Dealing with stress or shock

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I'm sure everyone has at some point in their life suffered from a major shock, and we all know everyone faces stress practically every day of life. I'm curious as to how different folks react to these events. I find that I react to stress by being tired and worn out, but otherwise don't seem to have any major health issues from it (unlike my mom, who suffers from horribly high blood pressure). Shock, on the other hand, has quite a heavy effect on me. My first reaction to something that shocks/frightens me badly appears calm. Usually because it hasn't set in yet. Then, I may start to feel bad from it, but often I can get through if I just avoid talking about it. But the minute I try to talk about whatever happened, I am likely to burst into tears. I'm sure there are all sorts of medical reasons for these reactions (adrenaline, etc), but I'm curious to hear how other people deal with stress and shock. How do you react emotionally? What about physically? Do you have any special ways of dealing with stress and shock? (My personal coping mechanism is to soak in a hot bath with scented candles and bubble bath, and to cry my eyes out while doing so).