Have you ever had something happen that REALLY REALLY scared you?

[jacks'thunder]

Something so scary that it seems your not the same after? How did you get through it? Did you ever get "over" it or does it stay with you? Do you ever get back to you or normal you?

To make a long story short, A few weeks ago I got hit by a utility truck. Never in my life have I been so scared. I made it through with only minor injuries but alot of brusing. I could have very easily been killed and I know that and it makes my stomach turn thinking about it. I'm really fighting to get back to normal.

Any stories or advice.....

 

[CKC]

I'm glad you are ok. That is scary. I'm sorry I don't have any advice. I just know it takes time and sometimes you may never fully get over it.

My family and I survived a house fire when I was 14. Long story short I had to run down a set of stairs. The fire had consumed our downstairs and was coming up the ceiling to the second floor. I had to run through the fire while carrying a dog and one cat. My family had to climb out of a window and were on the roof while the fire was coming through the roof. They were saved by the fire department. For a long time I didn't sleep much. I would sit in my doorway and watch the kitchen all night long. The fire was in 1983 and I still have a lot of issues with being around fire.

We moved into a new home about two days after the fire. About 6 months later someone tried to climb through my window. As I mentioned from the fire I didn't sleep much. It was dark and I heard him climbing up the wall and then saw the top of his head. My window was open. I was beyond panicked and was able to crawl into my parents room without him seeing me. My stepfather has an irish cane. He grabbed it and ran out of the house after this guy. He got a few hits before the guy got away. There was a car waiting for him. They took off down the road. The police were called. They found him. We later heard it was a dare. I don't know what else he intended to do. I still have a lot of issues from that.

Kim

 

[LindaL]

I am glad you are OK! How scary for you!

I grew up with a pool from the time I was born. I was a real fish in the water...no fear! I was even on the swim team in 9th grade. VERY strong swimmer. When I was 20, some friends of mine and I went to a river to go swimming. It was late spring, so the water was still cold and running pretty strong from the winter mountain run off. I got caught in an undercurrent which pulled me down. Luckily, I was such a strong swimmer or I would have drowned, but was able to pull myself out of the current and swim ashore.

I still love the water and swimming, but I never put my head under since then. That fear of drowning as taken hold and I just can't make myself go underwater now. That was back in 1982...I really, really miss swimming like I used to...without fear.

Just a little bit off-topic as far as "near deaths" go...I "jokingly" call myself a cat who has used up at least 4 lives...

Near drowning when I was 2 (don't remember it, so it never affected my love of the water)

Car accident when I was 7

"Almost" car accident (missed a telephone pole by a few feet) when I was 17

Near drowning when I was 20

There are things I won't do...like bungy jumping...but I have learned to live my life that when it's my time; it is my time...and except for the head in the water, I try not to let fear grip me and make me scared of living.

 

[ohmt]

Death is always a very scary thing, especially when we are unprepared! I am glad you are ok. I was in a very bad car accident when I was 10 and had to go to counseling because I just could not get into a car after that. I know many people are opposed to counseling and psychiatrists, etc-but they are such great help. They bring things to light and it's incredibly refreshing. So if it's at all a possibility for you, I highly recommend a visit to one. They're not just for crazy people and addicts,etc.-they are for anyone going through something that they need help with.

You'll never get over it, but you will be able to put it behind you and go on with your life.

Hugs to you and I wish you the best,

Amanda

 

[Jill]

Finding out I had lung cancer 2 years ago was pretty life changing. I never was a smoker. I really thought I would die and soon. Turned out to be a very rare type, it and most of my left lung were removed, and I'm okay now but do have periods of anxiety once in awhile (maybe an understatement).

 

[kaykay]

Sounds like you might have some post traumatic stress disorder. Definitely talk to your doctor about it.

I'm so glad you are okay! Sending you good thoughts and prayers

Kay

 

[Jill]

PS low dose short term / as needed Xanax really might help. I've used it in the past with doctor's okay when I can't break dwelling on something or letting my imagination run away with me about serious things. I can get so worried I will be sick to my stomach. No problems here with dependence on it. Rarely use it but when I need it, I am happy to have it on hand.

 

[Equuisize]

Hope you are feeling ok from the accident and the bruising is fading.

I agree sometimes things just hang in your mind for a long while after.

I think it will fade with time but you may just be watchful of utility trucks from now on.

I was run over, in the fog, by a semi truck and trailer, as it made a right hand turn when I was beside it, in the right hand lane and he was a lane over.

I saw it coming. At the time the seat belt law was not mandatory so I laid over into the passenger seat, while the windows exploded. It partially smashed down the driver's side of my car. I walked away from it.

On this guys behalf, I was in a silver car (never again) and the fog was so thick you could

only see a car length ahead. He may not have seen my car in the fog. Or so he said.

I am still very watchful of semi trucks, wondering if they are going to make a right hand turn.

Then we lost our home and business in that stinkin' flood in 2006. Flooding bothers me a lot.

This week-end watching the storms go thru the East, the flooding really bothered me, as have other natural flooding disasters since.

The ocean waves didn't bother me, the wind didn't but the flooding puts my heart in my throat.

Like Kay said, PTSD is a possibility.

The folks we met with in the many meetings for the community, after the flood, told us that

PTSD was a common reaction to stressful situations.

I'd talk with your doc and see what she/he has to say.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[JennyB]

Lots of things have changed my life through fear which is something we can't get away from. Even though fear is the root of all evil

 

My parents lost their oldest son, my brother to a brain anurism when he was only 18-years-old up in his bedroom. He suffered wayy longer than anyone usually does...My parents, my brother and sister were changed forever. My brother is an atheist because of that

...I wanted to know about what happened to my brother as I was born after he died...because of how if effected my family, I of course made up things in my mind that were not good. I thought because he was the oldest and I was the youngest, I would also die from this dreaded thing and lived with that fear for a very long time

 

I was basically a outgoing child who loved people, dancing and singing in front of all, but after 3rd grade and a horrible teacher who made me do a horrible thing(I thought at the time), I curled up into a shell until I was a late teen

 

Then of course the death of my parents, friends and countless animal friends have made a big impact on me

 

A few years after I got my first car I was driving on the highway home one late afternoon, very snowy roads and it had gotten dark enough to put your headlights on..a man was in front of me driving eratically right behind another car flicking his lights off and on...it was starting to tick me off and I thought I will just flash my lights on him maybe making him stop as he was going to cause an accident...well he stopped alright on the right handside completely and when I went by he was after me

...well to make a very long story short I got off the main highway to avoid an accident and he went after me like gangbasters

..he chased me all over and as hard as I tried to outrun him, he kept up with me. I thought for sure I was gonna die!

....I finally thought I had gotten away and went to a home with lights on thinking I could take shelter from this mad man!!! They weren't home and by then he had turned around and spotted my car parked and raced in, got out, picked up a stick and started towards me and the car...I made a quick decision to go through a snow bank between the house and the garage. Luckily for me it worked and I finally got away from him....

...drove shaking all the rest of the way home! I never saw that car again, but believe you me I will NEVER, EVER blink my lights at any car because you never know what that person is capable of doing to you. I had GOD on my side that night

 

Just a few stories! I can't imagine Cancer

or my home burning down

...I am sooo sorry! I guess a lot of have PTSS...ekk

 

Blessings,

Jenny

 

[kaykay]

I know when our trailer came off the truck when we were taking Annie to OSU, I definitely had a case of PTSD. I could barely make it driving home with the trailer because I was convinced it would come off again. It was one of my worst fears that came true. When I looked in the truck side mirror and saw that trailer come up off the ground I actually screamed. And I am not a screamer!

Now I have even worse OCD about trailers than I had previously (which was already pretty bad from seeing people pull away from shows with trailer doors wide open.)

But its gradually getting better.

 

[Katiean]

I am glad you are OK.

I was driving my sisters VW bug and it started running funny. I turned around to go back home and it caught fire. I have never been so upset by fire in my life (I had 2 kitchen fires). I was put on Xanax for about a year. I was really funny because I love to BBQ and that meant I had to light the coals. I would spray on the starter fluid and toss on a match. When it flamed up I would close the lid and put it out. I just freaked out with fire. I can light anything I need to now. But, it was hard.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.. If I could give each and everyone of you a hug I would.. Thank you for sharing your stories! At least I know I'm not alone.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I was in a car accident as a middle schooler, I can't remember exactly what happened anymore, but no one in our car was hurt, and only minor injuries (broken arm & maybe a broken leg in the other car). I remember I didn't see it coming, I was looking down. It really effected me, I was afraid to drive, I got my license later than other kids in high school. When I did start driving for a many years I would cringe when pulling out at odd times/certain way, waiting for that car to hit that never came. I haven't had it happen for a few years, but it stuck with me for a long time. I think it's normal for things like this and others mentioned to shake you up and make you look at your mortality, we get busy living our daily lives and forget that life is precious and every day is a gift!

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

Well most recently we were hit by a tornado...We woke up about 4:30am on July 11 when our phones beeped due to the power going out. We could hear the wind howling and the thunder was shaking the house. We were just thinking about getting up to check the horses when something smashed into the side of our garage and shattered a window, that made us jump out of bed and run for the basement. We were about 5 ft from the top of the stairs when a tree smashed through the window at the top! We luckily have a second basement so quickly turned and went to that one. I have never been so terrified in my life and hope to never deal with it again. All we could think about was what we would find when we could go upstairs. The worst for me I think was looking outside and seeing my horse pasture that had 9 mares in it and only 3 standing there. The other 6 were no where to be seen. My husband was most torn up over the loss of our huge machine shed and just the basic destruction of all the hard work he has put into our property. We found 5 of the horses right away but one stayed missing for 3 days before a neighbor spotted her and caught her for us. Since then everytime there is a storm of any kind, if there is thunder or lightning, or if the power goes out, I just cant sleep and can barely breathe. I also had two foals struck by lightning earlier this year. I just today got my last mare home from the vet, she had a severed tendon from the tin flying off our machine shed and had surgery to reconnect it. Now all of my horses are at my parents until we can get rebuilt, which is going much slower than I like.

I also rolled my parents explorer when I was in high school about a month after getting my license. It was on a gravel road and I was going too fast. I now cant bring myself to go fast on gravel, it drives everyone nuts since I go slower than is truly necessary.

Glad that you made it out of your accident and hopefully you will gradually get over your fear.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Something so scary that it seems your not the same after? How did you get through it? Did you ever get "over" it or does it stay with you? Do you ever get back to you or normal you?...

Any stories or advice.....

I had a really bad trailer accident almost three years ago (you can ready the story on LB here) which was the first time in my life I truly thought I might die in the next instant. I shook for hours afterward and then thought I was okay but found the next time I tried to drive a truck through that same area I was so tense I was rigid. I tried every relaxation technique I knew, deep measured breathing, etc., and finally had to blast the radio and literally force myself to sing along with the country song that was playing in order to kick myself out of the sense of terror that was gripping me. I figured if head lowering works to calm horses, acting like I was calm and relaxed might work for me!

It remained tough for at least the next year and concrete barricades made me claustrophobic for at least two years but I realized recently that this year I'm having no trouble driving the rig in tight quarters. That terrible sensation that I'm only inches away from that barricade and one tiny twitch could be the death of me has faded so I can once again blithely barrel along at the speed limit just like everyone else. I think in this case, sort of like handling full-sized horses, I'm actually safer without that gut-level realization of just how dangerous what I'm doing is. If you think about it you'll be too paralyzed to do what needs to be done! If I'd been hurt or my horse had been maybe it would be a different story, but as it was I was able to get over the psychological trauma.

Here's hoping you'll heal up fine as well!

Leia