Stress Control
Fear Itself

Stress Control is best expressed in Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 declaration, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

One of the most obvious and blatant benefits of atrocity [for evil perpetrators] is that it quite simply scares the hell out of people. The raw horror and savagery of those who murder and abuse cause people to flee, hide, and defend themselves feebly, and often their victims respond with more passivity. We see this in the newspapers daily when we read of victims who are faced with mass murderers and simply do nothing to protect themselves or others. ... Quoting criminologist Jeff Cooper: “Any study of the atrocity list of recent years shows immediately that the victims, by their appalling ineptitude and timidity, virtually assisted in their own murders." ... Any man who is a man may not, in honor, submit to threats of violence. But many men who are not cowards are simply unprepared for the fact of human savagery. They have not thought about it (incredible as this may appear to anyone who reads the papers or listens to the news) and they just don’t know what to do. When they look right into the face of depravity or violence they are astonished and confounded. ... The “good” person who is not willing to overcome resistance to killing in the face of an undeniable “evil” may be ultimately destined for destruction. – so wrote Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, US Army Ranger commander and West Point psychology professor, in his 1995 book “On Killing."

British military historian John Keegan’s The History of Warfare tells of warriors worldwide using psychological warfare by devising rituals to heighten their esprit de corps while at the same time intimidate their enemy – ranging from blatant warpaint, costumes, and manic frenzies to subtleties such as propaganda and sleep deprivation:

"Spirit – comprised of belief, hope, and willpower – is the supreme force of any fighting unit, from an individual to an entire army."

Ongoing military research focuses on why a highly trained soldier may freeze in a crisis while an untrained and ordinarily timid person may perform heroically. Our search for an answer begins with an excerpt from the US Army Field Manual for Combat Stress Control:

Controlling combat stress is the deciding factor – the difference between victory and defeat – in all forms of human conflict. The art of war aims to impose so much stress on the enemy soldiers that they lose their will to fight. Both sides try to do this and at times accept severe stress in order to inflict greater stress on the enemy. To win, combat stress must be controlled. Elimination of stress is both impossible and undesirable in a crisis. ... Performance will be impaired unless the soldiers' responses are simple and instinctive. Over time, exhaustion may occur if the soldier is unable to escape, overcome, or tolerate a severe stressor. Performance is enhanced with the spirit of hope. ... The hero has overcome the paralysis of fear, and in some cases, has also called forth muscle strength far beyond normal capacity. He may have persevered in spite of wounds which would normally be disabling. ... Heroes often have a difficult time describing it. A few may not remember the events clearly. More often they remember selected details with remarkable clarity. They may say, "I don't know how I did it. I remember being scared, but I saw what needed to be done and something came over me. It was like it was happening to someone else" (or “like I was watching myself in a movie" or “like an out-of-body experience").

Fear versus Panic

"Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it 'til the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes."
Carl Sandberg 1954

People often wonder how they’ll react in a sudden do-or-die crisis. After a gun battle with criminals, a cop said, "I wondered after that if I had any nerve left. You always wonder about your nerve. What are you going to do? Will you back down the next time? Probably everybody goes through it. You don't talk about it. But you wonder how you're going to react." – a cop interviewed by author Marc Baker in "Cops."

Fear is a survival trait. It releases your adrenaline hormone, making you quicker and stronger for fight-or-flight. Your face pales and hands cool as blood is diverted to your large muscles, and you tremble as your nerves rev up for action. Eyesight narrows to “tunnel vision” to focus on the threat. Nausea, sweating, and a dry mouth kick in as your pain tolerance skyrockets. Despite chaos, time seems to slow – allowing you to react clearly. This basic survival mechanism tries to save your life – if you accept it without letting “the shakes” panic you. Recognize this adrenaline response and know that you can control it – it doesn't have to control you.

Panic or paralysis comes from a stunned confusion or sense of futility. Frozen, one is awed by the gravity of the moment or watches spellbound as a seemingly hopeless crisis unfolds. Panic can be contagious, so a group leader must stop any member from panicking (either with a face-slap or a shocking fact). Conversely, bravery, too, can be contagious.

The human brain reacts to danger through two systems, one an instant, emotional response, the other a higher level, more deliberate reaction. The emotional response, Dr. George Lowenstein, of Carnegie Mellon University said, is deeply rooted in evolution and shared with most other animals. But rationality – including the ability to base decisions about risk on statistical likelihood – is unique to humans. Yet the two responses often come into conflict. ... In addition, Dr. Daniel Gilbert, of Harvard University said, "people underestimate their resilience and adaptiveness."
Excerpted from The New York Times – 02 October 2001

Stress Control gives you insights into your mind – as well as the stark realities of fighting for your life:
• Stress Control - Overview seizing courage for surviving a crisis.
• Fear Itself (YOU’RE NOW ON THIS PAGE): the fine lines between fear, panic, and stress control.
• Willpower and hope: a crisis is hopeless only if you give up hope and the will to survive.
• Punched: absorbing and overcoming pain.
• Wounded: rising above injury.
• Courage: choosing to prevail.
• Acting: role-playing for real.
• Optimal Mindset: psyching yourself to fight for your life.
• Recap of Stress Control.
• Pepper Spray & Devices
• Fighting Options

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