kenamoe86]

Accountability terrifies so many leaders when accountability, true accountability, is how leadership is grown.

[@xxsamlovexx]

I just learned that actually has a term - it’s called “elite panic” "Elite panic" is a term coined by Rutgers University researchers Caron Chess and Lee Clarke to describe the behavior of members of the elite during disaster events, typically characterized by a fear of civil disorder and the shifting of focus away from disaster relief towards implementing measures of "command and control". Pretty interesting to see it in action … hurricane Helene sort of brought it out.

[@ickster23]

​@@kenamoe86That's because they are rulers, not leaders.

[@ingamelevi1929]

My autism has actually helped me in a time of crisis. 4 years ago, my parents both got drunk one night and my father started punching holes in every wall of the apartment. The rest of the family was freaking out, but I dialed 911 and said "Hi, this is Levi [redacted], my address is [redacted], my father didn't know his limits when drinking and now he's tearing up the apartment. We require immediate assistance."

[@rushiaskinnerwallace6175]

“The biggest mistake I’ve seen in every disaster I’ve ever covered is that the people in charge do not trust the public. They think that the public is going to panic, misbehave and do stupid things so they don’t tell them the full truth which leads the public to do, sometimes, unwise things. That problem is bigger than most of the threats we face.” There is so much said in this statement alone and it is applicable to many things today.

[@victoriamariani3213]

Here in my country, Brazil, there was a devastating disaster at a nightclub called "Boate Kiss." I’m from the southeast, but at the time, I was in the south with some colleagues on a weekend trip. We were there to party. By chance, we were in Florianópolis when the fire happened in Rio Grande do Sul, at the Boate Kiss. That tragedy came to be known as O Incêndio da Boate Kiss. I’ll never forget receiving a phone call early that morning. It was my mom. Her voice-her tone-is etched into my memory. I felt her despair viscerally. Her screams still haunt me today. It took me a long time to even comprehend what she was saying, but I knew that tone-it was the sound of life and death hanging in the balance. I knew it because we had already experienced a life-or-death event together when I was nine years old. During that moment, she froze. And something in me… shifted. I went into what I can only describe as “warrior mode.” It was as if my childhood dissolved in an instant. That day, I became "a man." Terrified, I did what had to be done. Scared out of my mind, I got us through it. We survived. We’re here. We’re alive. But damn… it was a life-changing, earth-shattering experience-a breakthrough in the most painful sense of the word.

[@TranscientFelix]

Okay

[@xEPICxNESS]

My mom has anxiety and yelled “FIRE!!!” Followed by incoherent mumbling along the lines of… “it’s an electrical fire there’s not enough flour or salt or anything to smother it oh my god oh my god!!!” Without moving, without calling, without breathing. I walked up and said “mom look” and dumped a small amount of salt on the stove, and it went out in less than 1 second. There were 4 kids under 10, plus me, the eldest daughter and only other adult in the house. It was about to hit the curtains and instead of trying, she named reasons why it wouldn’t work. She could have trapped them in a burning house as the kitchen was near the front door. I still look back and feel somewhat angry because what if my entire family died due to her panic. I know I shouldn’t judge, but the fact that it was our mother that was failing us makes me worried about her capacity.

[@Content_Deleted]

Sounds like you're judging her a little too much there. Your reasoning is sound but as you said, she was panicking. Next time she'll likely handle it better. Have empathy and show her compassion, those will save you all a lot of trouble.

[@HomeFromFarAway]

we sink to the level of our training. if you are worried about this, get her a basic firefighting course as a gift. I've had similar experiences and it's frustrating but also fixable

[@andreahighsides7756]

Many people are not reliable or even useful in serious situations. It’s disappointing, but once you learn this about someone you must take it into account.

[@rooknado]

Sorry to be that guy, but: Not every woman, but *always* a woman.

[@justineb]

I have CPTSD and live in a wildfire region. No matter how the disorder may impair me, it is also my superpower. I’ve seen house fires as a child and evacuated from some of the largest wildfires in California history. Last time I evacuated I could see the flames from my window. Of course I was scared and stressed, but I did what I needed to do before I let those emotions overcome me. Living at an animal sanctuary, I was able to mobilize and catch a dozen feral cats and get them all in my car. I waited until we were safe to break down in tears. Everything was still there when I got back.

[@rooknado]

Dude after a certain point just move wtf

[@leegalen8383]

I have gotten into the habit of knowing where the exits are everywhere I go. Theaters, planes ect....

[@stevecagle2317]

I'm a pilot and every time I'm on a commercial flight I do this, counting the seats to the exits on both sides ahead and behind because you may not be able to see or have to crawl on the floor because of smoke so you can feel your way out - just like the Tenerife disaster.

[@clawrunner]

I always try to take notice of exits, fire alarms, and extinguishers, as well as how people are generally feeling in an area (for example, are people sitting and relaxing, or is everyone on edge?)

[@marybrown7203]

I always count seat backs and have a habit of looking for hiding places in the grocery store, which are always changing. I take pictures of license plates in parking lots as I head out hiking and make eye contact with anyone I see on the trail, as if to say, I know what color your hair is, your jacket, your pants, everything.

[@JerimeeRichir]

I used to do this. I got of the habit. But, in both cases, I have no idea why.

[@portalkey5283]

First day at work and this is the very first thing I do

[@danparsons6566]

We all have archetypes inside of us.... my wife (and her father) tend to freeze up during a major crisis event (like hurricane Harvey). My archetype is the Firefighter, I think my military training has something to do with it. When all hell breaks loose, I tend to react quickly, and not think or deliberate too much. It's like "go, go, GO!". I have had many crises in my life and this reaction for me is pretty consistent. We've had a house fire, a wildfire, a major freeze event leading to 4 days without power while being well below freeezing, and four hurricanes (yes, I'm, old at 62). A lot of people just do not believe they can be impacted until it happens. I just always assume disaster WILL happen, and have been trained to move quickly. I feel blessed to be like this.

[@rooknado]

62 is not old boss man, maybe in the 17th century 😊

[@CestLePanda]

Out of my entire household, including parents and 3 siblings plus me, I've always been the last person most of my relatives would point to when asked to pick who's most likely to react in a more or less reasonable or survivalist manner during freak incidents or natural disasters. I would have always picked myself as well back in the day, until the time when I ran into a quaking restaurant during an earthquake that hit the east coast around the year 2011, I think, to escort an elderly couple out of the back of the restaurant as well as my oldest brother... who was frozen in panic. He didn't even know what was happening when I snapped him out of it. (He has always been seen as the A type, quick thinker by most other relatives.) Then this one time a very angry female Rottweiler that was trained to guard a large property broke off of its very heavy, thick chain and aimed straight for an 11-year-old girl... every single other person (males, females, older, younger, tall, small) reacted by jolting as far away as possible. I just remember screaming "NO!" before running to try and grab her off the ground. I was like maybe 24... and she was not light, so the best I could do was basically dangle her side to side while the dog kept jumping to each of my sides... was it smart? Not for my sake... but for some reason the dog had set its sight strictly on the little girl, otherwise I would have ended up... I don't even know how many ways that could have gone wrong for me. The groundskeeper eventually showed up and managed to contain her, though. (We weren't trespassing, btw, it was a guided tour, lol). To this day my cousins that were there seem puzzled that out of all people there I was the one that got all altruistic for some off reason and was quick to act. I really don't think that little girl would have left that scenario either alive or without serious injuries... otherwise, I'm a nerdy, not really on top of things space cadet usually that can't remember to not lose his keys, lol.

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

Same here. You wouldn't guess it would be me, because I panic over things like dough sticking to my fingers while kneading bread lol

[@williewilson2250]

Do you have any kind of anxiety? I feel like many people who are just constantly stressed out for no reason work best when we finally have a situation to put that energy to use. It feels wrong in a normal setting, but a crisis makes those nerves feel completely normal and you don't even notice them

[@amybradbury338]

Weird. I was at a hotel when the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. Jumped out of bed, got my husband and kids up, grabbed what we couldn't replace (work computer and medication), got us down the stairs and into our van as quick as we could. There wasn't a fire, someone had pulled the alarm, but it shocked me how many people just... Went back to sleep? My own siblings and parents in different rooms didn't even answer their phones at first? They were grumpy i was bothering them? Told me nothing seemed wrong so they weren't going anywhere? Took forever for the fire department to declare the building safe, no fire, and i still had trouble going back to sleep. I've just always been flabbergasted how everyone else reacted to a fire alarm in the middle of the night.Thank you, this explains a lot.

[@rfsalad4118]

Most who died in Grenfell Tower fire in the UK in 2017, were those who were told by firefighters to stay inside. The one who got out, survived. That building was in fire for 3 or 4 days and didn't collapse like the Twin Towers in NYC (scratching my head).

[@alwaysyouramanda]

Somehow that one still screams cover-up too.😢

[@peterward4005]

They were not built the same and grenfell is no where near as big as the trade centre.

[@katiekane5247]

​@@peterward4005how does that even make sense? Larger buildings have more mass and shouldn't collapse. Three buildings collapsed from "fires" that day, more than any other steel frame buildings ever in history. Physics took the day off, apparently.

[@williewilson2250]

Idk man, I think having an airliner slam through it might have had something to do with that

[@wc_tom0535]

totally agree on the closing statement, people are lot more educated these days, just let them know the truth and they can execute and handle the situations accordingly.

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

I know who I become, since I've had to do it. I become cool and collected, I become good at calming others down, and I take on a "motherly" role. Not quite leading everyone to safety, but stopping panic and encouraging people to keep going. If someone gets tired, injured, has a mental breakdown I can console them. I have an enhanced ability for recall. Finally, all my trivial knowledge becomes useful. When the crisis is over I have to crash and recover for days.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

"Evolve on purpose". I like that.

[@OscarLimaMike]

I have been tested multiple times let's just say that I like my disaster personality. I actually feel more alive in those situations that I do trudging through the human zoo.

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

Adrenaline feells good, like it should, every day, every night, stay with me and stay alive. Oh yeah all right DYNAMITE.

[@ThirdPlanetAstrology]

I do incredible things. Working in the ER. I was made for it when I realized how fast I can react in a crisis. Adrenaline used to make me cry but now it’s my friend.

[@katiehorneshaw995]

I'm great in a crisis! It's the only time I can put my smarts to use without distraction. Severe hyperactive ADHD = constant seeking of stimulation to satiate my starving dopamine receptors. It takes a veritable deluge of stimulation to top me up to "normal"- but on the rare occasion that this occurs, the ceaseless urge to stim/move/talk/find sources of stimulation finally abates and I feal positively serene. Crises are my safe place.

[@rooknado]

You are very eloquent

[@bambicrandi]

I have had a few crisis situations, and my immediate reaction is autopilot fight to help. There is no anger, no scared-just heightened blank direction. I don’t ask, I don’t say, I just go and do. Unfortunately I have been through it too much and that can be my reaction to little things now to. My body trained itself, but most times it is unnecessary or even a damaging overreaction.

[@carissa4551]

me too, but it’s better safe than sorry even if feels like an overreaction when we look back in hindsight

[@summercreekway]

This is correct, I become a totally different person during a crisis. I act well, very brave, logical and calm. Not like my usual behavior.

[@WorldConquerer2295]

4:28 “One of the reasons the evacuation took so long is that people who were evacuating from the upper floors were let the people coming in from below them go first.” Man that made me depressed. Watching stuff from 9/11 is already extremely depressing, but man. These were good people.

[@the615god]

8:21 Deny, delay, you say? 🤔

[@Robert_Douglass]

Indeed ....

[@jonnytheboy-h4m]

I've been in a few situations ( 62 years old now) The one thing that I learned about myself is that when it starts getting bad , I calm down and my head clears . I think I'm very fortunate in that

[@ToddGeary-n6q]

I've been homeless for about 10 months after being laid off for my job. Two days after being laid off, I was told I had to leave. Since then I've been through situations I never thought I'd be in. Right now I am any room above my employer's shop, it will be the first bed I have rested in, in months. It has been extremely traumatic. Both my city as well as my state have offered no help whatsoever. Despite me paying taxes for nearly 30 years, when I needed help I was told I should leave and find another state for help. I went to one shelter, for one night. I will never go to another shelter so long as I live. I am pulling myself out of this by myself. My entire family and my friends have all turned their backs on me. I could have used the system and went to a shelter or a rehab center, but that should not be the only options. People who are addicted to drugs or alcohol have a far better chance of getting off the street than someone who is clean and has done the right thing. The entire system is trash, the United States of America is not united, hopefully it ends soon so something better can come from it.

[@hdoglesby]

I hope you can find your way back to housing. I know you're clean and trying to do things right but if there are more services available for addicts then maybe present yourself as one to get the help that you need. I'm sorry you're in the position you're in. Please stay strong

[@user-ii3vn8tn3q]

True! No help available. The people we trust , the system we put in place, it's smoke and mirrors. That's why there are increasing homeless. This could be YOU.

[@sandrakagwiria2231]

So sorry

[@knpeter9490]

"The fear of panic has killed more people than most disasters themselves."

[@victoriamariani3213]

I’ve already started researching the freezing response because this evolutionary mechanism takes lives every single day. And I’m not just talking about life-threatening situations-it’s about something we face daily and often handle pathologically: chronic stress. Accurate information is vital. We must have the opportunity to override and reprogram our ancient DNA responses! We’re humans-we’re Homo sapiens sapiens! It’s heartbreaking that people die from what can only be described as a ‘disease of ignorance.’ I’m not calling us dumb or stupid; I’m saying lives are lost when disinformation rules!!!

[@Magic_turtle5]

I’m a survivor of the Tubbs fire of 2017. My roommates and I were lucky to be awake that night (it barreled into our neighborhood at about 12:30am) and we hit every stage. Thankfully, denial lasted all of 10 minutes and deliberation was about 3 minutes. Within 15 minutes of discovering ash falling into our backyard, we were banging on our neighbor’s doors and rounding up our pets. Our house was in flames about ten minutes after evacuating (according to a neighbor). 22 people died from that fire and 6,000 buildings burned. I had coworkers who lived the same neighborhood who awoke to their homes already aflame and sadly had to abandon their pets in order to survive. Not a single cop or firefighter to warned us. Not a text message, or phone call, not a siren. NOTHING. I will never, EVER forgive the city of Santa Rosa for that. They knew the fire was coming but my neighbors died because our city sat in silence. I moved out of California five months later and I will never look back.

[@RichardAllen-t3r]

I have found that I dig down deep and rise to the occasion during disaster. My performance improves far beyond what would be expected and my thinking is clear. Life after may feel dull, however, even though I may miss the challenge of a disaster, I will prepare to prevent problems and want to avoid disasters. My compassion is high in such events even against my own self interest.

[@A.X.76]

I’m in the fire protection industry. Some panic, most are complacent but a cool head will cause both to come back to reality. This is why education or Repetition is vital.

[@rileyh7234]

My faith in humanity died the day I was in a room full of 20 people and was the only one who attempted CPR on a dying woman. I managed to save her, but it changed my ability to trust in other people forever.

[@Igor-my6ml]

I know how react in those situations, I've already been in those scenarios. I'm calm and concentrated, I saved people.

[@aellalee4767]

I really appreciate being autistic for this. I will pay attention to what others are doing, but if they're not hauling ass for an emergency than requires moving, I will regardless of what they're doing. I hope I can help others, but I will leave them if they won't let me help. I have done emergency response stuff at a few jobs before. I wish everyone was at least trained in school so more people could help when they're people who don't freeze.

[@maggiem6209]

I had always had that fear that I would stand by and watch. Well, about three months ago, I was living with my boyfriend in our crappy apartment, when our neighbor's suite caught fire, and the building alarms failed to go off. I told him to grab our cat (he can't smell) and run with her outside. I ran down our hall and started banging on the doors of our neighbors and yelling to get out, while on the phone with 911. I and my upstairs neighbor prevented the whole place from burning down. Still really proud of that.

[@overtone15]

Why does that negative panic hit me only during exams and asking out a girl Fire? Respond swiftly and smoothly. Tornado? On my toes ready to jump to help. A test?…… shutdown anxiety, forget everything. Asking her out? Freeze, and struggle to say words.

[@j887276]

A single experience like this totally changed the way I operate after saving a trapped man in a fire & carrying him to safety. I am now CPR/AED/first aid/narcan trained & carry a "kit" everywhere I go. I didn't expect it then & never know when you might be able to save a life.

[@maccurtinequipmentservice8915]

I’ve been in healthcare for about 30 years now. I started as an EMT A. Later, while doing a medical IT stint at a local hospital that I had helped open as an RN, we had an earthquake. Within 15 sec I knew exactly what it was and yelled for eveyone to find a door frame to stand under, as I headed out of my office into the foyer of the hospital. I looked up and saw the ceiling lights swaying and I looked for falling debris to see if I could sprint outside. By that time the quake had stopped. This ability has been hard earned, but I am grateful for it.

[@ariadgaia5932]

A childhood full of trauma followed by an adult life full of disasters.... I've learned that my protectiveness goes into overdrive. I'm also hypervigilant.

[@RSmith-qd2uk]

I wonder if people are considered just “hyper”vigilant when compared to the average who seems to be utterly under-vigilant!

[@WisdomLife9]

From your sharing I learn that: By recognizing and overcoming phases of denial, delay, and deliberation, and by providing people with full information and trust, we can enhance our ability to make intelligent decisions and act effectively under stress.. Many thanks!

[@paudieb]

2:25 onwards pretty much explains climate change and biodiversity loss inaction & denial. I'd like to see this connection being made more mainstream so we can all definitely understand we're all totally fu$%ed.

[@ToudaHell]

No one knows who they are when crisis happens until it actually happens. This is where experience really helps. The worst part of facing a crisis isn't your own reaction to it, but dealing with other's reactions. I guess that's why first responders are trained to deal with people with high emotions during the worst days of their lives. This is also why I prefer to go through life threatening situations alone, like I have twice before.

[@Merciless_Banana]

People usually find it weird that my wife and I will normally sleep during tornados and hurricanes. Most of our family think we are crazy and say things like "how can you sleep in a time like this". We have both been in the military for a very long time, and we know that when we are in a safe location, the best thing you can do is conserve your energy for the aftermath. It's all about energy conservation during times of emergency.

[@TheUnhousedWanderer]

I have some experience on a micro scale. I used to work as a security supervisor at concerts and festivals. I've dealt with violent drunks, medical emergencies, and even people welding weapons. I've been in fights, been shot at, and even had to pull a weapon myself. In those moments, time seems to slow down, and I suddenly sober up (if stoned or drunk) and everything is high definition life in that moment. I believe I would be the person I always am: stubbornly helpful to others in need.

[@TheUnhousedWanderer]

I was not drunk at work 😂 I meant in my social life

[@KP09101]

I was just discussing this very thing with a fellow frontline worker today Despite that I have chronic anxiety, I shine in emergencies

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

Right On and what you must do dictates and over rides mental obstables.

[@JarheadCrayonEater]

My youngest daughter gets frustrated because I never react to her attempts at scaring me randomly. She knows it's from my time in combat, but still tries. "One day, Dad!" USMC 1999-2007

[@polytechnica]

Philosophy functions as an antidote to normalcy bias by cultivating the mental flexibility and resilience necessary to recognize, adapt to, and meaningfully engage with the realities of impending collapse.

[@rebeccabilbrey3524]

I'm the one running toward the disaster. I've jumped out of cars and ran to automobile crashes while yelling call 911, grabbed something to stop bleeding when someone's been badly cut and directed traffic away from a motorcycle accident. Been doing it since I was in 3rd grade when my mom accidentally severed an artery. She would pass-out when she saw blood so when I heard her scream, I ran inside to find her on the floor broken glass everywhere. Always remain calm. Guess I should have went to medical school. Lol

[@beastoftalvar]

Thank you for reminding me to look for security exits before my flight to Tenerife next week.❤

[@karamedley6229]

My mom and husband have both told me many times that they don't understand how I can be so calm and level headed I am when something is happening that they were freaking out about. One day they woke me up to help them find the source of this smell of gasoline that was very heavy in the living room. Apparently they had been in the basement and even outside around the house for almost an hour trying to find the source and getting more panicked as they couldn't figure it out. Me walking around calmly and smelling the air to pinpoint where it was strongest had them getting mad cuz they thought I wasn't taking the situation seriously. I found, within about 15min, that it was the new curtains we had hung in the living room. Someone had spilled some gas on them and the sun shining right on them had heated them up enough to start smelling. I know whatever the situation I most likely will maintain a calmness and be rational. I've watched too many leaked videos of some of the worst things out there so nothing really surprises or scares me.

[@karamedley6229]

Even in a fight for my life against my husband's brother I still remained fairly calm but got extremely mad and, even though he was 3x my size and was strangling me, I ended up cracking his forehead with the corner of my cellphone and then my husband had gotten upstairs which made his brother immediately get off me and try to act like I was lying about him trying to kill me. So yeah I just have some weird calmness or extreme anger reaction in bad situations.

[@alwaysyouramanda]

We’re in a crisis now incase anyone hasn’t noticed. The reaction to the message that was the CEO mvrder is pretty telling.

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

What do mean by "We"? What crisis are you referring to as it was an unfortunate singular event. People's reactions and the wild less than accurate information that's being extolled in tis forum is disturbing.

[@jesyheller199]

My mother is a volunteer EMS. Our family was tubing on a river and near the landing the water is shallow in some spots and really deep in others. There was another family on the river and none of them could swim. One of the kids jumped off his tube in the deeper section not realizing how deep it was(he saw us unload and thought he was safe). The second he hit the water he started flailing and I let out a panicked scream for my mom and pointed. After that I froze as I watched her Olympic swim her way to this kid. I didn't even really process that I was the reason she was swimming to him, but there was nothing I could do at this point(I'm not a strong swimmer myself). The family thanked my mom profusely and after that she came up and hugged me, telling me I saved that boys life(she's deaf so the only reason she noticed him is because I screamed 2ft from her). It was crowded and my mother was the only one to react, even tho there were many other people much closer to the boy. Since no one was reacting, and she couldnt hear the family screaming, I was her only indicator that something was very wrong.

[@markhuber8345]

First thing to do when in a hotel. Look at the back of the door and count the doors to the nearest staircase. In the event of a fire or smoke, you can crawl and count the doors to the staircase. How many times do we ignore that? Teach and share this with someone you love. ❤💐

[@ClepsidraSideral]

That's a great tip, thank you!

[@puntvandekomma9498]

@@ClepsidraSideral Having an idea does not mean it is a great one....Thinking a dumb idea is a great idea is just sad. But hey, keep following others....Who needs a brain to think for themselves anyway

[@ClepsidraSideral]

@@puntvandekomma9498 I find it vey peculiar that my comment to Mark caused this reaction in you. If you find yourself in a hotel corridor full of thick smoke, wouldn't it be useful to count certain objects in order to find a safe exit? If you don't like that idea, you can discard it. Don't get your knickers in a twist :)

[@markhuber8345]

@@puntvandekomma9498 I have yet to hear a comment out of your brilliant mind… breathe deep and wait for the fire department? 😂😂 it’s people like you that endanger the lives of others.. please sit down and try not to get your panties in a twist.🙄

[@DivineLightPaladin]

This was taught in fire safety classes for many kids in the US. Crawl on the floor if thick smoke. Know the doors and hallways in your home by feel, in the dark. Hot door means fire is behind it. Counting is a good way to keep track without touching in familiar place. Trains navigation skills too.

[@fatimahberjawi7473]

During any crisis, I usually get angry and run around, but after a few seconds, I act quickly, even with fear. 😂 Usually, I always rush in the act of surviving with extreme fear, and I feel like my muscles are loose, yet once it's time to give it my strength mentally and physically, I do.

[@DoloresJNurss]

I remember the Loma Prieta Earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area. People rose to the occasion in the most unexpected ways. There was a street where, at one intersection with busted lights an expensively dressed lady in pearls got out in the middle of the road and directed traffic--and at the very next intersection a homeless lady was doing the same thing. A jail busted open and the inmates, instead of running for it, pitched in and helped dig people out of rubble; in fact crime dropped dramatically that day. When the fire department was too overstretched to keep a hose moving a chubby, wealthy matron hoisted the firehose onto her ample hip and went trotting after the firemen. Where a bridge pancaked into the other bridge below it, it crashed into a red-light district, and the first responders were prostitutes clawing away rubble with their bare hands--and they saved a lot of lives, too. At the same bridge a doctor crawled on his belly between layers of tons of concrete to get to a child who needed his crushed leg amputated in order to get him out of there. It was like the earthquake shifted a switch that reactivated people's sense of being fellow humans.

[@iamjustsaying4787]

Apparently, I am a “Marine” meaning that I run to the danger not away making clear rational decisions. When the crisis is over, I collapse.

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

You mean physically collapse or psychologically?

[@mr.turdlybird4387]

4:50 delay deny

[@timsick5921]

Defend

[@brymanley]

Depose

[@jaymacpherson8167]

A sense of crisis is an integral part of bringing people into cooperative community quickly. The late M. Scott Peck, MD documented and practiced community building as going through four phases: pseudo community, chaos, emptiness, and community. Amanda’s denial phase is the same as pseudo community, and hopefully leads into Deliberation which is where chaos resides. The decisive moment is when emptiness arrives. When enough of those in the crisis become empty, group action is miraculous. This reproducible process of community building is very uncomfortable, and thus seldom sought by organizations as they typically deny they are in crisis.

[@Soundsaboutright42]

Well... We all know because we saw the last four years. Most don't do well.

[@cgsrtkzsytriul]

If you’re ever the person who’s taking control give very specific instructions. Give one person an assigned task and tell them directly to do it. Like “You, in the red shirt. Yes you. Take these people through that exit…”

[@xanderunderwoods3363]

As someone who has lived through major fires, floods, earthquakes, auto accidents, tornados, hurricanes, and someone actively trying to kill me which I had to fight back to survive, I became hyper aware of my self preservation. To my horror, I realized that the vast majority of people do not possess a self preservation mechanism unless they had been through several extreme crisis were there life was threatened. I struggled to understand that fact until now. Thank you for all of your research!

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

Adapt and overcome.

[@philjoyce7939]

Rebecca Solnit's book 'Hope in The Darkness' describes several historical disaster events where the authorities, fearing irrational violent action from the public, actually impeded the humanitarian work and in some cases killed and jailed people carrying it out.

[@gravestone4840]

I'm at my best in crisis mode, I automatically take charge and start planning. I've always found it weird because I don't normally seek leadership positions but when bad stuff happens I actually notice an instant change in my demeanor. Stranger still is that others respond to it and just start doing as I tell them. After the crisis is past I always feel a bit uncomfortable with it all because of how easily I take control of situations and how quickly people suddenly look to me for answers. I guess it's a good quality but it still throws me off, it really is like there is a second me that is more dominant than my normal self. Thankfully I'm not ambitious at all.

[@Swordsman_20]

It means you are a true and natural leader. Look into it if you are interested (traits of leadership/being a true leader). The best leaders usually don't seek leadership positions and generally are not the ones to advertise their authority (ex. they are not the ones to place emphasis on their titles, their place in the respective hierarchy [especially if they are above you], their wealth/status, etc.). True leaders are usually the ones to 'challenge' the status quo... but only when needed (ex. to only fix that which needs fixing; not to disturb that which is working). Additionally, true leaders lead by helping to build up and improve something rather than by trying to destroy it or tear it down (unless the situation is appropriate and calls for it, of course). Thriving in a crisis is an incredibly powerful asset to have and not one to feel uncomfortable about. Lean into it and own it! In Howl's Moving Castle, Sophie says to Calcifer, "They say that the best blaze brightest when circumstances are at their worst."

[@Jade15888]

@@Swordsman_20 there you go, Hayao Miyazaki is here.

[@lambertoazzi7883]

I once met a woman who survived an actual plane crash and still kept flying. Even though she had to fight her fears every time there was the slightest turbulence, she never gave up. That determination is probably what brought us together. Years ago, we set out on a long-distance sailing trip, crossing oceans without the luxury of reliable weather forecasts-just occasional updates over the radio. At one point, we found ourselves sailing straight into a hurricane. Together, we managed to cross through the eye of the storm, came out the other side, and kept going. Now, 25 years later, we’re still sailing the oceans together. Some people are truly born for this kind of life, and I’m grateful to call her my wife. P.S. modern weather forecasting is a godsent goodie for sailors 😊

[@hiki9911]

2:54 it’s called being dead inside

[@PaulaDTozer]

Proper preparation prevents poor performance. It’s always wise to create a contingency plan and run through it, so we don’t die like a poor sheep would.

[@BO-dc4xg]

That was amazing! Thank you for your knowledge and time spent studying this subject!

[@moavocadoroll]

I once found myself in a highly stressful situation: we were lost in a dark forest. Fortunately, I still had cell service, so I pulled out my map. I was filled with fear, but my main goal was to get out as quickly as possible. I had tunnel vision and just pushed through the underbrush to find our way out. What felt like six hours turned out to be only two. Fear really does warp our perception of time.

[@nicolegerard2907]

I am a nervous anxious person on the regular and in times I have had emergencies I am fast to react and incredibly level headed. I shock myself honestly cause it seems so unlike me. I have situations where I immediately react and then later look at everyone around me and they are still waking around figuring out what to do or absolutely panicking doing nothing. I have to calm that person down most of time and get a clear plan of action for them. I honestly think because I am constant state of fight or flight in my daily life I can totally function under intense pressure. I can't believe myself in the situation half time cause again I am not leader or calm person in general in life but everyone else seems lost or losing it I go into action So weird.

[@BrodeyDoverosx]

Sounds more like Dunning Kruger

[@nicolegerard2907]

@@BrodeyDoverosx yeah totally especially since I put down my performance on every day life I must have over exaggerated sense of self. And I quote " incredibly anxious person" "I can't believe myself in the/ situation half the time cause I am NOT a leader or a calm person". Those over inflated people thinking they are not a leader all the time or calm in their daily lives.

[@renevanderwesthuizen1520]

So a lady that looked after me and my sister got attacked by a Pitbull on my 10th birthday or something. The dog came charging out from an open gate that the owner opened. I was extremely anxious whenever I walked down the road and someone with dogs would open their gate. I would either turn around or wait or whatever. A decade later I was on holiday with a friend. We decided to take a walk to the beach. Some dog came charging at us out of an open gate. My friend yelled and took steps backwards. Without thinking I charged back at the dog, clapped my hands with authority and yelled at the dog GO BACK!! The dog turned around and ran back into it's yard. To this day I cannot believe how I reacted. Between my friend and I, I was the one who feared this type of situation the most. I always thought I would be one that would freeze...I guess I'm a take charge type of person

[@jaroslavkyprianpolak]

I have BPD, ADHD traits, suffer from bipolar disorder and chronic anxiety. Quite disorganized person.. I once found myself in a situation where I needed to react and help quickly (car accident), but my life was not in danger. It was very strange: I finally felt normal! People around me froze and I immediately called an ambulance, communicated with the victim and calmed her down, etc. Only when it was over, the ambulance had left... I started to shake. It was like my whole being was in constant danger and stress and when the situation came, my inner self and reality finally corresponded.

[@tobiasb.2823]

That last sentence was important. Thank you

[@seanomaille8157]

It will be interesting to see what happens when there's complete societal breakdown due to climate disasters, ending of democracy, and wars.

[@Waterharmony3]

Fight, flight, freeze and fawn are the 4 instinctual reactions in an emergency or traumatic situation

[@Cavemanner]

A big thing is having someone to look to. I've been involved in a couple of pretty bad incidents (an 11 car pileup at the bottom of an icy hill and a boat wreck) and both times everyone else started panicking and deliberating ad nauseum until I started barking directions at them. During the pileup I was car number 8, and by the time I got out of my car no one had even called 911, even though the first two cars had been there for over 10 minutes. I had to start yelling at people to get their emergency kits out and sent two of them up the hill with flares and flashers to warn oncoming drivers, but unfortunately not before 3 more cars crested the top. Then I had to get a woman to call 911 since my phone was lost in the chaos of me slamming into the pileup. Then had to start triaging the other drivers who had visible injuries. I've never had formal training, and I wouldn't say that I live with past trauma to the extent that I remain hypervigilant or whatever, but for some reason my brain kicks into overdrive when I'm in a crisis scenario and it's like I go into some weird Vulcan focus state. The boat wreck was similar. I watched from across a lake as a speedboat with 6 people on board ran up on a submerged tree trunk and capsized at 40 or 50 miles an hour. I was on a jet ski and took off to the site, and by the time I got there two strangers on jet skis and a fishing boat with three dudes on it had all pulled up and were just kinda sitting there all looking sround like deer in the headlights. I yelled at one of the guys on a jet ski to get his butt back to the marina and call the sheriff's office, then i got the other guy on a jet ski to hop in and go underwater to see if he could spot anyone. I started slowly cruising the perimeter to see if I could see anyone from above and instructed the guys in the boat to do the same. Eventually a couple of girls swam up and the guys got them into the boat, and I and the other jet ski rando spotted a couple of guys from the boat and pulled them up to the fishermen, one of whom knew CPR and managed to resuscitate them both with his friends' help. Unfortunately the other two guys from the boat had suffered massive trauma in the crash and had died pretty quickly, and we didn't find them before the sheriff's boat got there, but we were later told they were likely already gone by the time we even arrived at the scene.

[@MarkAvo]

I how does one’s response to childhood trauma factor into outcomes in a disaster?

[@ANNASTESIA-s4o]

Interesting question actually

[@ynej028]

Hypervigilance caused by CPTSD gives me heightened situational awareness especially when I'm inside a building

[@beth8775]

We're actually likely to deal better with a high stress situation than the day to day bs. During a decade in customer service/hospitality, I got a lot of compliments on dealing with nutjob customers, because childhood abuse taught me how to deal irrationally, intensely angry people.

[@ioy2023]

I think that if you've had treatment for trauma and have integrated improved coping, it is likely that it is easier to remain within a window of tolerance or do something to get back into that window of tolerance. If the trauma was never addressed, it is likely that a response could be maladaptive and, therefore, keep the response less resilient and ultimately self-harming to the individual. But that's just my guess...

[@joebaker478]

The thing about gun shots is it's not the ones you hear that you need to worry about.

[@JohnZornAscended]

It’s that whisking noise when they go past your ear.

[@williewilson2250]

​@@JohnZornAscendedeven worse if it cracks

[@georgesears2916]

This lady knows what she's talking about, she's survived xenomorphs.

[@mbianca6006]

I lived through Helene and Milton and I was chomping at the bit for the sun to rise so I could get out there and help. At least assess the situation. I was surprised by others lack of care. The silence was eerie. The absence of sirens when there should be TONS is so bizarre. Always have a plan for your own family first is what I learned through this. People aren’t as helpful during crisis as we are led to believe.

[@Aspen_K.A._Swan]

From a child's perspective, here it is. I think that the older you get, the longer you deny and deliberate. In the seventh grade, a few months back, I felt an earthquake in school. It took about seven seconds, but I got under the desk, then just yanked my friend down there without warning when she didn't get under. We were the only two people down there, even though the whole class sensed the shaking. They just pretended like nothing happened. Then the announcement happened, and everyone got down there along with us. The earthquake before that was in the fifth grade, and half my class was under their desks before the announcement even came on, me along with them.

[@consoledollz1688]

As much as I was made fun of for being from the slums, one thing I’m always prepared for is a crisis. It’s actually unsettling if a place is too quiet or harmonious. I always sit facing the door of every room I’m in. A therapist I used to see told me that the survival instinct I acquired from my upbringing can either work with me or against me, and I get to decide that.

[@reijiriffic]

This is true. I have a different personality during crises. Ive thankfully had maybe just three or so in my life. One of these had a life or death scenario. Most of those around me froze. I go autopilot superhero mode. dunno why. But its helpful.

[@rae2blue]

I’ve learned in emergencies that I freeze, either laughing off pain or shutting down. I warn people I’m with that I don’t handle high stress or emergencies well, so don’t rely on me in those situations. That said, I also take all the CPR, first aid, and emergency training I can. It has helped me break through the freeze mode faster in recent emergencies and help people get the medical support they needed or organize a search for a missing kid. Still, I make sure I’m not the primary contact as my innate mode is a strong freeze.

[@headshot_hermionegranger7401]

My panic response isn't exactly the average, but then again I work as a firefighter. A vast majority of our training is geared towards not panicing. I tend to look at the situation, go "what am I dealing with here and what do I need to do about it?" for about ten to twenty seconds. After that roughly ten seconds, decision made, I'm doing something. Emotions come second to action. I can cut someone out of a car and feel nothing in the moment. I can have a cold logical discussion while dealing with a dead body. I think of it as a metaphysical light switch. The emotions will hit me after I've stopped doing things to resolve the problem. Tonight's moment was at a fire call. We were inside when things started to go wrong. It was kind of a "hey, why is there smoke coming up from the floor boards directly underneath me and heat coming from my right when I know the fire should be above us?" moment. Followed ten seconds later by tapping our chief on the shoulder and saying "hey, I think the fire got underneath us, we have smoke dropping to the floor, and it's twice as hot as it was when we got here." We pulled out, and about two minutes after we did, the first floor collapsed. Fear didn't really have a moment to sink in until we were back outside, and even then it was more of a realization of "Dang. Lucky we pulled out when we did." As fire shot out the roof and collapsed a wall.

[@evaalwora1533]

One of the best episodes I’ve watched yet! ❤

[@johnhogan8327]

I tend to deal with a lot of anxiety in general, but I also work in a social services setting. I never really knew how I would deal with a crisis situation, but I knew one would come up eventually. I got a lot of training on dealing with an emergency, and took the trainings seriously. One day a lady got dumped in the parking lot of the community center I work at. She was blue in the face and completely unresponsive. The dude who dumped her ran inside and shouted at me “there’s someone overdosing in the parking lot you gotta help her!” And thankfully my anxious overthinking brain shut off completely and I jumped right into it and narcanned the lady and after about a minute of wondering if I was holding a dead woman, she came to. For some reason, I wasn’t scared at all. It was weird! Never experienced anything like it. Some people on my team froze, some also immediately jumped into action and called 911, many gathered around and did nothing but gawk. I still see the lady who was overdosing around every once in awhile, and this was about a year ago. I’m not sure what I did besides take safety seriously.

[@NickGorton]

I was in Oakland when I got a warning alert on my phone that there was a tsunami. Was out of the house with dog and GF driving to the hills in 2 minutes.

[@aaftiyoDkcdicurak]

Courage is not the absence of fear it is the ability to act in its presence, Bruce Lee.

[@Ebus-ob2mq]

It's good to know my history of being quick to act in a crisis since I was a kid will help me in the future