How did you became interested in prepping?

[Arzosah]

I suppose I was more interested in how people mentally prepare for potential trauma and emergencies and the military example is a good one but from a practical level for most people it seems you can only read up on it. It is hard to put into practice and difficult to predict how someone will react really. You can do all the preparation and read all the books in the world but ultimately you could just freeze when met with an emergency or it could be just a case that certain personalities react better or thrive in times of crisis.

Absolutely true, though self knowledge can help a little bit. I know that during ordinary bad things (if somebody says something to my face that really shocks me, for instance) I'm likely to "freeze" - the classic thing where I just stare at the person and then afterwards think about the snappy comebacks I could have made

But I also know that when things are a little bit more serious - a barking farm dog running towards me, a gang of kids invading a garden, a client threatening other members of a group I was running, pinned against a wall by the head of a hostel I was staying in - then, I stand up for myself, starting with "nice" and going on to standing firm.

I suppose keeping an eye on mental health on a day to day basis is something that we all do to some extent regardless in our different ways whether it is exercise or just talking to someone so this form of prepping is going on unconsciously to a degree (sorry - thinking out loud).

No sorry needed! That's exactly right - realistic prepping is often a part of everyday life. In my area, its quite heavily wooded, and the footpaths have lots of trees and no streetlamps. In winter, you'd be crazy to go out without a torch, they often have a stream running along the side thats a 7 foot drop down. Its just normal.

Good luck with the book. You write well so I am sure it will be worth reading.

Thank you! Much appreciated.

[ukpreppergrrl]

Yes I understand that the mental health of a person following a disaster is lower down the pecking order than survival, shelter etc. I suppose I was more interested in how people mentally prepare for potential trauma and emergencies and the military example is a good one but from a practical level for most people it seems you can only read up on it. It is hard to put into practice and difficult to predict how someone will react really. You can do all the preparation and read all the books in the world but ultimately you could just freeze when met with an emergency or it could be just a case that certain personalities react better or thrive in times of crisis.I suppose keeping an eye on mental health on a day to day basis is something that we all do to some extent regardless in our different ways whether it is exercise or just talking to someone so this form of prepping is going on unconsciously to a degree (sorry - thinking out loud).

The bottom line is you don't know how you will react. You know how you hope you will react but those are very different things! However, one thing is known: the more times you experience some form of emergency, and it is successfully dealt with, the more likely you are to react positively to another emergency in the future. This is regardless of your innate personality. This is why oil rig chaps undergo helicopter crash training in swimming pools: to give them mental and physical experience of what it is like to crash in a helicopter in the sea. This is why the emergency services have practice days when people volunteer to be pretend victims of some mass disaster (car pile up, plane crash, bomb etc.) with fake blood and everything i.e. it's made as realistic as possible. At its most basic level it is the good, old-fashioned fire drill. If you have practiced your route out 100 times (particularly if you have practiced it with your eyes closed, or even, if you're really keen, a smoke bomb!) you are more likely to follow it automatically should you have to get out in an emergency. So you mentally prepare by practicing whatever scenario it is you are concerned about (remember we're not really talking a Mass Extinction Event here...). If you are concerned about car crashes, then go drifting or stock car racing to experience what it is like to be hit whilst in control of a car. If you're concerned about being attacked, then take up a martial art or boxing or something - it's not some much about you learning to fight back as you learning to experience what it is like being hit so it doesn't shock you so much when it happens for real. The reverse also is true - if you have negative experience(s) of emergencies then you are less likely to be able to deal with future ones. But even if you've not actually experienced the emergency you're faced with, or something even remotely similar, even the book learning can help because it gives you the knowledge of options that you're not having to invent on the spur of the moment; and being able to see options helps your state of mind as you don't feel as helpless. I second the suggestion of the Amanda Ripley book. It's one of my top books to recommend to preppers.

[GPS]

As interesting as the learned discussion has been,I am looking at the title of this thread.How did you become interested in prepping?

For me it was in the aftermath of a serious industrial accident. The kids were young,wife not doing paid work as she was doing a more important job- looking after our toddlers. Boss refused to pay me and we were on the bare bones of our arses.

Fortunately, I was ( still am) a trade union member.They looked out for me and made sure that ultimately got my just compensation.From a prepping point of view ( and it is NOT a political situation) Union membership is another form of insurance. Workplace insurance.

I vowed then that the family would not sail that close to the wind again.When the compensation came in we paid our mortgage arrears immediately and filled the pantry to bursting! At one point I was even lamping rabbits with my lurchers to put meat on the table and sell them for much needed cash!I needed the rabbits to feed the dogs too. Bear in mind I had one arm in plaster - We were that hard up.

When we got back on track,I got more ( than I already was) into self sufficiency. In came egg laying fowls,meat rabbits and even goats at one point. I took on two allotments as well as my large garden and hunted the crap out of the surrounding countryside.The food we did not have to buy meant money in the bank.I worked stupidly hard,as my goal was to be mortgage - free.That came.

For me,there is no ' bugging out' to the woods,no bunkers,no zombie biker gangs.Just home grown food and meat,free firewood and homebrew!

I am sorry to hear about those hard times but glad to hear that you came out of it through all your hard work. I know a lot of people on these forums downplay the amount of effort that goes into prepping but your example as well as many others has me wondering where you get the time to do a lot of these activities at the same time as looking after family and working a full-time job.

[GPS]

Yes I understand that the mental health of a person following a disaster is lower down the pecking order than survival, shelter etc. I suppose I was more interested in how people mentally prepare for potential trauma and emergencies and the military example is a good one but from a practical level for most people it seems you can only read up on it. It is hard to put into practice and difficult to predict how someone will react really. You can do all the preparation and read all the books in the world but ultimately you could just freeze when met with an emergency or it could be just a case that certain personalities react better or thrive in times of crisis.I suppose keeping an eye on mental health on a day to day basis is something that we all do to some extent regardless in our different ways whether it is exercise or just talking to someone so this form of prepping is going on unconsciously to a degree (sorry - thinking out loud).

The bottom line is you don't know how you will react. You know how you hope you will react but those are very different things! However, one thing is known: the more times you experience some form of emergency, and it is successfully dealt with, the more likely you are to react positively to another emergency in the future. This is regardless of your innate personality. This is why oil rig chaps undergo helicopter crash training in swimming pools: to give them mental and physical experience of what it is like to crash in a helicopter in the sea. This is why the emergency services have practice days when people volunteer to be pretend victims of some mass disaster (car pile up, plane crash, bomb etc.) with fake blood and everything i.e. it's made as realistic as possible. At its most basic level it is the good, old-fashioned fire drill. If you have practiced your route out 100 times (particularly if you have practiced it with your eyes closed, or even, if you're really keen, a smoke bomb!) you are more likely to follow it automatically should you have to get out in an emergency. So you mentally prepare by practicing whatever scenario it is you are concerned about (remember we're not really talking a Mass Extinction Event here...). If you are concerned about car crashes, then go drifting or stock car racing to experience what it is like to be hit whilst in control of a car. If you're concerned about being attacked, then take up a martial art or boxing or something - it's not some much about you learning to fight back as you learning to experience what it is like being hit so it doesn't shock you so much when it happens for real. The reverse also is true - if you have negative experience(s) of emergencies then you are less likely to be able to deal with future ones. But even if you've not actually experienced the emergency you're faced with, or something even remotely similar, even the book learning can help because it gives you the knowledge of options that you're not having to invent on the spur of the moment; and being able to see options helps your state of mind as you don't feel as helpless. I second the suggestion of the Amanda Ripley book. It's one of my top books to recommend to preppers.

Yes that makes complete sense. I am on to the Ripley book as well. Cheers for the suggestion. Out of curiosity how do you (if you do at all) practice the scenarios that you think are most likely to occur?

[Wood cutter]

I simulate the devastating psychological trauma of a horrific traffic accident on a regular basis by letting Mrs Wood Cutter drive my car.

[ForgeCorvus]

I simulate the devastating psychological trauma of a horrific traffic accident on a regular basis by letting Mrs Wood Cutter drive my car.

You are So sleeping on the sofa if she reads that mate.

I got 'into' our lifestyle by being a cub-scout that never really grew up.

I've never been 'At the pointy end' like Jansman's backstory, when I've had problems in the past theres always been my Support network (read:"Family") ready and willing to step in and help.... However, due to the passing years, its looking more like me supporting rather then being supported.
This means I need to change the How&What of my preps

[jansman]

GPS WROTE: I am sorry to hear about those hard times but glad to hear that you came out of it through all your hard work. I know a lot of people on these forums downplay the amount of effort that goes into prepping but your example as well as many others has me wondering where you get the time to do a lot of these activities at the same time as looking after family and working a full-time job.

I was reminded by SWMBO that this was 19 years ago.I seemed to think it was less! Don't be sorry about my hard times( the rough ar#e council estate I was brought up on in the 70's was a model of hardship),I have been poor,I have been rich and I have come through it; it is called Life.I know of one member here who has a family member with health problems and as a result serious financial problems.These are the situations we are prepping for.

Prepping is a bit like exercise.It has to be a part of your everyday life to be effective.It has to be built into your daily routine.That's how we find the time.

[Deeps]

I simulate the devastating psychological trauma of a horrific traffic accident on a regular basis by letting Mrs Wood Cutter drive my car.

The bottom line is you don't know how you will react. You know how you hope you will react but those are very different things! However, one thing is known: the more times you experience some form of emergency, and it is successfully dealt with, the more likely you are to react positively to another emergency in the future. This is regardless of your innate personality. This is why oil rig chaps undergo helicopter crash training in swimming pools: to give them mental and physical experience of what it is like to crash in a helicopter in the sea. This is why the emergency services have practice days when people volunteer to be pretend victims of some mass disaster (car pile up, plane crash, bomb etc.) with fake blood and everything i.e. it's made as realistic as possible. At its most basic level it is the good, old-fashioned fire drill. If you have practiced your route out 100 times (particularly if you have practiced it with your eyes closed, or even, if you're really keen, a smoke bomb!) you are more likely to follow it automatically should you have to get out in an emergency. So you mentally prepare by practicing whatever scenario it is you are concerned about (remember we're not really talking a Mass Extinction Event here...). If you are concerned about car crashes, then go drifting or stock car racing to experience what it is like to be hit whilst in control of a car. If you're concerned about being attacked, then take up a martial art or boxing or something - it's not some much about you learning to fight back as you learning to experience what it is like being hit so it doesn't shock you so much when it happens for real. The reverse also is true - if you have negative experience(s) of emergencies then you are less likely to be able to deal with future ones. But even if you've not actually experienced the emergency you're faced with, or something even remotely similar, even the book learning can help because it gives you the knowledge of options that you're not having to invent on the spur of the moment; and being able to see options helps your state of mind as you don't feel as helpless. I second the suggestion of the Amanda Ripley book. It's one of my top books to recommend to preppers.

This is the way that the Forces try and deal with issues, practice, practice, practice. Still no guarantee, and I've seen people not behave how they're supposed to, in the Forces scenario leadership and experience can make a big difference because of the (supposed) discipline but in real life this really isn't reinforced in the same way. There are some things that you can't really practice, like Wood Cutters example above, no matter how many times you watch 'Fast and Furious' it won't prepare you for a crash.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Must admit the more first aid refreshers I do the more automatic and system based it becomes


Want to see panic set fire to the living room and throw someone a fire extinguisher....

But seriously we all see fire extinguishers in every shop / bar / school/ work etc but how many could use one in a demonstration? but then in a panic (never mind selecting the correct one) most become all fingers and thumbs...


Take the humble fire alarm never mind stress just every day behaviour:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MtX-10c3fT0

[Deeps]

Must admit the more first aid refreshers I do the more automatic and system based it becomes


Want to see panic set fire to the living room and throw someone a fire extinguisher....

But seriously we all see fire extinguishers in every shop / bar / school/ work etc but how many could use one in a demonstration? but then in a panic (never mind selecting the correct one) most become all fingers and thumbs...


Take the humble fire alarm never mind stress just every day behaviour:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MtX-10c3fT0

Even if you are familiar with the equipment, if you're in an unfamiliar place then you're both less effective and potentially a hazard to yourself and any rescuers. There's a lot to be said for getting the feck out of a bad situation whether its fire, flood or nutter with a gun. Panic, maybe, also survival instinct, if you have enough about you to keep your head while doing it then brilliant, but if you get out and others didn't you can get the 'survivor guilt' etc, the mind is a funny thing, there are those on here who know far more about it than my homespun approach, over to them.....