Quote:
Originally Posted by VIVA GT
We can (and probably do) all theorise about what we would do in this situation, but without actually being there, we don't know how we really would react.
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Your wife's experience is a cracker of an illustration.
There's a definite contributory factor there. If I might put a motorsport slant on it, I had no idea how I'd react when I was witness to my first "biggie". I hoped I'd be fine, that training would kick in - and it did, I almost auto-piloted through it, made the right calls, covered the right things and everyone came out OK in the end (although extrication and hospitalisation were required for one person). In other parts of my life I've been involved in mountain rescues (not as a victim!) and am the sort of person who stops for recent RTCs, so I'm already predisposed to not panic.
I have however seen people freeze in those situations. And there are other far less physically stressful situations that my brain melts in and renders me all but useless, not that I'm much use most of the time anyway
But back to your point, I think the current situation is pushing some people beyond their previously accepted limits; some are handling it fine, some are coping, and others aren't and that's all perfectly normal.