Philologos wrote:
There are different responses. I know some people just shut it all out. I tend to shut down and go rational. Some cry, some scream.
I am in the capital city of K late at night, walking home with H. Three types step out of the bushes, attack. I am fighting back, they run off, I have three cuts on my head bleeding down on me. We walk to find help. I am silent, shut down, focussed on walking and reaching the hospital. H is yelling and cursing. So - to survive I need to slow emotion down, deal with it gradually like sipping hot tea. To survive H needs to turn the emotion on full blast like Niagara Falls.
I will tell you this - I was not uninvolved. I still feel that night.
Odds are, if you look the family is not uniform. In my family, C would be falling down emotive, I [that's me, not the letter] would be calmly concerned, calling police if appropriate and going rational, B would be getting in the car and driving away with a blank look on his face, R would be rushing to do something. No two alike.
That's good you stayed calm/cool. IMO it's bad to freak out and such because depending on the issue your heart could race you panic and faint so IMO if possible stay calm.