Forms of human behavior in extreme situations. Human behavior in extreme situations Personality in extreme situations

Reviewers:

VC. Reshetnyak – Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Director of the Scientific and Educational Medical Center under the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, M.L. Kukushkin – Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head. Laboratory of Pain Pathophysiology, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences; V.M. Tatarnikov – Candidate of Medical Sciences, Colonel of the Medical Service, Teacher of Disaster Medicine

Consultants:

B.N. Pavlov - doctor biological sciences, professor, head Laboratory of Hyperbaria Problems of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences; G.I. Samarin – Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head. laboratory for the development and implementation of medical and biological programs of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM

The basis of all the catastrophes of the current civilization is the low moral and scientific culture of a society that neglects the ancient moral codes of conscience, honor, shame and goodness.

V. Yagodinsky

Earth like a planet solar system, exists about 5 billion years. Life, as a phenomenon, having emerged on Earth almost 4 billion years ago, has gone through a complex and long path of evolution. But long is in our human understanding. On a cosmic scale, 4 billion years is a short period, a “moment”, compared to eternity...

And yet this “moment” was enough to go from the first cell to thinking matter capable of creating a civilization.

The phenomenon of life on a cosmic scale is hardly limited to our planet, although to this day no traces of extraterrestrial life have been found in Space or on Earth. However, an analysis of the evolution of living systems on our planet says that the forms of life manifestations in the Universe can be very diverse, unique for each specific galaxy or star-planetary system, and at the same time in some ways similar in such properties as the desire for organization , self-regulation, reproduction, evolution and expansion.

Moreover, the emergence and development of thinking life forms cannot be the result of a random enumeration of possible combinations cellular structures, capable of processing, accumulating and transmitting information.

It is very likely that in the Universe there exists and from time to time a certain “Program of Life” unfolds, in which the emergence and evolution of thinking matter is built, Reason.

In any case, today there is enough a large number of hypotheses based on data from paleontology, cosmology, astrophysics, evolutionary biology and confirming the above.

The inquisitive reader can be addressed to this issue to such outstanding researchers as V.I. Vernadsky, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, E. Schrödinger, I.S. Shklovsky, W. Friedman, R. Penrose, V.V. Nalimov, who made a significant contribution to the formation of a scientific worldview about the origin of the Universe, Life and Mind.

And although this book does not pretend to be an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on the origin and evolution of life, I would like to note the following: almost all the works of the above authors note not only the uniqueness of existing life forms, but also the amazing combination of the stability of protective and adaptive mechanisms with fragility and insecurity to the influence of those environmental factors that inevitably accompany the development of a technocratically oriented civilization.

Stability, stability, on the one hand, and plasticity, dynamics of mechanisms ensuring the homeostasis of a living system, on the other - it is in this unity of two seemingly essentially opposite processes that lies the riddle (or clue!) of the amazing ability of living systems to evolve and diversify forms and expansion.

Of course, the adaptive and protective mechanisms of complex multicellular organisms much more diverse and “more sophisticated” than those of the simplest, single-celled creatures. These mechanisms must take into account and coordinate in time and space the work of hundreds, or even billions of cells, manifesting themselves as a single whole - the organism.

But at the same time, the life or death of the entire organism may depend on an adequate reaction or, on the contrary, the failure of one single cell within this organism.

Before the advent of man, the process of formation and development of the biosphere on our planet occurred in accordance with the initially given fundamental laws and constants of the Universe. The role of random factors of cosmic or terrestrial origin, such as encounters with fireballs, comets and other large cosmic bodies, volcanic eruption, earthquakes, change background radiation etc., undoubtedly contributed to the appearance or disappearance of certain species in the world of plants and animals. But in general, and this is evidenced by paleontological data, the evolution of life on Earth “fit” into a certain time and geophysical framework.

Animal and vegetable world planet Earth for the entire time of its existence (before man!) only adapted to changing environmental conditions.

With the advent of Homo Sapiens, the situation began to change radically. Man, using increasingly sophisticated tools, has become actively change the very environment of your existence.

In his irrepressible desire to master energy, speed of movement, expand the sphere of comfort of life and satisfy the ever-increasing demands of life, man has already approached the edge beyond which the real danger of not only self-destruction as a species is clearly visible, but also the destruction of the very cradle of life - the planet Earth.

The environmental situation today is such that the efforts of individual, technically most developed and, at first glance, most prosperous countries (in social terms) are insufficient even to stop the global destruction of the biosphere, not to mention its restoration. The human mind has penetrated the secrets of the structure of matter, deciphered the DNA code, is close to a complete decoding of the human genome, it has created a truly powerful apparatus for cognition and control of the flow of matter, energy and information - science and technology, but it turned out to be powerless in the face of ambitions and man’s own irrepressible demands. And even such organizations of a planetary scale as the UN, WHO, UNESCO, GREENPEACE, etc. found themselves powerless to change anything in the inexorably approaching catastrophe. It is enough to read the annually published bulletins of the UN Environmental Commission to be convinced that all of the above is true. At the same time, everyone is critical thinking man understands perfectly well that the true state of affairs is much worse than it appears from official, albeit very competent, sources.

And in this regard, the most alarming situation is developing in Russia, where over the past two decades much more has been destroyed than built. The same can be said about the CIS countries that were previously part of the USSR.

The excess of mortality over the birth rate, the “rejuvenation” of such serious diseases as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diseases associated with profound impairment of the immune system, etc. - not far full list"diseases of civilization."

Stress, associated primarily with the social uncertainty of a society thrown into the “era of wild capitalism,” leads to a rapid increase in mental illness. Drug addiction and alcoholism flourished in full bloom, not to mention the outright rampant banditry, organized crime and other ills of the “transition period”. What next?.. What awaits us, our children and grandchildren tomorrow? The country and, finally, on a global scale – all of humanity?

Is there anything we can do to counteract the impending Apocalypse?

Serious analysis shows that it turns out... you can still. And not only is it possible, but also extremly necessary! But this will only become possible when not individual professionals and specialists in the field of sociology, economics, politics, ecology have clear and honestly reasoned ideas about the causes of the developing crisis, but every person, regardless of age, social class, religion, education or lack of such.

During the fire, saving a lifetime’s worth of belongings, a dry, frail old woman dragged a huge chest from the second floor of the burning house. After the fire, two young guys barely managed to put it back in its original place. One polar explorer, while repairing an airplane, saw a polar bear behind him, lightly pushing him with his paw, as if inviting him to turn around. The next second the man was standing (!) on the wing of the plane. Didn’t climb on him, didn’t pull himself up, no. I was standing.

WHAT the body won’t do when it comes to life and death. Fear and the sense of self-preservation are great stimulants. They can make our spine withstand a load of 10 tons, the breathing rate will increase 4 times, instead of 35 capillaries per centimeter in a calm state, in an extreme state they will earn 3 thousand. What about our brain? It functions only at 5 - 7% of its capacity. What do the remaining 95% do and in general why does a person need such a physical and mental reserve and why not use it all the time?

No, experts say, it’s impossible. This reserve is a guarantee of our survival, the biological defense of the body, which is very carefully guarded and can be used once or twice in a lifetime to save us from death in an extreme situation, or may not be in demand at all. After all, extreme situations are also different. On the one hand, we are all now living in an extreme situation - stress, uncertainty, nervous tension. British scientists recently contacted the Association of Independent Science at Moscow State University. In their opinion, the experience of survival in our country is unique. A person does not constantly carry tons of weight and does not overheat at a temperature of 100 degrees. But no Western citizen could live long in conditions similar to ours without compromising his health. Are we wasting our reserves? Certainly. But this happens somehow imperceptibly, but if you take a situation when everything changes suddenly, unexpectedly, instantly. The threat to life is colossal, death is inevitable, and now...

WONDERS OF ENERGY

A WOMAN lifts a car with her child trapped under it. An elderly man jumps over a two-meter fence, although he was not an athlete in his younger years. There is a known case when, during a flight, a nail that came from nowhere fell under the pedal in the cockpit of an airplane and the control jammed. To save himself and the car, the pilot pressed the pedal so hard that he cut off the bolt. Where does strength come from? And the unprecedented speed of movement? Many people are capable of incredible things at such moments and manage to do such a gigantic amount of work in a few moments, which is simply impossible to perform or repeat under normal conditions. True, people who found themselves in similar situations, when everything could be decided in a moment, testified that time seemed to stretch, slow down, allowing a person to save a life. For example, a man working on a drilling bench had his mitten lightly touch the drill, it began to be tightened, and with it, naturally, his hand. A partner who was nearby at that moment later said that the worker tried to press the button with his shoulder to stop the machine, but missed. The drill continued to "slowly" rotate and twist his arm. Then the partner again slowly raised his hand and pressed the button. “The noise and roar of the workshop immediately burst in (and it somehow went unnoticed)... All this took 1/8-1/9 of a second, and subjectively lasted 25-30 seconds.”

According to experts, one should not assume that people stimulated by a feeling of fear showed miracles of efficiency and repeatedly increased the speed of their movements. There are several versions of why this happens. For example, this: if there is a biofield around every person, then why not assume that in a moment of mortal danger we, without realizing it, are able to use its reserve of energy. What if the instant release of this energy leads to a change in the environment, space, even time, as in the case of the machine?

It is likely that it is to such situations that the body reacts with immediate behavior. So why can't this energy also change the environment?

THE SUBCONSCIOUS WILL SAVE

IF you adhere to this theory, then it is likely that, once having used its reserve, the body needs to restore it. At the beginning of the century, psychiatrist G. Shumkov believed that this required at least a day, and meeting danger at this time meant death. Doesn’t this explain why we suddenly don’t want to do something or go somewhere? Maybe in this way we subconsciously try to avoid danger. There is, for example, evidence of the paradoxical behavior of military personnel, impeccable professionals and fearless people, suddenly, without explanation, at some point feeling the categorical impossibility of fulfilling their professional duty. The regimental commander participated in battle many times and was considered a brave officer. Once, having received the order: “Tomorrow, move forward and take such and such a position,” the colonel came to the brigade infirmary and said: “I want to lie down, I can’t go to the position.” The temperature is normal, internal organs without changes. I slept well that night. The next day... I calmly went to the position. The question is, what was he sick with?.. And was it a manifestation of cowardice or a consequence of a sober subconscious assessment of his capabilities?

Ordinary people resort to their emergency reserve quite rarely. And if this person is healthy, the body will cope with unusual loads, but if some kind of pathology is dormant in you, they can provoke illness. Any extreme impact is stress, and stress, as a rule, leaves its mark. Determine precisely through experiments what the body is capable of in stressful situations, very difficult. No matter what stress a person endures, it is likely that in the event of mortal danger he will develop new capabilities. In addition, each person inherits from his parents certain inclinations, the range of which can be quite large and vary by 10-20 times.

And yet, it’s nice to know that somewhere deep within you lurks unprecedented powers, that you have a colossal memory and unlimited capabilities that will save your life in an incredibly difficult, tense situation of mortal danger. But if in order to find out what the reserve of these possibilities is, you need to get into exactly such a situation, it would be better if it were inviolable...

A modern city dweller is accustomed to a comfortable existence. Progress freed him from the daily struggle for survival. But even in prosperous, civilized times, you cannot be sure that you will find yourself at home today.
There are circumstances in which to the human body you have to mobilize all your resources for the sake of survival.

Forewarned is forearmed. In this article we have provided examples of extreme situations. It is important to understand what happens to the body in such cases and how to survive them.

Man in an extreme situation

Pressure drop
A sharp decrease in inspiratory pressure gas mixture leads to decompression sickness. Divers encounter it during a rapid ascent to the surface. As a result, gases dissolved in the blood and tissues of the body begin to be released in the form of bubbles into the victim’s blood and destroy cell walls and blood vessels, blocking blood flow. When severe, decompression sickness can lead to paralysis or death.
Overload
Each person on Earth is subject to a load of 1 g. When a plane takes off, a passenger experiences an overload of 1.5 g. When a rocket is launched, the astronauts are subjected to an overload of 3–4 g. For pilots, overload can reach 10 g, which means that body weight increases 10 times.

For a person, the direction of the overload is very important. If the overload comes from the head to the feet, then with prolonged exposure all the internal organs shift down, and if from the legs to the head, then the abdominal organs are pressed against the diaphragm, creating pressure on the heart and lungs.

The most favorable position of the human body, in which he can perceive the greatest overloads, is lying on his back, facing the direction of acceleration of movement. That’s why the astronauts’ seats are positioned this way.

US Air Force officer John Stapp, in a special installation using rocket propulsion, accelerated to 1,017 km/h. During this acceleration, John sustained an overload of 46.2 g. For comparison: for a car driver to experience an overload of 46.2 g, he must accelerate to 100 km/h in 0.06 seconds!
Carbon monoxide poisoning
This is the main cause of death during fires. At very high concentrations of this gas, death can occur within just 1 minute.

Carbon monoxide, or CO, quickly enters the bloodstream. Under its influence, some of the hemoglobin is converted into carboxyhemoglobin - a compound that prevents red blood cells from transferring oxygen to the cells and tissues of the body.

Nerve cells are more dependent on oxygen than others, so the nervous system is primarily affected by CO, which causes headaches, nausea and loss of coordination.
Hypothermia
When exposed to cold for a long time, the body tries to reduce heat loss, which causes the blood vessels on the surface of the body to begin to narrow. This protective mechanism allows us to retain more of the warm blood necessary for the functioning of our internal organs.

Prolonged exposure to cold causes changes in tissue cells, including due to insufficient blood supply. In particular severe cases tissues begin to die.

Contrary to popular belief, you should not drink alcohol in the cold, because it promotes vasodilation, and therefore increases heat loss in the body.
Sunstroke
Prolonged exposure to sunlight leads to overheating of not only the skin, but also the surface of the brain due to exposure to infrared radiation. This leads to vasodilation, and subsequently to cerebral edema, in which compression of the brain matter occurs.

In addition, due to lack of oxygen, neurons begin to die, which disrupts the functioning of all body systems.
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness develops due to a lack of oxygen in the air and, as a result, in the blood. While on high altitude, climbers suffer from its variety - mountain sickness, in which hypoxia is aggravated by fatigue, hypothermia and other factors.

At an altitude of more than 4,000 meters above sea level, there is a high risk of pulmonary and cerebral edema, which can cause death. It is noted that one of the symptoms of mountain sickness is often impaired consciousness. For example, climbers may resist attempts to save them and rush up or refuse to go down, wanting to stay in the mountains forever.
Hunger
Blood glucose levels begin to decrease within a few hours after eating. To get the glucose it needs, the body begins to take it from strategic reserves stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.

Therefore, during fasting, muscles are the first to suffer, but a decrease in adipose tissue begins only when the body uses up all its glucose reserves. After this, the body turns to proteins, which leads to the destruction of bones and subsequently leads to a weakening of the immune system.

1. Psychology of activity safety…………………………………………..3

2. Human behavior in extreme situations………………………………...4

3. Managing your emotional state extreme situations…………6

4. Assessment and diagnosis of a threat based on physical data and signs of a person’s mental state……………………………………………………………...16

5. Panic………………………………………………………………………………27

List of references……………………………...………………...28

1. Psychology of activity safety

While a person is in a familiar environment, he behaves normally, as always. But with the onset of a complex, personally significant, and even more dangerous, extreme situation, psychological stress increases many times over, behavior changes, critical thinking decreases, movement coordination is impaired, perception and attention decrease, emotional reactions change, and much more.

In an extreme situation, in other words, in a situation of real threat, one of three forms of response is possible:

a sharp decrease in organization (affective disorganization) of behavior
sharp inhibition of active actions;
increasing the efficiency of actions.

Disorganization of behavior can manifest itself in the unexpected loss of acquired skills that seemed to be brought to automaticity. The situation is also fraught with the fact that the reliability of actions may sharply decrease: movements become impulsive, chaotic, and fussy. The logic of thinking is disrupted, and the awareness of the error of one’s actions only aggravates the matter.

A sharp inhibition of actions and movements leads to a state of stupor (numbness), which in no way contributes to the search for an effective solution and behavior appropriate to the given situation.

Increasing the effectiveness of actions in the event of an extreme situation is expressed in the mobilization of all the resources of the human psyche to overcome it. This is increased self-control, clarity of perception and assessment of what is happening, and the performance of actions and actions that are adequate to the situation. This form of response is, of course, the most desirable, but is it always possible for everyone? This requires certain individual psychological qualities and special preparation for actions in an extreme situation - there must be an awareness of the reasons for what is happening and an adequate choice of real methods of action and forms of response.

2. Human behavior in extreme situations

To demonstrate the significance of this factor in a personality profile, we give the following example: a timid, modest, insecure person with a sense of guilt and not always aware of his inferiority complex, internally disharmonious, silent and pessimistic, most often indecisive, hired mainly for the qualities of performance, subordination, analytical mind, accuracy and thoroughness, pedantry, diligence. He does not get tired when performing monotonous, stereotypical work, and, as a rule, performs the functions of secondary roles. There is no doubt about his integrity and reliability.

A person’s condition can change until signs of affectively narrowed consciousness appear - stress is so unbearable for him. The internal reserve of resisting any external pressure on his psyche is fragile and short-term. And if we assume that this person is burdened with confidential information and threatening factors are applied to him (either towards him or his loved ones...), it is not difficult to foresee the fate of this person who has attracted the attention of a competing company or, even worse, criminal elements who are well versed in human psychology.

In this case, we can unequivocally say about the safety of a trade secret: if it is enough to provide some “information” to save your loved ones, such a person will certainly take advantage of this, it will not even occur to him to maneuver, gain time, or bargain.

When a person is in a state of psychological decompensation and is fixed on the only thought that his vital interests are under threat, information loses its significance.

Evaluation of this act, as well as recognition, repentance, self-flagellation, will come later.

A person of a different kind, whose character is characterized by a high ability to predict the possible consequences of his behavior, a high ability to choose the optimal behavior in an extreme situation, of course, will not find himself in a helpless state.

This example leads to the conclusion that, in addition to the reliability factor, a major role in “initiating” a person into the area of trade secrets is played by personal qualities in the form of resistance to stress.

We can also consider the option of a personality subject to such a phenomenon as increased suggestibility, which in a hypnotizable state can perform certain actions dictated by interested parties, and without any benefit for themselves. This is not a theoretical hypothesis, but a specific negative fact, as well as an adventurous story with the writing of blackmailing and threatening letters to one’s own address by the director of a commercial company in order to justify an imaginary ransom from the blackmailer instead of confessing to the theft committed by him for entertainment in the society of “priestesses of love” ".

Such situations can be avoided if scientific tools of psychological services are used in a timely manner, while simultaneously making the work of business security services more efficient and effective.

3. Managing your emotional state in extreme situations

It is impossible to dwell on all aspects of diagnosing extreme situations. Much will depend on the ability to maintain composure, since only under this condition is it possible to adequately assess what is happening and make an appropriate decision. There are many different techniques that make it possible to manage your condition.

Let's consider some not indisputable, but nevertheless effective express relaxation techniques that do not require much effort, special equipment or a long time.

If an extreme situation suddenly arises, associated with the threat of an attack or the attack itself, you can look up, taking a full deep breath and lowering your eyes to the horizon, smoothly exhale the air, freeing your lungs as much as possible and at the same time relaxing all your muscles. You can relax your muscles only when your breathing is regulated. In an extreme situation, if you breathe evenly and calmly, your muscles will also relax and calm will set in.

You can use one more technique. If an extreme situation arises, you should look at something blue, and if this is not possible, imagine a blue background with very deep saturation. In Ancient India, it was not without reason that this color was considered the color of peace, rest, and relaxation.

If you feel that fear is holding you back and preventing you from acting in accordance with the situation, you should say to yourself, but very firmly and confidently, any exclamation that is not related to the situation like: “Not two!” This will help you get back to normal. In the same situation, you can loudly ask yourself: “Vasya, are you here?” - and confidently answer: “Yes, I’m here!”

If, having assessed the threat as real, and your chances of confrontation as hopeless, but there is still an opportunity to retreat, perhaps you should do this as soon as possible.

Most often you have to communicate with persistent criminal elements, and it is advisable to keep this communication on a verbal level for as long as possible. This will either gain time or smooth out the severity of the situation, and not exclude it, and completely avert the threat.

The main thing is the choice of behavior tactics depending on the assessment of the situation. You can choose the tactics of a person who is not afraid of physical attack; in this case, you must first of all demonstrate to your partner your calmness. If, for example, the attacker is angry, then the calmness with which he is met can somewhat reduce his intensity. At the same time, the best form of response to an attacker demonstrating contempt would be to maintain the feeling self-esteem. If the fear of the threat is noticeable, you should show not only calmness, self-confidence, but possibly also aggressive intentions.

But in any case, you should talk to the attacker. First of all, you need to find out: the current situation is his initiative or he is fulfilling someone else’s order. If the person threatening is pursuing some of his own personal interests, you need to find out what they are.

For example, an attack on the street. Here, most likely, you will encounter a robber, although it could also be a drunk who felt that he was “not respected.” If there is only one attacker, then aggressive behavior towards him can give a positive result in an extreme situation. The main thing is that he understands that they are not afraid of him and that he can get a rebuff. This has a sobering effect on many, with the exception of drunk people or people with mental disorders. A positive result is also possible if, realizing the physical superiority of the attacker, a person begins to actively call for help. A scream can paralyze the attacker's activity for a moment and, possibly, lead to a refusal to attack.

If the attack is not spontaneous, but “ordered,” then you should try to use the same little tricks, but in this situation they cannot always give a positive result. Still, you should try to talk to the one who is threatening in order to establish the reality of the threat. In any case, you must try to maintain composure in order to reduce Negative influence fear of one's own actions. Maybe it will be possible to deceive the attacker, convincing him that this is not the one he needs. This approach can work if the attacker was shown the person briefly and long before the attack. By the way, when an unknown person approaches you on the street and asks for your name, you should not rush to answer; it would be more useful to find out why he is asking this.

So, having made sure that the attacker has not made the wrong “address”, that he is acting on someone’s order and that undesirable consequences are about to occur, you should start talking to find out whether the attacker has a weapon and what kind of weapon it is. If he reaches into his pocket, this may be his chance, since for a moment one of his hands is already blocked. If a person does not know self-defense techniques or did not have time to react in time, then perhaps it is not worth taking active actions for some time, but wait for the situation to develop, keeping it under control.

It is necessary to try to persuade the attacker to stop inflicting bodily harm. But this can hardly be achieved by tearfully begging, and even on your knees. This behavior will give a positive result if the attacker simply needs to humiliate the person and nothing more. The conversation can be conducted on the principle of conviction: “What good will it give you personally if you hurt me?” For some, these types of questions can be perplexing. Others claim they were paid for it. If this is the case, you should find out who paid and, most importantly, how much; It is possible that by offering a slightly larger amount, it will be possible to get out of the situation.

When communicating with an attacker, you should look him in the eyes and not turn your back to him in order to leave yourself a path to retreat; if he pointed the weapon, try to encourage him to lower it at least for a while.

When there are several attackers, the possibilities for confrontation are sharply reduced: with several aggressive people it is extremely difficult, if not impossible. That is why it is necessary to determine as soon as possible who is the leader in the group of attackers and concentrate all attention on him.

Everything that was said in relation to a “lone wolf” attack also applies to a conversation with a leader, but we should not forget that he will focus not so much on the target of the attack, but on “his own”. If one on one he could behave differently, then in a group it is more difficult for him to do this, and sometimes even impossible. But nevertheless, it is necessary to enter into a dialogue, at least in order to determine whether all members of the group are of the same mind. Any response from any member of the group, even a gesture, movement, or nod, can play a big role here. Having noticed sympathy from one of the group members, you should start a dialogue with him, or involve him in a dialogue with the leader, or use his remark in an argument addressed to the leader. Particularly noteworthy is the group member who expressed a “particularly favorable disposition.” Perhaps this is a technique for lulling vigilance, and it is from this that one should expect danger.

You should speak to the attacker in his language and tone. If he uses obscene language, then often understanding can be achieved only by switching to the language he loves so much. Some people, especially those with a low level of intelligence, are simply annoyed by polite address to them in conflict situations, which means that we must avoid the words “comrade”, “dear”, “citizen”, intelligent flowery things like “would you be so kind...”, etc.

Sometimes it is recommended to divert the attacker's attention to a foreign object. To do this, it is enough to peer somewhere behind the back of the threatening person or wave an inviting hand. Most often, an involuntary reaction immediately follows - turning the head. Here is a moment that can be used.

Impossible to give detailed description all variants of “street scenes”, and therefore we emphasize: success will largely depend on the ability to self-control, flexibility and the ability to communicate effectively in an extreme situation.

Extreme situations can also occur indoors. Here the likelihood of a pre-planned action is much greater. The premises also sharply limit a person’s ability to move, and hardly anyone will respond to a call for help, especially if there is no one nearby.

If an attacker has entered the house, then the situation can be sharply complicated by the presence of loved ones - they are also in danger. Measures should be taken in advance to prevent unauthorized access to the home by unauthorized persons. Children are especially often in a hurry to open the door, so it is recommended to explain to the child the need to find out who is behind the door before opening it.

If, despite all precautions, a stranger still enters the house, you should immediately enter into a conversation with him, unless there is a direct attack. First of all, find out whether he has a weapon, how ready he is to use it, try to persuade him to sit down and talk peacefully, listen to all his demands. As a rule, in similar situations It is important to decide what the real threat is, what specific actions the visitor can perform, whether these actions will affect loved ones in the room, whether it is possible to give a signal for help and wait for it.

If several people break into the house, the situation escalates many times over. But everything that was said above regarding negotiations with a group of attackers on the street can be used in this case.

If the attacker is intoxicated and demands another drink, you should not comply with his request, since it is unknown how an additional dose of alcohol will affect him. It’s good if, after drinking alcohol, the “guest” appears in a complacent mood, he will be drawn to a protracted conversation, at the end of which he will also fall asleep. But this is unlikely. More often than not, alcohol enhances aggressiveness and can motivate one to commit even actions that the attacker did not intend to carry out.

What to do when the attacker is a mentally ill person? Therefore, one must be extremely careful in statements and actions if something in his behavior seemed suspicious. The best tactic is to agree with his statements as completely fair. There is no need to try to argue or convince such a person, much less to argue that he is wrong; on the contrary, one should emphasize that his feelings and experiences are understandable, but in no case “play along” with him - these people are sensitive to falsehood, being extremely suspicious .

If it is necessary to interrupt him, then this should be done as gently as possible; it would be good to switch the conversation to the topic of his personal interests, hobbies, or something positive. As soon as you manage to get a direct answer, you should develop this plot and through it reach a positive conclusion to the situation.

And a few more recommendations. If the attack occurs in the house, you should protect those present in the house from threats by taking the blow on yourself. If this is not possible, you should reassure them as much as possible so that their statements or, especially, actions do not provoke the attacker into sudden aggression, try to keep the initiative and proactively answer questions addressed to loved ones and relatives. This can help them navigate how to respond and what not to say.

You can try to offer the attacker a snack. This is a winning pause and a means of reducing aggression, especially if the attacker is hungry. Well, the very fact of eating food in the house can affect him, since the stereotypes of past generations embedded in the subconscious can work.

If you are confident that you can provide physical resistance to the attacker, you should not hesitate. However, under a plausible pretext, it is necessary to reduce the distance to the partner, to prevent harm to loved ones, to distract the attacker immediately before physical impact on him.

Well, as for whether it is worth waiting for the start of a real attack in order to successfully repel it, we will cite as an argument one of the rules of the times of Peter I: “But you should not wait for the first blow, since it may turn out to be such that you will completely forget to resist.”

In situations where the attacker immediately demands money, it is necessary to convince him of his fundamental readiness to satisfy this demand, but since such a sum is not available at the moment, the demand can only be fulfilled by granting a delay. In general, in situations where money is required, it is difficult to predict the course of events.

For example, someone demanding money turns out to know well what amount is and where it is. If conditions permit, it is necessary to find out the source of his knowledge.

If the threatening person is perfectly informed and attempts to delay or gain time are unsuccessful, perhaps the best option would be to satisfy his “request,” no matter how pathetic it may be, because life and health are most valuable.

It should be borne in mind that even if the extortionist agrees to defer payment, he can take someone as a hostage while he waits.

It should be taken into account that a person who threatens in one way or another may also feel out of place, although he is trying to appear to be the master of the situation, without the slightest doubt about a favorable outcome for him. In fact, the extreme nature of the situation affects everyone.

Having noticed the emotion of fear in an attacker, threat or extortionist, you should strengthen it. But the main thing is a sense of proportion. You can intimidate him to such an extent that he will commit a clearly undesirable action.

It may be important not only to increase fear in the extortionist, but also to reduce it. If he has calmed down, therefore, in his opinion, the circumstances that caused this state have disappeared, and he no longer has anything to fear. You can take actions or statements that may frighten him again, but it is possible that he has made his final decision and has now become dangerous.

It is not easy to communicate with a person in a state of anger. It is especially important to remain calm and be able to demonstrate this to him. A person in a state of anger is extremely agitated, which affects his thinking. Therefore, it is important from the very beginning to try to find out what made him so angry. The dialogue is being conducted carefully. Just talking about it can have a calming effect, similar to the effect of "releasing steam." The state of the ransomware must be monitored over time. If there is an increase in anger (the face becomes redder, the blood vessels on the face, neck, and arms swell, the volume of the voice increases or he starts screaming, the fists are clenched tighter, the body leans forward) - he has reached a state of readiness to attack physically. If the muscles relax, the redness goes away, the fists unclench, the voice becomes of normal volume and the threat and hatred disappear in it, then the likelihood of an attack decreases.

When you have to deal with a person who expresses his contempt, you should be very careful - you can expect the worst from him, and he can do this completely calmly, experiencing a feeling of clear superiority over those around him. If such a person notices even a drop of fear or servility on the part of the “victim,” it is unlikely that he will be able to positively resolve the extreme situation. It would be a good idea to try to “knock down arrogance” from him - by demonstrating self-confidence and self-esteem, and possibly superiority. True, it may happen that the emotion of anger is superimposed on contempt and the attacker becomes even more dangerous. It is very difficult to start a dialogue with such a person, and even more difficult to conduct it. He says the words through clenched teeth, as if doing him a favor by joining in the conversation at all. If you find a topic that would allow you to “talk” to him, you can appeal to him as an individual, showing that his occupation undermines his human dignity. If you attract the gaze of such a person, and even without contempt, you can assume that the conversation is being conducted correctly.

When the attacker, due to unknown circumstances, demonstrates disgust, you should determine what is causing this emotion; you can even ask a direct question: “Am I somehow disgusted with you?” It is quite possible that this emotion does not directly concern the “victim” or is caused by the fact that the threat was told something about her that caused disgust. Sometimes bringing clarity in itself dramatically reduces the possibility of aggressive behavior towards you.

In cases where the threat is carried out in the form of blackmail (they threaten to compromise), then, as a rule, they do not take active action.

First of all, it is necessary to understand the specific content of the information that served as material for blackmail. It is advisable to structure a conversation with such an opponent in such a way as to show him that this information is not perceived as compromising at all. If you start to take a detailed interest in the content, form, source of receipt and other details of this information, he will not believe that it is neutral for you. On the contrary, treating this information as some kind of misunderstanding, which is not worthy of attention, you can encourage him to touch on the details in more detail.

If the information is nevertheless incriminating, then it is necessary to familiarize yourself with its contents. Often a blackmailer tries to convey something in words without documenting it. In this case, the position should be as firm as possible: “Until I see the information in its entirety, I do not intend to continue the conversation.” The form in which this information will be presented is important, since there can be no question of originals; it is necessary to demand copies, and not material abstracted by someone else. Not knowing how much complete information the extortionist has, even if you fulfill his conditions, you may meet him again after a while for the same reason.

It is also necessary to clarify to whom the compromising material is addressed and to what authority. And here the question is also appropriate: “To whom do you intend to transfer these materials in the event of my refusal?” This question can only be answered with a specific answer, that is, the name of this person(s). This will allow him to state that he can transmit these materials and there should be no further concern about this. If such a technique turns out to be ineffective, it is necessary to find out when the blackmailer intends to carry out his plans. This will allow you to evaluate your time resource and decide what can and cannot be done.

Having received the initial information and assessed it, you can ask the blackmailer for time to think. If he agrees, you need to use it productively: think through everything possible options, which could give a chance to avoid the onset of harmful consequences, if you have someone, consult. It is necessary to evaluate what losses there may be if the blackmailer, in response to a refusal, carries out his threat and how significant this is today, since information about the past tends to depreciate.

You should carefully assess whether undesirable consequences for yourself will be prevented and whether an agreement with a blackmailer will not be even more compromising. It may indeed be better to lose something today by refusing a “deal” than to acquire an even more serious threat to one’s own security in the future.

4. Assessment and diagnosis of the threat based on physical data and signs of a person’s mental state

In order to make the right decision in an extreme situation, it is necessary, as far as possible, to understand the situation you find yourself in.

For example, in a situation of a threat to use force, first of all, one must determine how real it is, and whether it is possible to avoid the onset of undesirable consequences given what is happening. If this is a work office or living space, then it should be taken into account that the threat is much less aware of the situation - the owner knows where everything is, how convenient it is to take this or that thing. There may be loved ones in the living space, and the threat may, under certain circumstances, turn against them. If the action takes place in a room where the owner is the threatening one, then the initiative is on his side.

Another situation is the street. In the dark, any threat is perceived differently than during the day. What may be triggered here is the idea that violence occurs mainly at night, and darkness itself can keep a person under increased tension. For the object to which the threat is directed, the presence of people on the street is important, since their absence increases the chances of attackers and, accordingly, reduces (limites) the capabilities of the defender.

No less important is the number of people “accompanying” the threat, their organization, and the nature of the relationship between them can determine who is the leader among them. This makes sense if:

the intentions of the attackers are to “recruit”, receive/transmit information (threats) through the victim;
the outgoing threat is indirect in nature, i.e. "hangs" over the victim's relatives and friends and their release depends on his further actions.

The nature of the clothing, to a certain extent, may indicate whether the threatening person was preparing for this “meeting”, whether it (the clothing) corresponds to his intentions (for example, in loose-fitting clothes it is easier to hide instruments of violence).

It is important to timely determine how realistic it is to avoid the onset of undesirable consequences, whether it is possible to retreat without tangible moral, physical and material losses.

Apparently, in the event of a direct attack, one should take into account one’s own physical condition.

When analyzing the situation, you should pay special attention to the following points:

whether the event that the blackmailer is using actually took place. If the information that is used for the purpose of blackmail has no basis in reality, then you should not immediately notify the blackmailer about it. But sometimes a situation may arise when the event itself took place, but it looked completely different from what is stated in the threat. In this situation, it is necessary to quickly assess whether it will be possible to prove what this event actually looked like;
how realistic is compromise in the event of refusal to comply with the blackmailer’s demands, what the consequences may be, and how they will try to accomplish this;
is there time to neutralize possible harmful consequences, is it possible to get a deferment;
whether the threat affects loved ones or concerns only a specific person at the moment (these are different situations when they are blackmailing with the onset of harmful consequences for a specific person immediately, or when the threat is directed at the victim’s relatives, but in the future);
whether the blackmail is carried out by telephone, in writing or in personal contact with the blackmailer.

It is necessary to analyze not only the situation, but also the blackmailer, who is an essential element of the situation.

Diagnosis of the blackmailer from whom the threat comes can be very fragmentary, or it can be quite deep - it all depends on the situation. It is hardly advisable to find out the level of intelligence or the presence of a sense of humor in a person who has raised his hand to strike.

Persons from whom the threat of attack or blackmail comes can be divided into three large groups:

1. Mentally normal people who are in a state where there are no deviations in behavior.

2. Mentally normal people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

3. People with mental pathology.

If there is a threat of a physical attack or it is already being carried out, then first of all it is necessary to focus on the physical data of the attacker: height, weight, physique, characteristic signs that may indicate that he has undergone special training.

How is this person worth?

the boxer, as a rule, takes an open, but still boxing stance, involuntarily clenches his fists, and often taps the fist of his leading hand into the open palm of the other, as if playing with himself (this way you can get information about whether he is left-handed or right-handed). Often in boxers one can observe characteristic changes in the structure of the nose - as a result of repeated injury to the bridge of the nose.
the wrestler usually stands with his shoulders slightly lowered, his arms along his body or half-bent, his fingers as if ready to grab something, his feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, the stance can be perceived as threatening, while the movements are smoother than that of a boxer.
a person practicing karate can involuntarily take one of the stances of this type of martial arts, the legs and arms occupy a characteristic position, the fingers are not always clenched into a fist, but if they are clenched, it is much tighter than boxers do.

As a rule, all these people have a good physique, developed muscles, flexibility in movements, look at their partner, recording the slightest changes in his behavior.

By the way, recording the external signs of a threatening, attacking, blackmailing person is extremely important, since any little thing noticed can be useful in the event of further contacts. If time and conditions allow, it is advisable to pay attention to height, body features, hair color and hairstyle features, eye color, shape of the forehead, nose, lips, chin, ears, you should pay attention to what the blackmailer is wearing, but most importantly - special signs that highlight this person. Special signs include not only moles, scars, tattoos, any physical defects, but also behavior patterns, gestures, voice characteristics, pronunciation, vocabulary and much more, characteristic only of this person. After the situation ends one way or another, it is advisable to record everything on paper, without waiting for law enforcement representatives to arrive, while many of the details are still fresh in memory.

If the person making the threat called by phone, you should pay attention to the nature of the call - local or out-of-town, how the caller introduced himself, immediately started talking about the essence of the matter, without asking who he was talking to, or first clarified who he was talking to. The characteristics of his speech are fast or slow, intelligibility, presence of stuttering, accent, clarity and other features of pronunciation. Voice - volume, timbre (hoarse, soft), drunk. Manner of speaking - calm, confident, coherent, leisurely, hasty, decent, or vice versa. The presence of noise accompanying the conversation - another voice that tells the subscriber what to say, silence or loud noise, the sound of transport (train, subway, car, plane), the noise of machines, office machines, telephone calls, music, street noise.

When coming into direct contact with a threat, you should also pay attention to the degree of aggressiveness and focus on a specific person, which may indicate personal motives, or is it aggressiveness of a “general” nature, and a specific person is an object over whom violence is entrusted. The reality of the threat must be distinguished from the situation of being “taken by fear.”

It is important to determine the emotional state of the blackmailer - the nature and speed of his actions, the degree of aggressiveness, and the possibility of conducting a dialogue with him depend on this. We will describe some emotional states characteristic of the situation under consideration and show how, by external signs, one can determine what emotion(s) the person threatening is experiencing.

Fear - sometimes you can encounter a situation where the person threatening or attacking is afraid.

With fear, as a rule, a sharp contraction of muscles occurs, due to which a person develops stiffness, uncoordinated movements, trembling of fingers or hands can be recorded, the knocking of teeth can not only be seen, but sometimes heard. The eyebrows are almost straight, slightly raised, their inner corners are shifted towards each other, the forehead is covered with wrinkles. The eyes are open quite wide, the pupils are often dilated, the lower eyelid is tense, and the upper one is slightly raised. The mouth is open, the lips are tense and slightly stretched. The gaze is perceived as moving.

More active sweating occurs in the following areas: forehead, above the upper and under the lower lip, neck, armpits, palms, back.

Anger is an indicator of the degree of aggressiveness of the blackmailer. His pose takes on a threatening character, the man looks as if he is preparing to throw. The muscles are tense, but there is no tremor characteristic of fear. The face is frowning, the gaze may be fixed on the source of anger and express a threat. The nostrils flare, the wings of the nostrils flutter, the lips are pulled back, sometimes so much that they reveal clenched teeth. The face either turns pale or turns red. Sometimes you can notice how convulsions run across the face of a person experiencing anger. The volume of the voice sharply increases (the threatening person breaks into a scream), fists are clenched, there are sharp vertical folds on the bridge of the nose, eyes are narrowed. When very angry, a person looks as if he is about to explode.

Speech with notes of threat, “through gritted teeth”, very rude words, phrases and obscene language can take place. It is typical that when angry a person feels a surge of strength and becomes much more energetic and impulsive. In this state he feels the need for physical action, and the greater the anger, the greater this need. Self-control is reduced. Therefore, attackers strive to “work themselves up” by any means, to quickly bring their state to anger, since the trigger for aggressive actions is facilitated.

Contempt - unlike anger, this emotion rarely causes impulsive behavior in the threatening person, but it is possible that this is why a person showing contempt is in some way more dangerous than an angry person.

Outwardly, it looks something like this: the head is raised, and even if the person showing contempt is shorter than you, it seems that he is looking at you from above. You can observe a “detachment” pose and a smug facial expression. In posture, facial expressions, pantomime, speech - excellence. The special danger of this emotion is that it is “cold” and a despising person can commit an aggressive action calmly, in cold blood. But if something planned does not work out, then anger may appear. The combination of these two emotions carries even greater danger.

Disgust is an emotion that can also stimulate aggression. A person experiencing disgust looks as if something disgusting has been put in their mouth or as if they have smelled an extremely unpleasant odor. The nose is wrinkled, the upper lip is pulled up, sometimes it seems that such a person’s eyes are crossed. As with contempt - a pose of “detachment”, but without expressed superiority.

In combination with anger, it can cause very aggressive behavior, since anger “motivates” an attack, and disgust is the need to get rid of the unpleasant.

Often the threat of attack, the attack itself, or blackmail is carried out by a person under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and drugs lead the psyche of the attacker or threat to a state of increased excitability and sharply reduce the level of self-control. That is why sometimes it is important to determine what kind of “doping” and how much the partner took and what can be expected from him.

The most dangerous are the mild and moderate stages of alcohol intoxication, which often cause increased aggressiveness. Some people take alcohol “for courage,” thereby overcoming feelings of fear. When intoxicated, the critical perception of what is happening decreases; such a person has difficulty perceiving or does not perceive any argumentation at all. Movements become more active and can quickly become aggressive. As a rule, a physical attack in such situations is preceded by swearing, swearing, and threats.

A person in a state of drug intoxication looks like anyone else normal person, making this condition difficult to recognize.

Drug intoxication is usually characterized by increased activity in movements; fast, overly lively speech, not entirely adequate response to questions, a peculiar “glint” in the eyes, sometimes causeless laughter, high spirits. Some people in this condition have decreased sensitivity to pain and lack a sense of empathy for others. Responsibility for one's actions can be realized. All this is typical for mild drug intoxication, which has an exciting effect.

In a chronic drug addict, you can see traces of injections and bags under the eyes. By the way, it should be borne in mind that the reaction to a drug can be quite short-lived, and the end of its action in an extreme environment for the drug addict can cause withdrawal symptoms, which will result in a sharp deterioration in his condition, he can become depressed, angry, even more agitated and aggressive. He may have an irresistible desire to remove the obstacle to the next dose of the drug as soon as possible. For some drug addicts, this period of “activation” lasts a short time, after which a period of severe depression may begin, up to epileptic seizures, when he becomes practically helpless.

Aggression can come from a person:

suffering from a mental disorder (paranoid schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis and other diseases);
mentally healthy, but with a character abnormality (psychopathy, especially excitable, epileptoid forms);
with accentuation of character, when, under certain conditions, personality disadaptation occurs according to one of the forms or types of psychopathy;
mentally healthy, but in a state of temporary mental disorder (psychogeny, reactive states, exogeny).

Any person can give an aggressive reaction under certain conditions, but the emphasis is placed specifically on persons suffering from mental illness (chronic or temporary), since aggression can be an expression of a mental state regardless of external factors or any special conditions. Moreover, when the aggressive state is not directly or indirectly dependent on external circumstances or on external motivating motives (not provoked by anyone), this means that it is impossible to influence or modify the reaction of others in a non-medicinal way.

Particularly dangerous are patients suffering from auditory or visual hallucinations, when they lose all connection with reality and subordinate their actions to motives known only to them. Often their actions are completely incomprehensible to those around them: there is no sequence of actions, they are not subject to the laws of logic, cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena and facts, they cannot be predicted, and most often the true reasons for aggressive reactions are hidden by them even from those closest to them (parents, friends, if you can call them friends are criminal elements, among whom they enjoy “respect” because of their aggressiveness and cruelty). But, as a rule, such patients prefer criminal behavior alone and aggression can be directed at a completely random person. Due to the lack of logic and visible reason that prompted a person to commit a crime, it becomes extremely difficult to detect the criminal.

They do not know the state of fear that a person without mental disorders can experience, or the feeling of compassion and pity.

Outwardly, they look tense, their gaze seems to be turned inward, they “listen” to something, their facial expressions change regardless of external circumstances, most often angry, as well as the expression of their eyes, the smile is more like a grin. Such patients attract attention with slovenliness, the smell of an unwashed body and dirty clothes.

There are options when aggression is directed against oneself; patients consider themselves unworthy to live, but are ready to “take others with them,” being sincerely confident that they will provide a service by saving a person from the “horrors of earthly existence.”

Patients with epilepsy, psychopaths of the epileptoid circle and accentuated personalities of the epileptoid type are no less aggressive. They are also united by cruelty. As a rule, they are distinguished by extreme touchiness, vindictiveness, vindictiveness, stubbornness, and inability to yield in a dispute, although they themselves are its initiators. Of course, there are differences in these options: if for an accentuated personality there are still limits that they will not cross in a dispute, in a conflict, then the patient with epilepsy gets stuck in the conflict as slowly and deeply as he cannot stop, loses control in his excitement, rage and aggression. If he has crossed the line, then the reaction will certainly be accompanied by destructive actions (multiple and of the same type). All options are characterized by vindictiveness and hatching revenge. And before taking revenge, their behavior is distinguished by flattery and obsequiousness, it is not for nothing that they are said about them: “with a Bible in their hands and a dagger in their bosom.”

Since they are pedantic, thorough and scrupulous, they make plans for revenge in this vein. Fanaticism in religion, politics and ideology is often a characteristic of epileptoid psychopaths; Most terrorists, under the slogan of “struggle for justice,” surround themselves with the same types and mercilessly destroy masses of innocent people. Negotiations with them are impossible, they cannot be persuaded, they are not suggestible, they do not love anyone, not even themselves - “I will die, but I will not give in.”

Psychopathic persons of the hysterical circle are the most common among swindlers, “swindlers” and various “flights” of adventurers. Their distinguishing feature- artistry, high ability to play social roles, having its own rules of the “game” - complete disregard for generally accepted moral norms, lack of remorse, which creates the impression of originality and courage. There are very gifted “in their field” types, with good intelligence, memory and manners, but character! Character is aimed at achieving (and immediately!) one’s needs, whims, and most often base desires, stopping at nothing. Sometimes among them there are good speakers who know how to control and inspire an entire audience, perfectly manipulating people and their destinies. They are more likely than others to use stimulants to enhance their activity and the severity of sensations (alcoholism, drug addiction).

5. Panic

Panic (from Greek panikon- unaccountable horror), a psychological state caused by the threatening influence of external conditions and expressed in a feeling of acute fear that engulfs a person or many people, an uncontrollable uncontrollable desire to avoid a dangerous situation.

The psychophysiological mechanism of panic consists of inductive inhibition of large areas of the cerebral cortex, which determines a decrease in conscious activity.

Panic is a "very atypical reaction" and that it is a "statistically infrequent behavior." For panic to occur, several conditions must be met, the main of which is the fear of not having time to leave the premises, the lack of social connection between the participants (cases of panic were not recorded in residential buildings), mistakes and failures when trying to evacuate.

Older people (over 42) show panic reactions more often compared to young people. There were no differences between the reactions of men and women. There is evidence suggesting cultural and nationalistic differences in people's reactions during panic. About 35% of people show a desire to protect themselves at the expense of others.

Bibliography

1. Ardaseneva V.N. “Personal protective equipment” - M.: Profizdat, 1998.

2. Belov S.V. “Life safety” - Textbook, M.: graduate School, NMC SPO, 2000.

3. Devisilov V.A. “Life Safety” - Textbook, M.: Higher School, 1999.

4. Litvak I. “BZD”. – Tutorial, M., 2000

5. Roik V.D. " Social protection workers from occupational risks" - Publishing House of the Scientific Research Institute of Labor of the Ministry of Labor, 1994.

Many learned psychologists and psychophysiologists paid attention to describing extreme situations. (For example, L.A. Kandybovich and V.A. Ponomarenko talk about “tense situations” that people of certain professions have to face; S.A. Shapkin and L.G. mention “emergency conditions” in their works. Wild; sometimes this kind of situation is called stressful, based on the teachings of Hans Selye.) Regardless of the name, this situation is characterized by the fact that, getting into it, a person goes beyond the usual state and “loses the ground under his feet.”

Even a non-life-threatening conflict situation can become extreme. Working as a psychologist in one of the Russian airlines, I was faced with the fact that flight attendants, as well as airport employees, literally fall off their feet after a work shift spent communicating with passengers. A work situation in which there was no direct threat to life, but there were many conflicts, including insults, may well turn out to be extreme in terms of danger to health, both psychological and physical.

What happens to a person in an extreme situation?

If a person, due to his duty, often has to deal with the so-called emergency situations, he knows that the main enemy of rational action is fear. Fear forces inexperienced firefighters to run from a burning house, it forces pilots to make irreparable mistakes. It interferes with thinking and solving problems necessary for survival.

Fear can manifest itself in flight or panic, it is often accompanied by a narrowing of consciousness, distortion of perception and loss of control over one's own actions and even aggressive outbursts. Another unpleasant manifestation of fear is stupor, during which a person cannot move*.

Another “enemy” of ours is emotional stress. Even if we were able to suppress our fear or uncertainty, this does not mean that it has disappeared. In fact, we keep it inside, spending an incredible amount of mental strength. And restraint sooner or later leads to breakdowns, mistakes and even illness.

Is it possible to predict human behavior in an extreme situation? How do you know if you can overcome fear? To answer this question, psychologists have found that people who are anxious, emotionally unstable, have low or too much energy lose their minds in difficult situations. high self-esteem and weak nervous system. However, even people with all these characteristics can pull themselves together and overcome their weaknesses. And the strong and self-confident often lose their heads. A person’s experience also does not provide a guarantee.

In 1987, an incredible incident occurred in the skies over England. During the flight, the windshield of a passenger plane flew out, as a result of which the unfastened captain of the aircraft fell out and was pressed by the air flow to the nose of the plane. His assistant, a very young pilot with no experience of independent flights, was forced to land the plane alone in conditions of lack of oxygen, while a tornado raged in the cockpit. He coped with his task brilliantly, the flight ended without casualties.

How to explain these and other similar cases? What allows a person to collect himself and not fall into a stupor or panic? There is no clear answer.

No one can give an accurate forecast of the behavior of a particular person in an acute situation. So what should those recruiting for difficult or dangerous jobs do? What should a person do who is planning to connect his life with a difficult profession and wants to know whether he can maintain a sober mind if there is a risk to his life? The answer is simple. You need to prepare for extreme situations, you need to learn to manage yourself and your behavior. Such preparation can be called ensuring one’s own psychological safety.

Ensuring psychological safety

Psychologists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who deal with extremely difficult situations every day, pay great attention to the ability to manage emotions. Let's look at some techniques that can help you take control of your own emotional sphere.

Intentional relaxation. This exercise allows you to learn to consciously relax certain muscle groups, and since our emotions are connected to the body, we learn to control them too. To perform this exercise, you need to sit or lie down as comfortably as possible and begin to relax your body from your feet to your head.
Awareness of emotions and drains. You need to take a piece of paper and a pen, and then start writing down the feelings that are overwhelming you at the moment. It is important not to hold back and write “uncensored,” releasing on paper what has accumulated inside. Then you need to throw away the sheet. Some recommend burning it. This method allows you to learn to cope with fear, uncertainty, anxiety and other unpleasant conditions. At the same time, it relieves restraint and tension.
Suspension. In conflict situations, you can use the following technique. Imagine that your opponent is behind a wall, and his insults and attacks do not reach you. This method allows you to “shut yourself off” from someone else’s aggression, distract attention and not be offended. This method is good for service sector employees who understand that they should not waste energy on sorting out relationships in conflict.

How to act in a difficult situation?

In conclusion, I would like to give some advice to those readers who, due to their duties, may find themselves in difficult conflict situations. How to proceed? How to protect yourself if you find yourself alone with an angry crowd or an aggressive person and are not going to get into a fight with them?

When communicating with a crowd, it is necessary to remember that a person in a crowd loses his individuality. The crowd is a kind of organism that is sensitive to changes in the opponent’s states. Try to stand in such a way that there is a wall behind your back. It’s better to have a table or other barrier between you and the crowd. Do not show fear or excitement under any circumstances. Avoid an aggressive tone or threatening gestures. Speak clearly, in simple language, in short sentences, without emotion. Try to let people see that you are calm and confident. In this case, you will be able to enter into negotiations, and if you are lucky, even direct the actions of the crowd.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote, action saves you from fear. Often the aggression of a crowd or individuals is caused precisely by fear or uncertainty. If your position allows it, try to channel people's energy into specific actions that can make a difference. This will change their condition.

If you are in a difficult conflict, try not to insist on your own. Use the techniques of “psychological aikido” created by M. E. Litvak. Remember that an aggressive person expects resistance and indignation from you. Don't let him drag you into his game. Remain detached and do not show irritation or aggression. Very quickly his fuse will dry up, and he will stop the squabble.

Perhaps these recommendations will help you learn not to lose yourself even in the most difficult conditions. If you learn to manage your emotions and structure your behavior correctly, many situations will no longer be extreme for you.

Psychologist Natalia Chirkova

*More about fear: Malkina-Pykh’s book “Psychological assistance in crisis situations.”