That’s true and I get what you’re saying but generally speaking it’s fight or flight. I could be wrong but it just seems too convenient. 

And as a psychologist I’d have to say that being abused doesn’t change your fear of death. If anything, it’s more likely to amplify it and keep you anxious and on edge. A lot of children that are abused grow up with some form of ptsd. Think of war veterans that have ptsd. They struggle to stay calm and immediately jump into fight or flight.