Hi, guys.
I am a new member here. I have over twenty years experience in survival and preparedness (military, law enforcement, emergency management), and I recently started a blog to talk about these topics. I was unaware of the large preparedness community online and I am just now reaching out to various groups. I am posting on this topic over on my blog. I appreciate any comments or feedback you can offer.
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Thursday, March 12:
This is a continuation from my post from yesterday, on following your gut instinct. At this point, perhaps you have considered flight as a wise and prudent option. Be aware of your surroundings, listen to your little voice (as Thomas Magnum said on Magnum P.I.), and don't worry about being embarrassed -- just get out of Dodge.

There's more you should know, however. First, understand that emotions are the survival mechanism that your body taps into in dangerous times. Panic is pure adrenaline coursing in your veins, telling your body to DO SOMETHING NOW. That's natural, sometimes even needed. You may have to lift a car off someone someday, that kind of thing. But when you become pure animal like that, you lose the ability to think and that can be terribly inconvenient. You'll forget your name, your phone number, everything. Blind panic can kill, despite being useful for survival. Your mind will block out sounds -- you'll go deaf in a life and death struggle. Your body will focus on the large muscles, and you'll lose fine motor skills. Forget dialing the phone, forget using your car keys. You'll get tunnel vision and everything will be focused like a laser on the threat you are facing. This is such an automatic response that if you have never experienced it, you might become overwhelmed by it. To survive and thrive in adversity you must embrace this panic and use it.

The first step is breathing. Breathe in two times quickly, exhale twice quickly: in-in, out-out. Controlling an autonomous system like this acts like a brake on your brain and slows down your panic response. The adrenaline is still flowing and the large muscle groups are engorged and ready to be called into action. But your brain, by consciously harnessing your breathing, is kept on a leash. This gives you a huge advantage in a bad situation . . .