YOUR MENTAL STATE

Tachypsychia is a distorted sense of size and time and it is very common under stress. Movie makers use slow motion at some critical moments to try to convey this mental state. Another very common effect of stress, one that can occur with tachypsychia or alone, is tunnel vision.

One victim describes this sensation very well.  "I didn't know anything about anything that was around me. I was aware of what was in front of me and of him. I knew exactly that I had a gun in my hand, and I knew where he was. Other than that, I couldn't have told you anything. It could have come up a blizzard in the middle of the parking lot, and I wouldn't have noticed. I thought I was going nuts!"

It's almost as if life is happening around you, but you are invisible.  The world begins to occur in slow motion and you are acutely aware of sounds like your own breath or the bead of sweat that is falling from your forehead. 

You may feel paralyzed and out of control, but the exact opposite is true.  You are in full control, you are just at another level of consciousness - that of taking your life into your own hands and holding on to it with all your might.

Also called the "fight or flight" response of the body to an event our mind considers threatening, tachypsychia is believe to include some or all of, but is not limited to, the following occurrences:

- The autonomous nervous system is stimulated causing the adrenal glands to release the hormone epinephrine (or adrenaline) directly into the blood stream which affects the body in various ways.

- The cardiovascular system responds with increased heart rate and blood pressure.  Your pulse will race and you will be susceptible to fainting.

- The respiratory system will dilate the bronchial passages allowing a higher absorption of oxygen.  Your pupils will dilate to allow more light to enter.  The tunnel vision will result in a loss of peripheral vision, but you will have greater focus.

- Glucose will release into the blood stream thus releasing extra energy by raising the blood sugar level.

- You won't hear much around you although you might have intensified hearing when in the midst of gunfire.  You can actually hear the individual empty shell casings hitting the ground.

- You may find yourself with an increased level of pain tolerance, a loss of color vision, a bit of short term memory loss, loss of fine motor skills, and an inability to communicate.

- You could lose the ability to reason effectively along with not knowing the right thing to do - a loss of common sense. 

- It is also normal to have a decrease in coordination along with a loss of the ability to walk or run.

- Above all else, you will have a misperception of the passage of time.  A second will seem like an hour.

When under extreme conditions of stress, the condition of tachypsychia is common and normal, although it won't seem like it at the time.  You will recall this later, but not while it is happening.  However, if you know that the condition will present itself, while it is happening to you, you won't be taken in by it.  You will just react the way your body wants you to. 

There are some specific situations that we feel we need to address.  When in these situations, there are things that you can do to protect yourself.