I'm not sure where to post this on the forum, but since the AK section is my favorite, I'll post it here:

This may be an unusual question, but I have been concerned about controlling my adrenaline response in extreme or dangerous situations for quite some time. I have yet to experience this while in a hunting situation, but there have been times in my life, i.e. heated arguments, fights (not many), instances where I am not being treated fairly or when I have been unjustly accused, and the most dangerous of all: dealing with the ex-wife, where I feel my adrenaline rising to very high levels and I feel I loose a bit of control. Not always, but sometimes, depending on the severity of the situation, I experience shaking and loss of fine motor skills.

I know that military personnel train to control their adrenaline response and I would like to learn to do so as well. Specifically, I do not want to get into a self-defense situation where my adrenaline response will negatively affect my ability to handle the situation.

Outside of the BS methods of diet, exercise, counting to 10, channeling Buddah, or whatever, does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about controlling adrenaline response when seconds count?

The thing that works best for me is confidence. When new at anything adrenalin can get to me.

But once I understand that I'll "win" most all of the time whatever the situation is, and mostly you get there by training one way or another, then its all just calm cool and collected.

When you have doubt in the outcome you'll crap out IMHO.

roast: I agree that experience and confidence are key, and that doubt is a killer, but that's all for naught when dealing with a crazy woman, and you're concerned about the well-being of your child, for example. Most of the time I simply remove myself from the situation. I do not seek trouble, quite the opposite in fact, but in situations where experience is impractical or even impossible, what can be done? Yes, drills and practice can be effective at mitigating the negative response of a charging brownie, for example, but one cannot know their true response until it happens. While I have experience with charging feral hogs, a brown bear is a different matter entirely. Similarly, I like to think that my marksmanship and practice hunting and shooting would dictate my response to being shot at by a bad guy, but I cannot truly know how I would react until it actually happened, as I have not served in the military and I have no experience in this area.

The only way you'll ever know for sure if your aim will be true when the [bleep] hits the fan is to live through it. Either it will or it won't.

I should also add that I recognize that the adrenaline rush I experience is not fear, rather it's an overabundance of energy that I attempt to restrain. I had someone tell me that pressing the "go button" results in a smooth adrenaline flow, but I'm not sure how to do that and what the result would be.

John_Harvard: True enough.

The problem here, IMHO, is in your mind. HOW is a charging bear different than a hog? They are both dangerous, and both charging..... If you are confident then its no big deal to swap a bear for a pig, except in your mind if you let it be.

Its the same with buck fever or target panic, its all a fear of failure.

To me its just that simple.

As to and adrenalin surge not being fear, thats all in your mind IMHO, the adrenalin will come, and if you use it correctly its good. If you are afraid its a negative. Its going to be there, the rest is up to you.

RE not knowing until the time is true in every instance. But the more you have phsyically and mentally trained the better off you will be.

For this thing you need to read a lot of mental stuff IMHO. SOrry I have no real reading to offer as its been so many years since wife and I both did this, I just can't quite recall what we read.

Re:the ex-wife

She knows how to push your buttons to make you go away.

I would refer you to "Escanaba in the Moonlight"

The Alaskan approach

Smart of you to plant a variety that doesn't need to be covered when it "frosts"!

I don't 'know' much about it, but have 'thoughts' about this very topic, since I've wished and wondered how I might change some aspects of dealing with 'fight-or-flight' situations. What I know about myself is that I get rather ticklish about 'running in front of the freight train' if it means saving my own hide. But, my own safety never crosses my mind if there's someone else that's lying on the rails. So what one's focus must have something to do with it. But I reckon there's a lot one can gain through experience, exposure, and practice also. Fear of the unknown can be the worst.

I can relate. My adrenaline response to even just, say, a shooter buck 40 yards away in the PNW jungle can be nearly overwhelming, much less something that might try to kill me.

I can't speak from a ton of experience, thankfully, but I do have recent experience with a self-defense situation involving a dangerous animal, in this case my neighbors [bleep] 85-lb pit bull mix that has now come after me four times. I love dogs, and don't want a feud with the hillbilly SOB's, so have tried every avenue short of just shooting it, though that's the next step here. Anyway, my point is that I have a response similar to yours if there's time for it, but the two times I had my Glock on me when that dog came at me, the pistol was in my hand and tracking the dog almost like magic. In one case, it stopped about 6-8 feet away. In the other I clubbed it HARD with a bat in my left hand as it dove for my leg; the trigger was 90% pulled that time. Anyway my point is that you might do just fine in an actual emergency that happened fast; it's when the adrenaline has a chance to "soak in" that it really gets to me. I remember in my teen years, growing up in a violent place, that if a fight was in the making I'd first feel weak and breathless... but after that I'd get a wave of strength and finally fury. I learned to stall. That might help as well.

That weed/snow pic is pretty funny.

The release of adrenaline is hard to control, it's physiological and it's a survival mechanism in and of itself. Maybe if you were charged by big bears often enough you could get used to that and control it; maybe not.

Same thing happens to most people if/when they realize they're lost. Unless they've been lost enough to get over the adrenaline dump.

I will still say that training is the only way. You have to have this ingrained into the muscle memory as an automatic response.

It very much mirrors shooting, when the eye sees teh shot, the gun shoots on its own... basically. It takes a LONG time to get there. Along the way you realize you are building confidence. But when the SHTF, it can all go upside down but if your training is good, it'll take over.

I practiced a LOT for years with instinctive bow shooting. So much so that I could tell when I was in the zone so to speak. You made the "rush" work for you instead of against you. THere is a fine line and when you fall over either side you are usually in deep. As it deep bad or deep good.

I recall a shot that amazed me once... I saw the deer on the way to a stand. I don't recall anything but seeing the deer. I had to pop an arrow onto the string, actually turn around to get to my shooting side, clear brush, draw and shoot. I KNOW I had to do alll this as I looked at it after... All I can remember is the rush of seeing the deer and then an arrow going through the chest...

I guess in the end I"m not sure that you ever easily control the rush, but you can mostly control what you do when the rush hits you.. as to an automated response basically as I can't think of the exact correct scientific term right now.

I"ve never been charged by a bear. I have by a couple of wounded pigs. And a few other critters. So I may fail if a bear comes into the picture, but I doubt it personally.

Exactly, and I think we're talking about two different things here. The OP was talking about suppressing the adrenaline release that happens automatically when you get into a "fight or flight situation." I think that's very difficult; it's a physiological response that happens whether we want it to or not..

You're talking about practicing something enough so that muscle memory takes over and it's automatic--you don't have to think so the adrenaline rush (which clouds your thinking) doesn't affect the task at hand. Like drawing a pistol, clicking off the safety, aiming, and shooting in one smooth motion without having to think about it.

very reasoned post

only way I see out of this, is to keep marrying crazy women, by the time you get to the 18th or 19th one (I can't recall which) you're problem will be solved. Sorry I know that's as handy as a sharp stick to the eye. Good luck

Women I"ve no experience with. My first is my wife and couldn't ask for anything better.

You'll never get away from the rush, in most cases, it may tame down in some situations as you get more comfortable.

But dealing with adrenalin and a rush I did not think he was seriously talking woman, but 2 legged vermin(not xwife) or 4 legged vermin...

OR, you could just get to ignore your X, I think that would be by far the best for all involved.

18 or 19... Damn Randy you are WAY tougher than I ever imagined...

458 Lott: Duly noted.

Klikitarik: I am the same way if the safety of someone else is involved. I also agree that experience and practice instill confidence that can/will be utilized in such situations, but I’m not sure fear of the unknown is the right phrase for me in these situations as I know, all too well, there are only two outcomes – one negative and one positive and I try to make sure it’s always the positive outcome. When faced with such a situation I have done and will continue to do whatever is necessary to succeed.

Jeff O: I also have experience with an attacking pit bull. I had a friend once who thought it was funny to sick his pit bull on me. He did this twice. The first time, I warned him that if he ever did that again I would kill his dog and then beat the crap out of him. He didn’t heed my warning. The second time, the dog came for me, latched onto my leg and started the violent pit bull headshake. I grabbed my handy club and I sharply rapped it on the head a few times, to no avail. I then used a lot more strength to club the dog in the head (I didn’t really want to kill it). It took 2 pretty hard blows (blows that probably would have crushed a human skull), but the dog let go of me and laid down dazed – I did not kill it. I then walked over to my friend and knocked him out with a blow to the side of the head (with my fist, not the club). I am not trying to brag of come off as some type of bad-a$$ (I’m definitely not), but from that point forward, he had his dog under control around me. Oddly enough, I did not experience an adrenaline rush, likely because I knew what I was going to do. I am confident that I can handle myself in an emergency, but more training would certainly help.

Smokepole: I’m sure you’re correct that adrenaline is hard to control. I just want to be able to use it to my benefit, but I’m not sure how to do this. As far as being lost, I’ve been turned around a few times in the woods, but I always calmly find a way out. I realize that panic is counter-productive.

Rost495: I agree that training is key. I definitely know what you mean about being in the zone as I too spent several years practicing archery many years ago – so much so, that I shot two “robin hoods,” a rare occurrence for me. I’ve been thinking through this quite a bit since I started this thread and what I’ve come to realize is that maybe it’s not the adrenaline, per se, but the shaking and loss of fine motor skills that is probably the result of rage, combined with the adrenaline. I think the problem is controlling the anger, but again, as I stated before, these are rare occurrences for me and it’s difficult to pin it down.

*****

I think that smokepole has a good point regarding muscle memory. In the case of the pit bull attack, I already had a plan, executed that plan, and avoided the adrenaline all together. I can’t remember if I had the shakes afterwards or not, but the fact remains that training and knowing how one will respond to dangerous situations is clearly key.

Regarding 2legit2quit’s suggestion. I’m done with marrying crazy women, which is easier said than done. Besides, as mart posted in a previous thread of mine, “I read recently that 60% of all women are on meds for emotional or mental health issues. That's terrifying. That means the remaining 40% are running around unmediated.” Terrifying indeed..

lol I'm on wife #1 Jeff and I'm knocking on the door of 60

if I have my druthers I'll never know what it's like to have an ex wife.

next I'll give advice on how to rebuild a car engine, another subject I know nada about


bears don't scare me much, snakes just a tab bit, women I should have been more scared of them, but what's that saying about "it" will take you places you wouldn't go with a machine gun

On a serious note, feel for you High Noon, you have a kid involved so she's part of your life like it or not. Wish you the best sir. and double that for your lil human

Thats why I said you have to train, its muscle memory, there is a better term for it that I still can not recall.

I will say you are one dumb SOB to hit another human being in the side of the head with your fist. Thats a good place to kill someone with a single punch. Seems like you definitely may have some rage and anger issues. You use the word rage. That might be your whole answer right there, you don't need training or anything else, you may simply need anger management. That in and of itself may allow everything else to flow smoothly. If you get so mad you shake or tremble, you are out of control and need help of some kind.

Mind you I didn't say I wasn't a dumb SOB at times of my life also. And that I didn't need to learn to control my rage also, but those things will get you killed or let you kill someone else that likely does not deserve it.
Trust me teh day you beat his dog and could have killed him you had adrenalin, for some reason you were it to big of a rage to even know you had the rush. IMHO thats bad ju ju. Will lead you down a dark path with blinders on and that tunnel vision will get more people killed than not having any other skills would.

If this is more a 'woman' question, a consideration I made when naming "fear of the unknown", you might need to learn how to succeed - in lieu of 'winning' sometimes. I would suggest that testosterone is more dangerous and less useful in situations such as you're talking about than is adrenaline- and perhaps you're confusing the two.

Nothing....nothing is an important as keeping your integrity intact, even if it feels like your dignity might be compromised. Just don't be the one compromising your dignity and you'll come out of it alright.

Roast495: That was at least 25 years ago and I feared severe injury from that dog - it was viscous and it could easily have ripped my leg muscles or worse. I did what I had to do in regard to the dog attack - and I previously warned him. I remember I was rather calm about the whole thing - maybe a bit scared that the dog was attacking me, but not angry and definitely not in a rage. As I stated, I am slow to anger. I remember I purposely did not use all my strength when I hit him - it was more of a jab, not a roundhouse - and I purposely restrained myself when I had to club the dog to get him off of me. I will admit that, on rare occasions, I do get so angry that I shake, but like I said, it happens rarely. I'm sure that most people can relate to this and most everyone has likely become extremely angry at some point in their lives and, in that respect, I'm sure I am like most people. Perhaps I do have rage/anger issues, but I can control my rage, even when in the midst of it. I know for a fact that I would never make an irreparable mistake regarding anyone due to anger - my morals intercede - every time. I always try to steer clear of trouble, but fighting for my life or for that of my daughter, would be a different matter entirely. I think you may have a point; however, that managing my anger would allow everything else to flow smoothly. I will look into it. Thanks.

Also, I cannot just ignore my ex. We have a young daughter, which obviously makes this suggestion impossible.

Kilikarik: When I started this thread, I thought I understood the meaning of an adrenaline response. With the help of the good fellers on this forum, I see now that I may have been mistaken and I may, in fact, have confused adrenaline response, anger, and how testosterone affects me in high-stress situations. I appreciate everyone's suggestions and perspectives.

Regarding your comment that this may be more of a "Woman" question, perhaps that is part of the equation, since I find her so very irrational and crazy. You stated that I may need to learn how to succeed rather than win, which is a good point, if I understand you correctly. What I think this statement means is that I would succeed by not letting her drag me into yet another argument, because there is no winning with her. This is what I do at least 95% of the time - I do not engage her in her repetitious B.S. which, if it continues long enough, leads to me getting quite angry, and yes, I'm sure testosterone comes into play here. You also make an excellent point about keeping my integrity intact, even at the expense of dignity.

I will endeavor to persevere... wait... that won't work. As Lone Watie said in The Outlaw Jose Wales: "We thought about it for a long time. 'Endeavor to Persevere.' And when we had thought about it long enough, we declared war on the Union."

2legit2quit: Thanks. I appreciate your moral support. My daughter and I are very close and her well-being is my primary concern.

You been there too? It's damned near a comfort level, anymore.

High Noon - You worry too much. Reading through this, I think that you are quite normal. Or at least witgin the parameters. But near the edge.

In "build-up" situations, you get stressed from multiple sources, over time (people have different stress levels and reactions to it), as does everyone- or at least myself. If you can plan for them, you do fine. If they are fluid (interpersonal), not so much.

For me, when the chit hits the fan suddenly , it is usually single source and the shakes come later, after it is over. During the incident time seems to slow down and the clarity is phenomenal. Options are considered and selected in an astounding fashion.

That isn't the case in interpersonal/ongoing situations.

Nailed it.

Never pull back on your punches.. If you're not mad enough to give someone everything you shouldn't swing.

I think you try to control your rage and it's making it worse. Just throat punch the next person that annoys you and if you do that often enough you'll overcome the adrenaline rush. 😉

las and FishinHank: Thanks. I suspected that was the case and I have experienced the clarity you mentioned. We'll leave it at that. Thanks for everyone's advice. Case closed.

Aces: Yep, throat punches are very effective and definitely easier on the hands. And you make a good point about not pulling back punches.

Yep. "Aw, not this sh** again!"

Aces, I could move to AK quicker if I throat punch the next person that annoys me, that should happen in the next 30 minutes i"m sure.

Of course I"d have to get out of jail for being stupid and assaulting someone first... but wouldn't have a job left either. LOL

Experience and confidence in your equipment and your self. Practice with your equipment will make you more confident. Get out when you can and hunt will help. Shoot when you can.

First thing they tell you is:

If you are lost, don't panic". Right..... that just may be the hardest thing a person can do, logic be damned.

Takes experience to beat that gut-rising thing down...somewhere around 4-6 times.

Lost ain't no big deal to me anymore for the most part. I rarely ever leave a camp without enough stuff for the night out if need be. Thats confidence.

Nope I don't have to make it back to the sleeping bag...

Having spent a few nights out not by choice, where the tent, food and a bag would have been MUCH more pleasant, but realizing I also survived, no big deal...

Adrenaline is your friend
Like all good friends it needs to treat it with respect rather than fear.

Absolutely! That may take a few times to realize. Some learn faster than I do.... but I'm lucky. Unlucky is not good. .

Can't count on the fickle bitch luck either, unlike adrenaline. That will show up!

Just like we say in competitive shooting, the wind is your friend.... It freaks out and whips those not prepared AND confident....

We call the wind mariah.