This isn’t strictly TRP related, but it’s a request for advice from the perspective of an RP audience, who presumably do not have this kind of reaction. I’m not sure where else may be more appropriate to ask this kind of question. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

So basically, during any confrontation ranging from slightly to moderately aggressive, my legs start shaking up real bad. One example is when two guys looking for a fight came up to me and my friend who were minding our own business. We may have been able to take them (no fight actually materialized), but regardless, my legs started shaking like I had Parkinson’s and they started laughing at me. Pretty embarrassing. I would have been like jelly if I actually did have to fight.

Another ridiculous scenario is when I was sat behind a car blocking the road. Everyone was raging because of this guy holding up the traffic. When he finally moved off and we got going, one guy overtook and pulled up next to me going ape shit, shouting at me about how I was blocking everyone off. I shouted back that it wasn’t me, there was a guy in front of me. He continued shouting and we drove off our separate ways. In this instance I was safe inside my car, the guy was some mid 50s man who posed no obvious physical threat (although you never know), and I was completely in the right — yet my legs started shaking uncontrollably and I had to pull up on the side of the road.

This is a really annoying and debilitating reaction to confrontations and can one day get me into trouble, for example if I actually need to defend myself. How do I get over this?

Disclaimer: I’ve been lifting for 4 or 5 years. I’m built but have a small stature, so when I wear layers, it’s not always obvious.