I have an overactive amygdala and am prone to panic attacks.
   I've had to use my reasoning to calm down my "fight, freeze or
   run" response, even in social situations. I find most social
   situations distressing.

   The only times I trusted my instincts 100% was when I was in a
   dire situation.

   One time, lightning struck the property next to mine. We live in
   the woods.

   I had to help fight the fire on pure instinct, 100% responding.

   When I had run out of adrenyline, I crashed. I felt empty and
   hollow. I I was scratched up from head to toe from running
   through sharp weeds and scraping against branches and I was
   bleeding all over.

   I didn't feel any pain for a while. I just couldn't move.

   Then the pain started. I don't like pain. It "woke me up" and I
   had to start taking care of my medical needs and clean up blood.

   There were a couple of other fires nearby that others in the
   family were fighting, but I had completely exhausted myself. It
   was at that point I could reason through the likelihood of fires
   affecting our house, given the amount of rain, how far the
   firefighters were from our area... and how much help I could be.

   I would have gotten in the way that point and stayed back.
   Everything worked out fine and there was only a small circle of
   burned trees and nobody was hurt.

   But it was a learning experience for me.