Have you ever seen the movie The Ring? That is one scary movie... My husband and I rented it one night and decided to watch it after the kids went to bed.... Right after we started watching - my oldest daughter (she was 8 maybe 9) was convinced that she was worldly and mature enough to watch this movie with us.... We told her "no way" and then the whining starts and the "I'm a big girl" starts.. and the " Plllllleeeeeeeeeessssssssssseeeeee" that won't stop.... So my wise husband decides to teach her a lesson and allowed her to watch it with us.... The first scary scene (10 minutes into the movie) - my kid starts crying.... freaking out, really..... and runs out of the room....
That memory made me wonder - can people die from being "scared to death"? We all have said the phrase - "you scared me to death or that scared me to death" especially us mothers... My kids scare me to death practically everyday and I'm not kidding!
Recently ABC News did a study on this very question and they discovered - yes... A person can be scared to death... When a person is scared by an earthquake, a near miss car accident, or any other sudden adrenaline inducing experience they can die.... it's like a drug overdose of adrenaline. In most people the adrenaline goes away and their heart beat starts to slow down and they are fine.. a little shaken up - but fine and others ( a very very small percentage) their heart is so completely shocked by the adrenaline rush it that it literally stops.....
To reduce the possibility of dying from fright the experts say to be prepared - know what to do in an earthquake, car accident, and whatever thing that can cause fear... People who feel that they have some control over a situation are less likely to die of fright...
I thought this study was interesting....... and regarding my daughter - she still remembers that scene in the movie and my wise husband wasn't too happy that she slept with us that night.... she was too afraid to sleep on her own....
Below is a scary scene from The Ring..
