FIGHT OR FLIGHT!?!?

This morning, at approximately 5:00AM, I was in a deep sleep. I was dreaming of being on a warm beach, I've had this dream three times in the last week or two. I think my dreams are trying to tell me something. LOL So anyways, I was woke up by my three dogs going ballistic because there was a HUGE crash in the new house somewhere. Now I'm not one to play around. I'm not even sure how I moved about in the dark house so well!! I went and got my cell phone, next stop was my 9MM, then my kids. So here I am... Mom of 3 faced with whatever or whoever was "in my house." My dogs were convinced that there was an intruder so they had me convinced.

The kids and I slept in the living room due to a late movie night so they were good. Always first thing I check. I thought that it sounded like it came from the garage which is in the basement of the house so here goes me, my three dogs, and my 9MM. Half asleep, locked and loaded... I open the basement door and my dogs rush in to find.... Nothing. Hmph. I KNOW it happened somewhere so back up the steps I go. Bedroom #1 - CLEAR, Bedroom #2 - CLEAR, Bedroom #3 - CLEAR, Master Bedroom-CLEAR. Whew. Dogs are quiet, coast seems clear...So I stand down and put my 9MM down on the sink in the master bath. I turn around to use the toilet because this has scared the pee out of me, and I notice that the basket that hangs in the shower has fallen. Fallen into the shower! LOL It's contents were two huge bottles of shampoo and a couple small things so a HUGE crash it did cause!!!! LMAO!

Needless to say I am WIDE awake now so I decided to share it on Steemit. Now that I have found out the culprit of the noise, and everything is safe, I feel so silly! So silly to have reacted that way! So I start asking myself all of the routine questions. Do you think you overreacted? Should you have grabbed the 9MM? Would you really have shot something/someone? What causes people's fight or flight systems to deploy? What is fear? So I did some research in hopes that it would put me back to sleep but here I am sharing this research with you!

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or threat. Fear sparks your fight or flight response system. When you are faced with a perceived threat your sympathetic nervous systems spring into action. The adrenal medulla produces hormones that flood your body causing rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, shaking, pupil dilation, relaxation of bladder, (I guess that solves the almost peeing myself ordeal LOL) Tunnel vision, to name a few. The fight or flight system is activated in order to give the body increased strength and speed in case a threat is actually present. It is believed that your exposure to hostility and or aggression in the past changes how your fight or flight system responds.

Looking back now, it's 3 hours later, I'm glad that it wasn't anything I had to really spring into action for. I am relieved to know that it was only the hanging basket in my shower. Glad I got some practice but dayyyyuuuummm!! That was crazy!! I know that I probably reacted the way I did because I have had my door kicked in at 2AM by an intruder and assaulted! I made a PROMISE to MYSELF and my CHILDREN that we would NEVER be in that situation again. I have prepared to shoot. Obviously. So that answered that question. That incident happened 6 years ago and to this day it has made me view threats in a totally different way. I feel more prepared to face the enemy in a time of fight. I just hate coming down from the fight or flight high when it was something as silly as the basket in the shower! But how did I know in the beginning that it was just the silly basket? I didn't and that is exactly why I reacted in each way I did. I feel like if you fully understand WHY something occurs it helps you understand it and move on from it. This is the first time since the intruder that I have had a reaction to this extent and WOW! Proud of myself. Honestly. I am glad that I am able to be free enough to own a gun. Being someone who has had past experiences with an intruder and watching the news where people are going crazy more and more day by day, I think it's more than a great idea to possess a gun or two or ten. lol