Loading ...Mainstream Survivalism
Lately survivalism has been in the news a lot. Even over the last 5-10 years more and more stories have come out regarding this movement. Some are fair and offer great exposure, however others seem to drive people away by making survivalism look crazy. For instance in this video below, this man is preparing solely because of his believe in peak oil. Well whether or not peak oil is real does not matter because preparedness makes good logical sense. However to the uneducated this is an immediate turnoff.
Here’s some examples of survival related articles in the mainstream media, including MSNBC, the New York Times and the Associated Press.
Energy Fears Loom, New Survivalists Prepare
Duck and cover: It’s the new survivalism
Massive Economic Disaster Seems Possible - Will Survivalists Get the Last Laugh?
Food Rationing Confront Breadbasket of the world
Mental Preparedness
When something traumatic happens in our lives it is a natural human reaction to experience resulting stress or even shock. Just as soldiers at war experience post traumatic stress disorder, victims of natural disasters or other catastrophic events can also experience PTSD in varying degrees. The level of distress depends on several factors including age, experience, mental and physical health to name a few. Obviously there is not much we can do to prevent our brain’s natural defense mechanisms from kicking in when such things occur. But there are certain actions we can take to minimize the effects of such trauma and lesson the feelings of stress and shock we may experience as a result.
Those of us who are actively engaged in disaster preparedness are already aware of the physical and economic threats we face today. We work to prepare ourselves logistically to ensure immediate physical safety by obtaining certain gear and equipment that we know will be needed in such circumstances. Being ready physically also contributes to preparing the mind for what may come.
Just as we see police officers, firefighters and paramedics undergo extensive training and disaster simulations to help them mentally prepare for their jobs, we see that these professionals typically experience PTSD less often than those who have not had the benefit of such experiences. We can follow this example and do our own version of disaster simulation with our families.
1. Try spending a day without electricity in your home and see what life would be like without power.
2. Pretend that some local disaster has happened and run through your contingency plan as if we’re really happening.
3. Do a mock evacuation of your home and practice your roles in such an event. Get creative and do something that appeals to your individual needs. Picture that whatever it is you’ve been preparing for takes place using a worse case scenario and practice your plan, your evacuation routes, family meeting place, etc.
4. Do a run through of what you think you might actually experience in such circumstances. If you have kids, include them – make a game out of it, make it fun so that they will be involved and mentally ready when the real thing goes down.
All of these exercises are great ways to prepare yourself and your family for what may come and you may discover some things that you hadn’t thought about before, thus giving you a better idea of anything you might have overlooked in your initial preparations.
Having a strong social network prior to and immediately following the trigger event can help prevent severe PTSD and lesson the negative emotional affects suffered by the victim. Soon after the incident is over, have a group discussion with family, friends, neighbors or anyone who was present at the time of the trauma and wishes to participate. Discuss what happened, specific things each person witnessed, how it made them feel, etc. Having this opportunity to vocalize emotions in a supportive environment will help to reduce anxiety and provide a feeling of empowerment.
This article focuses more on the mental aspects of disaster preparedness because it seems that more efforts are focused towards physical rather than mental preparedness. While physical preparedness is of the utmost importance in a survival situation, let’s not forget the fact mental preparedness can also ensure that you make the best use of your tools and plans already in place, and prevent shock, fear and bad decision making when a disaster occurs.
Preparedness Quote
“Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.” ~ Cervantes
Emergency Contingency Plan
Have you ever thought about what you and your family members would do if disaster strikes and you have no way to communicate with each other? How would you know if everyone was okay? How would you be able to get to each other if the roads were impassable?
Let’s just picture a scenario where say there is an earthquake or some other natural disaster in your area. Your kids are at school, you are at work and your spouse is at home. The phone lines aren’t working and the power is out. You have no way to contact your family to make sure everyone is okay. So your first instinct is to go to your kid’s school and pick them up but then it hits you that maybe your spouse or other family member has already gotten the kids. Then you wonder where they might be if something happened to your house and they had to leave. Or maybe they are trying to come to you at work? You think about heading to your house but then what if they aren’t at home? What if they’re not at a neighbor’s house? What if your whole neighborhood had to be evacuated? Then you start to wonder where your parents, siblings and other extended might be and how you will get to them if you can’t call? This is the worst possible position to be in when disaster strikes. You’re adrenaline is already kicked in and you’re ready to go get your family and protect them – but you don’t know where to go. It’s a scary thought huh? Something as simple as taking some time to write an emergency contingency plan can help protect you and your family from such an emotional tragedy. And ensure that you can all find each other and make it to safety should an emergency occur. (more…)
George Washington Quote
“It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company.” - President George Washington