Default personalities and stress

bigbaldguy

bigbaldguy

Former medic seven years 911 service in houston
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I recently got to ride my first couple of shifts with students. It was interesting to observe how people who are inexperienced deal with stressful situations. It got me thinking about how we all have a "default personality" that surfaces when we are stressed or overwhelmed. One of the students I was observing was a very nice older lady but when placed in a situation where she wasn't confident she would default to a "cold, overconfident" personality. The other student I rode with would default from her normal personality to an "uber hyper, uber helpful" one. Looking back on my first few months I would say that I tended to default to an "apologetic, happy puppy" personality. I would love to hear what you all think your default personalities were/are, or any other examples you've noticed. I'm especially interested in hearing from the folks who have been doing this for decades.
 
This is an interesting topic as I have seen this in medics that have been around longer than me. Sometimes you can even hear it in their voice over the radio.
 
Absolutely. It's definitely not exclusive to the "green" folks but I have noticed that the longer someone has been doing the job the higher the level of stress it requires to push them into their default personality.
 
I don't have one. I have a few. Is that bad?

No, really. Sometimes I am determinedly loose and positive, other times I'm like I'm back at the jail again, and other times I'm just "Say WHAT?:ph34r:". A lot seems to be my conditioned response to manage the situation.
 
Do you think that its the amount of stress or more the type of stress?

We all have the ability to allow eustress to focus us but throw in the smallest wrench and it becomes distress.
 
I'm not referring to the "game face" we all learn to put on so much as the less controlled outward manifestations of panic that we sometimes manifest. Panic might be too strong a word. I've noticed that my own default personality has morphed a bit with experience. I still feel the "apologetic,happy puppy" feeling when I feel out of my depth but I have gotten much better at recognizing when I go into it and tempering it with a more professional "game face".
 
That's a tough one, I can't really say I change all that much. My personality pretty much stays the same as it does when the pressure isn't on. If I have a pretty stressful call, I'll still keep a calm tone, I'll say things like "please" and "thank you" and I'll throw out "praises" when I can. I suppose I do have a lot less humor to me, but that's just an obvious change.
 
I wish I could video tape myself at this moment. I'm a green medic just starting my training rides. A very rural area, so our call volume is small. Running 1-2 calls a week just isn't giving me great experience, so when :censored::censored::censored::censored: hits the fan:wacko: I think i lose all my ability to treat the patient human and just go about it like a text book scenario, trying to make sure I don't miss any protocol points. Still working out the kinks...
 
I had a crazy stressful call the other night, and completely slipped into my working personality. Its lots of short sentences, telling everyone what to do. Heck, I even disobeyed the medical control physicians order to stop and call the helicopter, saying only, "that's out of the question."

I work hard after a call like that to make sure no on e on the crew thinks I was/am a b*tch . Then I move on. Somebody has to make the decisions, and when the stuff hits the fan, and I am there, its usually me.

But hey, we saved a kid with bad asthma from a week on the vent...got him right over the edge and back to shades of pink and white instead of blue. This is a bonus.
 
For me there are different kinds of stress depending on what is going on. If its a loud scene with no order then my reaction to the stress is to pretty much take control. If someone is already in control then I become helpful. I guess what I'm saying is my reaction to stress and how I deal with it depends on what is going on.
 
At first, my default was "tell me what to do". I had two partners with much more experience and because they told me what to do, I did what I was told. It was a great place to hide!

That really didn't change until I graduated paramedic school. Then, realizing suddenly ALL the weight on-scene was on my shoulders my default was "Nothing happens without my okay!" (Um, regardless of my certainty sometimes; oh that Shadow!)
 
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWulZOKANB4[/YOUTUBE]



Warning: offensive language
 
Was that the reporter's default personality? LOL!
 
Nice recovery.

It can revelatory. Had a Guard Captain on a night compass hike when an OPFOR (imitation bad guy) started firing on his patrol. This guy draws his M9, order the others to withdraw under fire, and flanks in while firing to distract the "shooters" firing blanks. Ol' John Wayne was just waiting in th wings..and he was as surprised as the rest.
 
I'd say I go from calm, goofy, and laughing.

To wanting to do what I am told, to what you just told me is retarded and we are going to do it the right way. Then I get it done. I'm not a very excitable person.
 
abckidsmom said:
I had a crazy stressful call the other night, and completely slipped into my working personality. Its lots of short sentences, telling everyone what to do. Heck, I even disobeyed the medical control physicians order to stop and call the helicopter, saying only, "that's out of the question."

I work hard after a call like that to make sure no on e on the crew thinks I was/am a b*tch . Then I move on. Somebody has to make the decisions, and when the stuff hits the fan, and I am there, its usually me.

But hey, we saved a kid with bad asthma from a week on the vent...got him right over the edge and back to shades of pink and white instead of blue. This is a bonus.
Click to expand...

I think it's interesting that when women act the way you described they have to be careful they aren't perceived as a b*itch but when men act that way we just consider it being in command.
 
First off, as a psych major, this topic has tenure funding written all over it! :)

Personally though, I may have multiple default personality disorder:
In near death situations (nearly driving off a 200ft cliff for example) I giggled like a fool and just laughed off the adrenaline, while my wife shut down and cried. I literally laugh in the face of death :P

In high stress situations where others are lost, I step up and take over (a common personality type on this forum and industry I'd guess), but I often lose my ability to be "nice". I'm sure I can come off as a ****, but at least a competent one who is getting stuff done!
 
hippocratical said:
In high stress situations where others are lost, I step up and take over (a common personality type on this forum and industry I'd guess), but I often lose my ability to be "nice". I'm sure I can come off as a ****, but at least a competent one who is getting stuff done!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm the exact same way. I'm a little less nice about things, but $hit gets done.
 
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