Life can be amazing. We experience new things every day, we make friends and fall in love, and we explore the world around us. But life can also throw hardships our way. Sometimes, these hardships can even be life-threatening.
That’s why knowing how to react in certain situations is so important. In this article, we’ll explore 8 common life-threatening situations and how to escape them, or at least minimize the damage.
Contents
1. Car Accident
One of the most common life-threatening situations is a car accident. If you’re in a car accident, you need to be aware of your surroundings and take action quickly to minimize the damage. One thing to remember is to never move an injured person unless they’re in danger of further injury.
If you can, try to keep them calm and wait for emergency services to arrive. In a lot of these cases, accident victims are eligible for compensation for their injuries, so you should never hesitate to get the medical treatment you need, regardless of the cost.
Of course, practicing defensive driving is always the best way to avoid a car accident in the first place. However, if you do end up in one, getting the proper medical assistance should be your top priority.
2. Getting Doxxed
Doxxing is the act of publishing someone’s personal information online with the intent to harass or intimidate them. It can include anything from their name and address to photos and social media profiles.
Doxxing can be incredibly dangerous, as it can lead to everything from online harassment to physical violence. Ensuring online security is incredibly important, especially today when there are more remote workers than ever before – meaning that more personal information is being shared online.
If you’re doxxed, your best course of action is to seek legal help and file a police report. Staying somewhere else until the situation blows over is also a good idea, as is changing your online passwords.
3. Home Invasion
Home invasions are a terrifying experience, and they’re becoming more and more common. In most cases, home invaders are looking for cash or jewelry. If you’re home when a home invasion occurs, your best course of action is to cooperate with the invader and give them what they want.
Remember, your safety is the most important thing. If you have a security system, activate it. If you don’t, try to make yourself as small a target as possible and wait for help to arrive. If you have time to do so, lock yourself in a room or closet, call the police, and stay as quiet as possible.
4. Getting Robbed
Getting robbed is a frightening experience, and it can happen to anyone. If you’re robbed, your first priority should be to stay calm and cooperate with the robber. Remember, they want what they can get quickly and easily, so don’t try to fight back.
If you have any valuable possessions on you, give them to the robber. A lot of the time, they just want your things. However, if you feel like things might escalate further, try shouting “fire” instead of “help” – people are more likely to respond to the former.
If you see a person walking by, it’s important to call out to them specifically because of the bystander effect, in order to increase the likelihood of getting help. That means saying something descriptive like “you in the red sweater, help me, call the cops.” By specifying who you’re talking to and what the action you want them to take is, you’re more likely to get the help you need.
5. Assault
An assault can be defined as an attempt or threat to physically harm someone, and it’s a crime in all 50 states. If you’re assaulted, your first priority should be to get away from the assailant.
If you can’t do that, try to scream for help, much like in the previously mentioned case of mugging. Try to incapacitate your attacker – go for their eyes, nose, or throat. If you can manage it, use the sole of your foot to kick their knee as hard as you can while they’re approaching you.
If you have a weapon, use it. Your main goal is to render them unable to continue attacking you, at least for long enough that you can get away or get help.
6. Rape And Sexual Assult
This is perhaps one of the most complex and difficult situations to escape, as it’s not always possible to do so physically. If at all possible, try to take similar steps previously described in the case of assault.
Again, if this is happening in public, shouting “fire” instead of “rape” or “help” will increase the chances of someone coming to your aid. If it was too unsafe to fight back, or you were simply unable to due to a number of different reasons – all legitimate by the way, no matter what they were, your first priority should be seeking medical attention.
The second should be finding someone you trust who can help you through the experience. It’s important to remember that it isn’t your fault and that you didn’t deserve what happened to you, nor did you do or say anything to provoke the attack.
7. Active Shooter
An active shooter is a person or persons who are actively engaged in shooting people. The first thing you should do is get behind a barrier of some kind and try to make yourself as small of a target as possible.
While running may be your first instinct, you might risk stepping into the line of fire and getting shot. If there’s a chance to get away, try to stay as close to the ground as possible and to stay hidden as much as you can.
If you do have to go out in the open in order to make the final escape, try zig-zagging to make yourself a harder target to hit. Once you feel it’s safe to do so, call 911 and try to give them as much information about the shooter as possible.
8. Drowning
Maybe you misjudged how far the shore is, and you tried to swim across the river and got swept away. Or maybe you were at the pool with friends and someone pushed you in and you can’t swim. In any case, your first priority should be to stay calm.
Panicking will only use up the energy that you need to save yourself. Take a deep breath – literally – it will help you stay afloat. Try to maneuver yourself onto your back – it’s much easier to float that way.
If you’re experiencing cramps, try to simply stay above water until they pass and you can start swimming again. If you can’t swim and you’re in a pool, keep taking deep breaths, and don’t flail your arms and legs around – that can cause you to go under. Instead, get the attention of someone who can help you.
No one ever wants to find themselves in a life-threatening situation, but unfortunately, it happens. Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into how you can better prepare yourself for such an eventuality. Stay safe out there!
