Is being a prepper feeding ptsd paranoia?

[lostforgottensoul]

So, after hurricane Irma, I was really unprepared. I had water and some non-parishable foods I bought during hurricane panic (so it wasn't from prepping) and that was it. Being caught with my pants down when it came to a week of no power in the Florida summer heat made me want to prep and prepare. So, I've been collecting things here or there but have been really digging into prepper videos on youtube and man, it has gotten my attention. Things like how to be a grey man and a everyday carry (EDC), and get home bag and bug out bag, (and bug out location or BOL - which I have no idea where these people plan to go. Where do you bug out to with no land and no money?). Hell, most put hundreds if not thousands of dollars into each bag. Been thinking of buying a few bags of moutian house, learning how to water bath can foods, get a good multi tool, a few drum liners, cheap but quality or multi use things, a few 3 or 5 gallon water jugs which are cheap.

But, I've been wondering. After watching "after the collasp", "after the grid goes down", "after shit hits the fan" videos and have been wondering, does this play into PTSD paranoia and if so, how much is PTSD paranoia and how much is reality and just emergency preparing? I know emergency preparing is a good thing. A hurricane, a tornado, an earthquake, a house fire even. And even the less likely can happen such as a nuke, EMP (attack), and other forms of attacks. Man has really abused this planet and how much longer does Earth hold out? More and stronger hurricanes, odd temp flucuations. Then we have the insane price of living that we all are seeing now with low wages. The economy is expanding from the recession but cannot exand forever and another great depression can happen and likely will happen. The ecconomy is in a big bubble. And, if something doesn't change, it likely will collasp.

I found this pretty good video that explains things pretty well: 30 Things You Should Do To Prepare For The Imminent Economic Collapse & Stock Market CRASH! but again, how much is reality and how much is PTSD paranoia and fear? I'm prepared to prep a small bit at a time. $10 here or there. But so many are dumping thousands of dollars into this. Buying a whole knew 2nd vehicle calling it the bug out car or bug out vehicle. The bunker sales a booming. Atlas bunkers is the ones shown in this video and they have a youtube channel of their own. They are big business now.

As a physically disabled person, i can't bug out. I can't walk but maybe 50 yards at best. I would die if everything collasped without a group and most prepper groups I've come across discount us disabled saying we'd be useless. But, I still want a few things to prepare.

But, as I watch these videos learning many different things, I can't help but to wonder if this fuels PTSD paranoia and how do you balance being a prepper or being prepared and not allowing PTSD parania to go wild? Thoughts?

ETA: As a back up to the first video; he spoke of no toliet paper. They do make toliet paper tablets now: The Best Invention You Don't Know Exists: Toilet Paper Tablets and The Most AMAZING INVENTION: GIANT Toilet Paper Tablets!

 

[Eagle3]

I was a prepper for a long time, ever since Y2K. I've researched all the ins and outs of the prepared lifestyle, and I still live it to a certain extent.

However, I've recently come to the conclusion that a LOT of the business hype around preparedness is just reactionism and paranoia being played by people who are out to make money or manipulate events for whatever reason. As a person who knows first-hand what its like to lose everything and start over due to disasters (many times!) living a prepared life is natural for me. I've learned to prepare for the unexpected because I've had it happen to me so many times. But I've also learned to really SEE what actions or thoughts are based in fear, and what are reality or just prudent precautions. I now have to stay away from most prepper sites and blogs because of the rampant perseverance of the entire community, the constant rehashing of what CAN happen. Yes, I know what can happen based on historical and human behavior patterns. I also know that I will most likely not survive anything really drastic. What I do know is I will take prudent precautions to continue my survival and that of my family, I will enjoy the society I have now while I still have it, I will live in THIS moment instead of living in the "what-ifs", and I will go out swinging if at all possible. The rest will take care of itself. The more you try to prevent something from happening, the more likely it is that action is EXACTLY what will happen.

So do what you feel is prudent, but don't torture yourself with all the emotionally-based manipulation. Enjoy your life.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

However, I've recently come to the conclusion that a LOT of the business hype around preparedness is just reactionism and paranoia being played by people who are out to make money or manipulate events for whatever reason.

Yeah, I'm seeing that as well. I'm like "it's how much money?" I've asked most of the youtubers to make a video of the least expesnive but highest quality items in each catigory and none will do it. They all do "what's in the $50 bug out Walmart bag" but no one seems to want to tell me what's the best knife for least amount of money. What's the best water filter for the least amount of money. Etc. Fire is easy. Vasoline and cotton balls. But, everyone seems to be in it for big money. Playing on people's fears. And to an extent, they've played on my fears.

I am smart, though. I won't go out and spend $100 on a pre-packed Walmart bug out bag. I will store things slowly, make as much DIY cheap things as possible and try to cover all catigories (water/water filtration, food, fire, shelter) as cheapely as possible. I think most of these preppers go way overboard. One admitted to having a $5,000 bug out bag. What? Why?

 

[Friday]

One admitted to having a $5,000 bug out bag. What? Why?

Back Country supplies, & Expedition Gear, are expensive.

Last time I priced the sleeping bag I used in the military (new) it was $1500. It kept me both alive & healthy during some seriously hardcore weather... and it also survived years of all kinds of conditions and real world treatment, unlike most flimsy things you can buy on the commercial market, and was still replaced more than once. Cold weather gear, alone, for one person can easily run 5k and more. And that’s before weapons, tech, & medicine.

My medical bag I carried contracting? My super basic one... Had about 2k worth of Rx medicine in it... that was worth about 50k (or your life, in a pinch, good trade!) in barter. There were times I was carrying tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs. Purchase price, not street value.

I’ve survived, even thrived, for months back of beyond with nothing more to start with than the clothes on my back. I was also young, healthy, very well trained, suicidal, and on the equator. So the odds were strongly in my favor. I’ve also worked disasters and local conflicts simply looting what I needed as I went... because I started off running for my life in my skivvies.

But for a planned expedition? Being serious about it? Hell yes, that’s expensive as f*ck ...to do it smart.

 

[Ronin]

most prepper groups I've come across discount us disabled saying we'd be useless.

(snort) And you are choosing to go by a bunch of (mostly privileged, white, and out of reality men) opinion why???

Useless is a matter of opinion and who is looking.
Give me a thinking and used to abuse cripple over a bunch of What If morons any day.

(The 0.02 that is absolutely not meant as a jab at you, the contrary, it is one at those groups. What is useless is discarding whole bunch of people / assets from the get go.)

As to supplies? I prefer quality, or nothing. As in, found myself most of the time with nothing / needing to exchange with people / talk through quid pro quo instead of anything else. Less funnier also starting with nothing: and needing to figure out how the hell sell that nothing. Not useless, I wortha that halfa dollar and then maybe X k of services if not shot on spot. Or I can sit in that corner and look as pretty advertising that does not talk. Either way.

 

[Freida]

My Emergency Manager (the person in charge of disaster preparedness for the county) used to laugh at the topic of preppers. While some of them have the right idea, most of them are just dumping money into stuff that may or may not work. There is one service offered in town that guarantees they will come get you during an emergency by using "back roads" when the main roads are closed. Seriously?? Don't ya think if the main roads are too damaged to drive then so are the back ones? My sister was dating a prepper who was super proud of the surgical supplies in his kit for medical emergencies. Except he had no idea how to use it. He figured he could find a doctor if he needed one. Yea....no.

She preached starting with having a supply in your house and in your car that can keep you going for at least a week. Up to a month is good too. Filling your garage with emergency supplies for a year or two is overkill because if we don't have it under control by then you will have way more things to worry about.

here's the basics you need...
Dead Link Removed

you can put it together for about $150
Enough to alleviate the concern without going bankrupt in the process

 

[Anarchy]

A lot of the stuff out there does seem to be more of hobby / obsession

IMO the extensive planning for specifics is misguided. A lot of the events that actually hurt people are things that they didn't even know that they didn't know about (Nassim Taleb's books eg "black Swan" will get you up to speed on that idea)

There is some common sense stuff that you can do to minimise your exposure

For example if you are looking for a new place to live, think about things like river and tidal flooding, and slope run off. Slope stability, Big trees that could come down in high winds. ..

Unfortunately, because of zoning laws, too many sites that are prone to flooding get built on

If you are in areas with limestone (or salt.or gypsum or old mining) think about risks from sink holes and long term risks from gasses, including radon gas (there was a traditional house in Castle island county kerry, Ireland, that had so much radon entering it from the underlying limestone, that a radiation worker would receive a years permitted radiation dose in just a few hours in there. The occupants died of lung cancer).

You said that you are not very mobile
If something does happen eg another hurricane
You might be best sheltering at home.

Its easy enough to build up a stock of toilet paper, tinned stuff and bottled drinking water, and water for washing and flushing the toilet, to Last a few days, a bottled gas stove and some gas or kerosene lamps, fuel for them and lighters to light them.

Don't go overboard on your stocks of tinned stuff, or you'll end up forever eating almost out of date tinned shite.:sick:

I was seriously off grid for a few years, and where I am now, long power outages and blocked roads are not unusual, and the piped water supply is off from time to time as well.

I've got a handful of tea lights and a lighter on every window sill, a bunch of hurricane lamps and a few days stock of food, kerosene and camping gas.

 

[Neverthesame]

bug out bag, (and bug out location or BOL - which I have no idea where these people plan to go. Where do you bug out to with no land and no money?).

I think the idea behind this is if you need to do this, nobody else has money or land either.
Cash is useless without a place to spend it. Land titles are useless without a governing body to agree that the patch of dirt you call home is in fact yours. Plus a means to enforce your "No trespassing" sign.

Big enough disaster happens, the person with the extra can of c-rat pork and lima beans...:yuck:
Is richer than the person with the stack of wallet sized monochrome Ben Franklin portraits.

Personally, I'd much rather have shit on a shingle. Anyone tries trading you a tin of Maconochie stew? Shoot on sight. :p

 

[Ronin]

Shimmerzville: if we don't snap each other's necks, we might even be functional bunch for a disaster.

(No, seriously, I really like the way you guys be thinking.) :tup:

 

[Sideways]

Not just an unhealthy paranoia - also watch the obsessive thinking and behaviour patterns emerging. It’s probably not a coincidence that this stuff is coming up for you at a point where you’ve been actively planning for (and assuming) imminent financial ruin and homelessness. Prepping? Doesn’t seem to get you far with either of those issues.

A slight hit of reality? Humans have been anticipating the end of the world for thousands of years. It could happen tomorrow. But then, “it could happen tomorrow” has been true for thousands of years.

From a different angle? There’s a whole stack of ways to purify water. Many millions of people all around the world have to do that every day of the week. Tinned food and candles in a cupboard? Cheap as chips.

What is more of an issue isn’t stockpiling fresh water and tinned food. The issue is partial mas-disruption. The things that stressed you out during the hurricane? Was the heat and the lack of electricity for basic things like charging your phone. They are issues that you can adjust to if impending doom hits.

The problem? Is that no amount of prepping is going to address the fact that you have a pain pump. That needs topping up regularly. If shit hits the fan, and you’ve got months of food and water stashed in case the end of days hits - it’s your pain pump going dry that is going to be the issue. Not just because you will become almost immobilised with pain, but because when it runs dry? No amount lf tinned food is going to help.

Prepping is fun for some folks. They find it meaningful, enjoyable, and (ahem) affordable. But if that’s not true for you? Ask yourself what is it you’re actually prepping for? Because, it seems to me that none of this prepping stuff addresses your actual lived reality. The right here and now. How do I put food on the table this week? How do I repair the car when it breaks down next month? What do I do if my company goes belly up and I’m out of a job? How the hell am I going to afford and house a second service dog when I need help to walk in a few years?

Those realities? Seem to be far more to the point. Less glamorous, and far more stressful (because they’re far more likely) to “prep” for, sure. But to me? Prepping for a nuclear war? Somewhat misses the point. If you’re going to prep for anything? Prep for the stuff that is actually happening in your life. And once you’ve done that as best you can? Go out and actually live your life - otherwise why else are you prepping??

 

[Friday]

Not just an unhealthy paranoia - also watch the obsessive thinking and behaviour patterns emerging. It’s probably not a coincidence that this stuff is coming up for you at a point where you’ve been actively planning for (and assuming) imminent financial ruin and homelessness. Prepping? Doesn’t seem to get you far with either of those issues.

Very much this.

If you’re going to prep for anything? Prep for the stuff that is actually happening in your life.

Even more / exactly this.

 

[EveHarrington]

Just get the basics.

Having an expensive supply stash just makes you a target for those who have not prepped and happen to own guns (in case of things like a total collapse in government, etc).