Scariest thing you've ever experienced

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When watching a horror with my teenage son this evening, DS asked what the scariest thing I'd ever witnessed was and I simply couldn't think what my answer would be. I'm intrigued to know what other people's answers would be, I find it so intriguing

Not me personally but but DDs friends Auntie woke up in the middle of the night to an intruder in her bedroom. She just froze and pretended to still be sleeping until he’d gone. I always say there’s no way I’d lay there and let some cunt invade my home that I’ve shed blood sweat and tears for but I think that’s one of those situations you don’t know how you’d react.

I agree on the psychotic episodes I used to work as a mental health support worker a long time ago. Seeing clients in crisis was really scary. We are so used to people being logical and behaving in a certain way. It's scary when people are so out of it and unpredictable . I imagine even more so when it's a loved one.

After ds2 was born I was in and out of consciousness and they had told me during a period I could open my eyes that he hadn't been breathing well so had gone to NICU and I remember losing consciousness again. I kept coming in and out like trying to fight a really deep sleep but I knew somehow that I had to keep fighting to keep awake , it felt sort of like trying to swim to the surface in an ocean and being pulled back down so you have to swim harder. I sort of knew that if I let myself sink which my body really wanted to do then I wouldn't come back up.

On one particular point I sank under again and I had ds1 in my mind and the brief glimpse of ds2 I'd had and was unutterably sad that I would never see them again as I sank and I was breaking but couldn't bring myself back.

It was the most frightening thing I have ever experienced because I could feel myself dying. (I actually really was circling the drain so to speak). I was exhausted after hellp syndrome and the c section and as hard as I wanted to fight my body wouldn't allow me to. You know that scene where Jack sinks when he dies. Felt like that.

Thank all that is holy for the doctors and midwives that brought me back. I finally opened my eyes to see the medical team moving around me quickly and what had obviously been an emergency response. I absolutely believe they saved my life and brought me back.

Not much that's happened to me has been truly scary. I was a copper for a decade, and the scary things I saw weren't as frightening to me because they weren't happening to me IYSWIM - because I was there to help, to take control of the situation, to change things in some way. I think that makes a huge difference to my perspective on things. Maybe it's the same in the other emergency services and medical field, or I wonder how we all survive it.

The things that have stayed with me though - a man who set fire to himself (my worst nightmare is burning to death) and seriously injured two of my colleagues - we were attacked by people in the pub nearby when we arrived, the first on scene after he lit the petrol. A psychopath who beat his girlfriend half to death and all the things I know he did to her but she couldn't bring herself to tell me - I always worry about her even though it was ten years ago now. A girl attacked in her home in a mistaken identity situation, and it ruined her bloody life the poor lass. I hope she's OK. Never mind all the rape and DV victims I met. I worry about them all. It's partly why I needed to get out of that line of work.

@DelurkingAJ that sounds absolutely terrifying. I hope you managed to get over it, I think the what if's would haunt me for a long time.

DD1 and rushing her to A&E unresponsive. She came round while there and a Dr wanted to send her home. I insisted on a second opinion and thank goodness I did because she had meningitis and would have likely died. The Dr who gave the second opinion was furious with the first Dr and was absolutely amazing with DD1 and both DH and I. DD was in hospital for over 2 weeks, she was 6 yo. DD was so ill for months afterward and it took her at least 18 months for her to gain back all the weight she lost and not be completely knackered a couple of hours after waking up. She was off school for 8 weeks and part time for a further 8 weeks. It was the single most scariest thing DH and I have ever been through. We were very lucky that DD has no lasting damage or long term effects of the meningitis, it could have been so much worse.

Watching 4 week old DS2 being resuscitated.

all round. Take care everyone.

Watching my 9 year old daughter choke. She had a look in her eyes so filled with fear I felt like my soul left my body. She managed to get it up just before I called 999 and we just stared at each other for the longest time and then cried and held each other. Reading other people’s posts I feel a little silly saying it but I honestly have never been so scared in my entire life.

My DS(2) caught swine flu and the gp actually came to the house in the night, checked his temp (41.4) and then said "do you have a car, because we don't have time to wait for an ambulance?". and just looked at me.

Giving CPR to someone on a snorkelling trip whilst 6yr old DS watched. The boat crew were panicking and utterly hopeless, I'm a qualified Rescue Diver and also the work first aider, but had never neede to use my skills. I make sure I update my life saving skills regularly now and DS has the respect for the sea I wanted him to have.

I once walked out of a nightclub in Central London, assumed the Black Range Rover across the street was my lift (guy I was seeing at the time) and hopped into the passenger seat.

I was met by the biggest scariest looking gangster type man (I would presume Albanian or similar) with a huge wad of cash and a gun in his lap.

He didn't say a word and nor did I (probably in shock). I made a quick exit and found the right car... at the time I was 21 and thought it was hilarious.

Looking back I wonder how badly it could have ended up!

My DP getting older, and the passing of time.

My worse night mare is burning to death.

Yes it’s not so much about when you go it’s how, isn’t it.

@CandleWick4

Watching my 9 year old daughter choke. She had a look in her eyes so filled with fear I felt like my soul left my body. She managed to get it up just before I called 999 and we just stared at each other for the longest time and then cried and held each other. Reading other people’s posts I feel a little silly saying it but I honestly have never been so scared in my entire life.

I can sympathise. I was in your DD's position, had a pea trapped in my airways. Couldn't quite cough it up, it was going up with the coughing and back down when I tried to breathe, and I was scared. Ex saved me here, timed a hard smack on my back with my coughing and the pea shot across the room.

My ex was abusive, but honestly, that day I welcomed the smack because I'm sure it saved my life.

Sleep paralysis... scares the hell out of me every time... seen some strange scary things when experiencing it.

Coming home to burglars in my house. I was a young single parent and was alone, and walked into 2 men stealing all my stuff.

I was terrified.

Being the victim of an armed robbery and having a shotgun in my belly.

I didn’t need the shotgun, he could take whatever he wanted, it wasn’t mine but I do remember thinking “this is going to hurt”

Anyway my fabulous description meant he was caught. I later asked the police if the gun was loaded, the police said are you sure you want to know? ....yes, the gun was loaded. Pretty scarey and I still have flashbacks now some 20 years later.

Ph , another one was waking up at 4am to a house full of smoke.
We lived in a terrace and the neighbours (allegedly 😉) arsoned their own house for insurance money.

They didn’t think about the fact that we (and other neighbours) would be affected. It was awful.

DH having a mental breakdown and going missing. I didn't think I was ever going to see him again.

Thankfully he eventually came home, went to see the doctor a couple of days later and is doing really well now.

Waking up in the night to the dog barking downstairs, looking outside and seeing three men in balaclavas trying to get in our house.

Finding out I was pregnant for the first time. I was really young and although it sounds silly it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. It did all turn out good though but I can stil remember the cold feeling I had then.

When DD was about 10 months old, she was able to walk around the edges of things by holding or leaning onto them. It was spring & we'd moved some furniture round, & a radiator was exposed that previously hadn't been. One day she was exploring the living room, I was sitting in the armchair opposite & she let out an ungodly screech, I looked up & she was leaning on the radiator. I swear I've never moved so fast in my life, I must have thrown myself across the room, (it was only a small house) & I landed on my bum the laminate floor with a skid, caught DD with my hands in front of me between my knees & hit the wall under the radiator with my feet. Thankfully, she wasn't burned but I washed her hands & face with cool water anyway. Afterwards, I made fleece blankets covers for all the radiators.

A neighbour's dog ran round into our unenclosed yard once when it heard toddler DD crying in her buggy. It was growling & barking at her, & only skidded to a halt when I stepped in front of her & screamed at it. It still wouldn't go away though, still barking & growling & coming towards DD, & DD was properly screaming (probably not helped by mummy shouting). I couldn't get her out as I'd have had to turn my back on it. The neighbour saw what was going on & called it off several seconds later, they obviously heard me shouting at their dog to leave my baby alone. I'd already locked the door & was stuck. We never saw their dog off its lead again, thankfully. And DD doesn't remember. I wasn't actually scared at the time. Only after, strangely.

And she fell all the way down the stairs once. Again, as a toddler. Complete somersault at the bottom, right through the safety gate which had a bar she could have brained herself on. Landed on the laminate floor in a heap & I was convinced she'd have broken something. Nope, a couple of bruises. Certain people weren't allowed to walk her up & downstairs after that though...

I think I was once involved in someone else's scary thing.

I used to live in a terraced st off other streets so no gardens.

There was a pharmacy and cars parked outside on both sides so I slowed down (I'd only been going 20 before slowing) and a child ran out from the pharmacy.

I stopped, but I've never seen anyone move as fast as the mother did. Before I'd come to a stop she was in front of me.

I think at that moment she wold have beaten Usain Bolt.

@Dillo10

I once walked out of a nightclub in Central London, assumed the Black Range Rover across the street was my lift (guy I was seeing at the time) and hopped into the passenger seat.

I was met by the biggest scariest looking gangster type man (I would presume Albanian or similar) with a huge wad of cash and a gun in his lap.

He didn't say a word and nor did I (probably in shock). I made a quick exit and found the right car... at the time I was 21 and thought it was hilarious.

Looking back I wonder how badly it could have ended up!

😲 I can remember times when I nearly got into the wrong vehicle 🤦🏼‍♀️