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[–] G4 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I tried to hang myself when I was 12, so probably that

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[–] Lobotomy ago 

Brandon Crisp?

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[–] UncontrollableSphere 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Mine was an everyday sort of thing.

Was out shopping. Jaywalked through stopped traffic on one side of the road, and only looked in the oncoming direction on the other side. Turns out a guy was going 80kph in the wrong lane and missed me by an inch or two. The only reason he didn't hit me is because another car saw him coming and slammed on the horn, and that stopped me in my tracks.

Now I look both ways, all the time.

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[–] verificationist 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

I've never been too close to death. But I was once robbed in broad daylight in a street full of people. The robber was quite intimidating and unsettling, especially because he seemed not to care if he had to stab me in front of everyone. He was also extremely psychologically perceptive, in the uncanny sort of way.

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[–] Qikdraw 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

I was 12 years old, on the operating table to straighten my spine that had a 115 degree curve. During the first operation I apparently had "breathing problems". But my parents said the doctor was white as a sheet when he came out. I'm guessing I did stop breathing entirely. The second operation that was scheduled for later on that week was delayed another week as they were worried I would not survive the second one. But I was healing very quickly from the first one and ended up doing a lot better than they thought.

Almost drowned a couple of times. At least once from my brother, who dragged me into the deep end and let me go when I was 8. To this day (i'm 44) I still cannot get water in my face. I cannot face the water in a shower. A facecloth over my face. Even my wife's hair brushing over my face when she is on top of me. All has my body immediately in panic mode and since I shower every day, I have to fight back the panic every fucking day. Which really sucks. Thanks brother. Asshole.

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[–] Reow [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

The real trauma of these events is the panic/anxiety you talk about. After I almost drowned in the ocean, I barely swam in it again for years. I was fine with pools etc. (controlled bodies of water; it didn't matter how deep), but couldn't stand oceans/rivers/lakes where I couldn't see the bottom. In the end I beat it by taking up scuba diving - once I was comfortable having explored the area underwater, the fear went away. Obviously not the same fear in your case, but there may be ways to take back control.

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[–] Qikdraw 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I have always wanted to try scuba diving, specially now they have full face masks (so my nose isn't covered). I used to love swimming, even though I stayed in the shallow end as I could not swim well, currently I have to nerve myself to get into a pool, or the ocean. Thank you for your response!

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[–] zbou 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Chased up a tree by a bull moose and its calf in the Quetico

[–] [deleted] 0 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago 

[Deleted]

[–] [deleted] ago 

[Deleted]

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[–] pH_ ago 

Physical death vs brain death, people can die but not be medically dead (brain + physical death iirc)

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[–] airbreather02 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Years ago I used to work as a delivery driver. I drove a full sized van delivering auto parts. One morning I was on my usual route, I'm on the inside lane of a four lane road. A car coming very fast in the other direction did a fast lane change, lost control and hit me head on. Both vehicles were totalled, the driver of the other car went through the windshield (no seatbelt). He lived and was convicted of dangerous driving, was an 18 year old playing rally racer with his dad's car. I had cuts, bruises, whiplash etc. The seatbelt saved my life. The police estimated an 85 mph combined speed of impact.

I also used to work as a faller (cutting down trees). I was working cutting down a bunch of trees. There was a hinged fir snag (a dead tree, with the trunk broken but still attached part way up) in the opening I was knocking down these other trees. You always have an escape route, which is opposite the tree's direction of fall and away at an angle in case the trunk comes straight back. When I started to fall the snag it fell 180 degrees the opposite way I intended it to fall. I dropped my saw and ran in the direction of my intended escape route. As the snag was fall the rest of the trunk broke free of the hinge and came down and hit me in the back of the head and neck.

I didn't know where I was for 10-15 minutes. I drove myself about 25 miles back to town to the hospital. The local doctor and x-ray tech at the hospital (in my small town) said it was just "soft tissue" injury. Two weeks later I got a letter in the mail to go the medical clinic to discuss the results of my x-rays, that were sent to the specialist in the meantime. It turned out my neck (C6) was broken in two places. So I was literally walking around with a broken neck for two weeks without knowing it. I actually went back to work the next day after this tree had fallen on me even though I could barely move my neck. Pretty stupid (and lucky) in hindsight.

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[–] Reow [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

That was incredibly lucky regarding your neck - so easy to end up paralysed if you don't realize you have a broken neck.

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[–] airbreather02 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

You are so right, I am very fortunate. It's a reminder of how precious life is, and how can it can be over in a second.

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[–] Klaxon 0 points 13 points (+13|-0) ago 

A meteorite landed in Russia this one time, and I live in The Pacific Northwest (in the USA). That might not seem very close, but on a cosmic scale it just missed me.

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[–] Lobotomy 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

That would imply you're important enough to register on the cosmic scale.

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[–] Klaxon 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Well ... I am the center of my very own universe.

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