What about the MENTAL part of it?

[BCmJUnKie]

So we have been seeing alot of threads across ALOT of different forums about SHTF and preparation for a disaster or economic crash.

These threads cover everything from ammo supply, gear, food, water filtration, home defense, evactuation to fortifying your home to a "Bunker".

Seems that most people are well prepared for some sort of disaster. They know what to do or expect.

So what about the MENTAL part of all of this. Are you preparing your mind? Any kind of disaster is not gonna be as simple as boarding up your windows or digging a hole for you and your family, and hiding out and playing cards while sipping on martini's until the thing simply blows over.

Im sure we will see some pretty terrible things. Horrible things to either yourself or god forbid a family member. Its stuff thats hard to think about. Things that sometimes keep me up at night, but not to dwell on....to prepare myself for.

I have never served in the military, but I have seen some horrible things happen, to friends AND to complete strangers. I think I handle myself pretty well in really bad situations, I have the gift of thinking logically and not panicking.

Now I know that there are alot of LEO's and Mil. guys here who have probably gone through some terrible things also, and not to mention you have TRAINING for those situations. But as for the NON LEO or military guys, we have to rely on instinct or go with the situation.

So what do you do to prepare yourself for certain situations like this?

[duece71]

I have never shot at a human being, nor killed one. Most people would not be prepared for a situation like that and may indeed hesitate. Defending the family, however, may not include the hesitation part. There would still be the aftermath though, and that may drive some to completely shut down which would render that person totally useless in a dire situation. Killing in a defense situation may seem easy and justified on the surface. Deep down, most people, would have some problems after though. Just my .02.

[BCmJUnKie]

Agreed.

While being a gun owner and knowing the reason you have them for defense, people sometimes fail to really think about the aftermath or what happens or what it looks like when you pull that trigger.

Its not like the movies. You actually SEE it.

Actually doing it is alot different than talking about it or imagining it.

Also, not just a "Threat" or "Intruder" are going to be the only ones that get taken out of the fight, civillians and people defending their homes or property or families are going to be injured also

[duece71]

In addition to the above, many people will decide to check out due to the fact that Starbucks is gone, the Opra Winfrey show is off the air and google can't be used anymore. They will be so desparate that those people will be willing to go against the strong will to live that humans have and decide to take the easy way out. The veil of our society is very thin and there are not very many out there willing to be transported back to the mid 1800's kind of life.

[Pork Chop]

I have never shot at a human being, nor killed one. Most people would not be prepared for a situation like that and may indeed hesitate. Defending the family, however, may not include the hesitation part. There would still be the aftermath though, and that may drive some to completely shut down which would render that person totally useless in a dire situation. Killing in a defense situation may seem easy and justified on the surface. Deep down, most people, would have some problems after though. Just my .02.

For me it's not worrying about shooting people in defense of my family, but the fear of a prolonged SHTF scenario where we have to potentially use force to protect things like food & shelter from others who aren't necessarily hostile, but are starving, etc. because they didn't prepare.

I don't have the slightest qualm about protecting my family from harm, no matter what that means, but if you genuinely can't spare food & water and need to use force to protect it from strangers who are just hungry, I would struggle with that.

I don't agree that "most" people are prepared though? Hell, most people that I know aren't prepared for a long weekend snowstorm!
The Walmart in my town gets stripped clean when they predict just a foot of snow! That's because most people just are not prepared for the slightest shutdown in services, let alone a prolonged SHTF situation.

I hope I'm wrong?

[BCmJUnKie]

Hey thats a really good point. I didnt really put much thought into that aspect of it.

People are SO dependent on technology these days. And they have a really hard time functioning without it!

I broke my cell phone about a year ago. I didnt replace it right away, it sucked for the first few days but after that I contemplated on even getting a new one.

Everyone is so dependent on all this CRAP, its sad. I m guilty of the same thing.

[Pork Chop]

Hey thats a really good point. I didnt really put much thought into that aspect of it.

People are SO dependent on technology these days. And they have a really hard time functioning without it!

I broke my cell phone about a year ago. I didnt replace it right away, it sucked for the first few days but after that I contemplated on even getting a new one.

Everyone is so dependent on all this CRAP, its sad. I m guilty of the same thing.

Of course, we ALL are. The thing that matters is, can you survive without it? It's natural to use and enjoy the technologies around us, nothing wrong with that. The real question is, if it were all gone tomorrow, do you have the means to be without it?

We had a 2 week power outage due to ice a few years back & I kept checking in on this elderly couple I was fond of, and he scolded me for thinking they were incapable of managing on their own.

He reminded me that he didn't grow up with electricity/television/indoor plumbing etc. and were perfectly capable of never having it again. That's something few are prepared for, myself probably included even though I try to think otherwise.

[4x4twenty6]

I think you will see a lot more people have a natural survival instict. They may not have ever had to tap into it at any point in their lives but deep down it is there.
Those of us who have grown up hunting, fishing, camping and general outdoorsman will find it easier than others to survive with less.
The will to survive is in everyone and when faced with terrible situations or horrific incidents people will either understand that it is a part of life and move on without adverse affects; others may not so easily be able to move on and adapt.

I have seen people who were shot take their last breath while there family was around them losing their shit.
I have seen horrible car accidents where occupants struggle to take their last breath trapped inside of vehicle.
It is a little bit disturbing to watch that firsthand without being able to do anything for that person and to see their family grieving.

Life is full of shitty situations and the way i deal with it is that i understand that terrible things will happen. There is nothing we can do to prevent it. Each of us have an expiration date. We dont know when but we all have one.

Talking about those shitty situations helps too. I have had nightmares and lost sleep over a few incidents. Mainly the one that sticks was the car accident i mentioned above. Very sad to see that. I didnt grieve over it but it put things in perspective. Specifically how fragile life is. I have dreams every now and then about being shot. It scares the hell out of me to be honest. In all of the dreams so far i survive but being a cop and having dreams about being shot hits close to home.

My wife is an OB/GYN so she gets to experience life coming in to this world everyday. What she does is incredible to me and I tell her that all the time. Unfortunately she also has to see the heartbreak that goes along with that. I cant imagine having to do a procedure to remove a baby that couldnt make it or tell a mother that it is better to remove their unborn child before it dies inside of them because it could cause further complications. I know it bothers her and we talk about it but she understand that it is all a part of life.

[Just a Jarhead]

For me it's not worrying about shooting people in defense of my family, but the fear of a prolonged SHTF scenario where we have to potentially use force to protect things like food & shelter from others who aren't necessarily hostile, but are starving, etc. because they didn't prepare.

I don't have the slightest qualm about protecting my family from harm, no mater what that means, but if you genuinely can't spare food & water and need to use force to protect it from strangers who are just hungry, I would struggle with that.

Undoubtedly this will be the hard part for many of us.

Here in south Florida we have panhandlers begging for money on many street corners. Even though most of them look like alchy's & druggies, I still feel bad saying "no". I know the reality is that in many cases it's their own fault and bad life choices but my heart feels for any human being that found life so hopeless that they end up in this state. When I see someone in a wheel chair without a leg or missing an arm, or it's so obvious they're mental, I don't hesitate to help them with a $5 or $10.

I think the answer to the above situation is to have some extra supplies for a few close neighbors or friends but the line has to be drawn and we need to respond with a firm "we have nothing...move along!" Lose any emotion. You can show no sign of softness or the flood gates will open. Put the mental wall up and know it's the only choice you have.

[BCmJUnKie]

Undoubtedly this will be the hard part for many of us.

Here in south Florida we have panhandlers begging for money on many street corners. Even though most of them look like alchy's & druggies, I still feel bad saying "no"..

Let me tell a story about that exact situation.

I have lived in Cocoa Beach for most of my life.

There was this homeless guy I used to see all over the place.

At the time in '03-06' I was a Roofer, I made good money and I lived by myself. I dont just hand money out to the homeless.

So every friday after getting paid, I would stop at Publix and get some food. Bananas, bread, crackers, Gatorade and some other things. Then I would hand deliver this food to this homeless guy.

He never said thank you, or anything else for that matter.

This went on ALMOST every firday for about 2 years. Then one day about 8 months later, I was in a bad situation and I was hurtin for money due to all the rain we had been getting,

I got more food like usual, when I dropped it off, his bench was LITTERED with coffe cups and water bottles and food wrappers that other people had been giving him. I handed it to him and he stopped counting all his bills he had in hand when I gave it to him.

He literally had more money than I had in my pocket at the time. He was taking advantage.

That was the end of that.