Disconnecting Yourself

What is it that gives some people the ability to separate themselves from their fear? What gives a person the balls to place themselves in the middle of a war-zone to report on a story? How do you take a leap of faith, perhaps, that you'll survive driving down a road that may be littered with landmines to get a story?

I've always wondered if I would have what it takes to put myself in that position. Maybe it's a bit like when you're in a car accident. A few years ago I was driving to my house in St. Andrews through a snow storm, and my car hit a patch of ice and I began swerving. There were other cars on the road near me, and my first thought was "I'm going to hit these people!"

But a weird thing happened, a shot of adrenaline surged through my veins. I was scared, but somehow that rush helped me focus. I was able to forget about my fear of getting into an accident enough to steer myself into the ditch rather then another car. After it was over, and I was nicely resting in the ditch, fear of what could have happened rushed back.

Is this what might happen when there is gun fire over your head? Does an adrenaline rush take over and you can more easily focus on the task at hand? Do you think that state can last for months at a time, so you don't even realize the danger until you're out of it?

And if this is possible, what kind of effects does this prolonged state cause to you physically as well as mentally? The mind is an amazing thing, and it's ability to compartmentalize your experiences astounds me.