Stay Cool...
People whose jobs put them in harms
way on a regular basis (Firemen, Police
officers and Security people, like Door Staff,
Bodyguards etc.) become better able to deal
with the effects of adrenaline.
This is due to the fact that the repeated
exposure to situations that cause adrenal
release gradually desensitise you to the
intensity of the same.
The main reason individuals can act in the
face of danger is because they anticipate
and EXPECT these feelings of adrenaline.
When you have experienced them before and
know they will occur again under similar
circumstances you will NOT be caught off
guard.
The dreaded freeze...
Scientific research into the adrenal state also
referred to as the Survival Stress Response
(SSR) carried out by a scientist in this field
called Bruce Siddle, has indicated that our
ability to function under the effects of adrenal
stress is directly related to an increase in our
heart rate.
At 115 beats per minute (bpm) most people will
start to lose fine motor function. Skills which
involve hand and eye co-ordination or finger
dexterity will become difficult to perform...
As the heart rate increases to 145 bpm and
beyond our body will start to REDUCE the
efficiency of certain bodily functions that
it considers to be less essential to our
survival during this time of stress, these
include effects to both our visual and auditory
systems as well as temporary impairment to
certain areas of the brain
The thing to remember is that in combat, our
heart rate can go from 70 bpm to 220 bpm in
less than a second such a case can TRIGGER a
state of hyper-vigilance or the DREADED freeze
response.
At the very least our decision making abilities
can become severely impaired.
Further research by Siddle suggests that the
ideal heart rate for a functional combative
response allowing maximum reaction time and
maintenance of gross motor skills will fall
into a range between 115-145 bpm.
The key factor lies in our ability to remain
within this ideal range. This can be attained
through certain training drills that will allow
you to de-sensitise to the effects
of adrenaline.
Aggression Therapy drills, Simulation and
scenario training in a controlled environment
using body armour, role play and AGGRESSIVE
dialogue can take you a large part of the way
towards de-sensitisation to the effects of
adrenaline, and will develop your ability to
remain calmer in such situations thereby
reducing the increase in heart rate."
Therefore you will need to expect and accept
the sensations of adrenaline, as they will
always be present in any confrontational
situation that you may find yourself in...
The feelings will NEVER go away and are
essential to our survival.
Thus, with an understanding and regular
exposure we can become very capable of using
adrenaline to our advantage and function
effectively.
In the interview stages of a potential
confrontation you must strive to control
your self by taking a deep-breath and
relaxing your shoulders.
Slow your body movements down so that you
don't look guarded or jumpy. Your demeanour
should be natural, smooth, and controlled.
This does NOT mean you should not use an
aggressive approach, because in some cases
strong, assertive communication can be
effective.
But if you stay cool, the subject MAY doubt
his ability to fluster you and question
whether he has chosen the right person to
attack.
He may wonder why you are so calm and imagine
you have backup or that you are more
streetwise than he is."
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