Fear

[DanteStyle]

You've probably heard (or not) about the recent swarm of quakes hitting central New Zealand.
There was a big quake on July 21, no real serious damage or fatalities. The aftershocks didn't fizzle out until a week later. Still a fresh memory in everyone's minds, but no so much that everyone was waiting for the next one.

So, today we went to get lunch at McD's drive-thru, got handed my happy meals, and then the car started moving like it was tipsy and trying to walk on its wheels. My first reaction was to look at my guy to snap at him to stop moving in the car (I've been doing a lot of that since the other quake - no one is allowed to bounce or kick their legs in the car, or jump on the couch, or jump at all on anything near me, anything that causes shaking is a big no no), and then I saw the big gas station and McDonald's sign start swaying from side to side. So my second reaction was, oh ****, we're at a gas station, something's going to blow. I couldn't make the decision to move the car, or even get out of the car, because at that moment in time I thought it was the safest place to be, even though the car was possessed.
To describe it accurately, the car was shuddering the way it would before it cuts out, except that it wasn't the car itself but the ground that was shaking.

We waited in the car until it passed. Grabbed the rest of our order like a boss and scrammed.

I still have a bit of the shakes, partially me, partially aftershocks, every now and then I can't tell the difference. There are generally two ways in response to fear: fight or flight.

Then there's aphobia. The temporary loss of fear.
I think I may qualify for this one. I'm not half as riled up about the quakes as everyone else is, which is odd, considering I used to either go paralytic or flee to a table with the jolts we used to get. It's not a case of getting used to it either, because you can never get used to earthquakes. Nor is it bravado. If anything, I'm putting myself more at risk of getting hurt by not reacting in the appropriate way. While everyone is scrambling for the table, I'm walking around collecting flashlights and cellphones and keys and whistles.
Then again I do have a theory that fear isn't real.

So, have you ever come face to face with something you feared? How did you handle it?

 

[Gel]

First of all , I've an idea of what you going throught due to the earthquakes.Moody as Mother Earth is, sure she like to surprises us in the most impredicable ways.
What you describe as aphobia is in fact effect of a wonderful thing called endomorfine and adrenaline .They give us speed , courage and strength in the most difficult or scary moments and in your case they have "positive" or productive effects.In other people, it overcomes and paralizes them. Both of these effects can be really useful: in fact being paralized by fear could save your life when you are attacked by a bear, per example.Being quiet in those moments lowers the interest of your attacker.
Fear is psychossomatic, which means the irreal or what is real only in your mind produce real or concrete examples, as said above.
In my case, I always try mantain some rationality towards strange situations in order of getting alive and well from them.

 

[Chancey289]

I don't know what it's like to experience an earthquake because that's not really a problem where I'm from. In Louisiana we have to worry more about hurricanes.

Still, while bad whether tends to get me on edge I just usually just listen to music until it passes. My biggest fear is actually being alone. I get very uncomfortable when I'm alone. I need something or someone with me to feel a little secure. My dog if I'm at my mom's. Even at 21 years old I make sure to maybe have my Spider-Man plush near by me. :blush:

I'm not really sure why. I guess after all the f#cked up sh!t I've been through I feel as though I've been alone in all this enough so I need something there with me.

Glad you're ok though. I imagine an earthquake to be pretty freaky especially how you described it.