Panic

[Amish Country]

Afternoon all

This thread was started for the reason that I don't have any expertise in this area AT ALL. Just think it is about time we start looking at the 800 pound gorilla in the room named PANIC. It seems that a lot of folks are tip toeing around this big guy and maybe it is time that we looked at him objectively as a group and see what coping mechanisms are available?

What has worked in the past and what hasn't? If we discuss it now will we be a little bit better prepared to cope when history starts to get interesting? I don't know. What has worked on a family sized scale? What has worked for a community?

Its been a while since I read it but think it was in the book: The Great Influenza that suggested communities that dealt with the public truthfully and informed them honestly of what to do and what to expect had the least trouble? Granted that referred to the 1918 bug. The thing is while our technology may have changed since 1918 the human condition has not.

Personally, God forbid this does hit, I'm debating the value of locking myself in a room without any breakables or sharp objects and having a nice healthy privet panic - running around screaming and throwing pillows till I get panic completely out of my system so I can get down to the serious business of seeing my self and family safely thru the crisis.

What do you think of holding practice panics so if it does happen and we feel a panic coming on we will know the correct way to panic without anyone getting hurt?

My point is in a crisis, any crisis there is likely to be panic. Some may be overwhelmed by it, others may have the character needed to deal with it and others may take illegal advantage of it. My question is how do we deal with it now on a personal level? On a community level?

Now what works for you?

[MHSC]

Re: Panic

See this thread for information http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11858

[prepdeb]

Re: Panic

I enjoyed your post and thread starter Amish.

While my anxiety level has been up a bit recently, I think it's raised so many times over the past year or so that it doesn't race anymore.

The hardest part of increased anxiety for me is the fact that nobody in my life wants to hear about it or discuss the situation. Even those who believe it might happen, don't reaslly want to know what's going on so I just read and keep things to myself for the most part.

Although I hope it never makes the jump, the watching and waiting can feel like an endurance test now and then. I've even tried to stop watching a time or two, but I don't think it's possible for me to ignore it until if and when it ceases to be a serious threat.

So ... how much toilet paper is enough?

[Laidback Al]

Re: Panic

. . . . My question is how do we deal with it now on a personal level? On a community level?

Now what works for you?

Panic, on a personal and family level, can be avoided if you feel you have some control over your own destiny. You and you family need to start preparing for a possible pandemic. Not just by storing food, water, emergency supplies and PPE, but by considering different scenarios and how you and your family might react. As you amass your preps and have wrapped your mind around possible consequences you will begin to feel like you might have a chance at protecting yourself and your loved ones. You will never be fully prepared and you will always be adding to your preparations, but once you feel confident that you have enough stored supplies to get yourself through a first wave, you won't be panicking like those who failed to prepare.

No one knows exactly how they will react once a pandemic starts. But preparing physically (prepping) and mentally will certainly help you avoid the feeling of helplessness and the ensuing feelings of panic. Once you overcome these fears within yourself, it is time to help your friends and neighbors prepare for pandemic to avoid panic within your local community.

[Amish Country]

Re: Panic

Thanks for your responses.

When some of the ramifications of a pandemic started to sink in I have to admit to being a bit more than a little uncomfortable with the whole idea. Reading flutrackes, researching the topic using reputable sources and talking with other like minded folk has been helpful for me.

Working on our flu preps has helped me deal with a lot of the "What if....." worries. You know the ones: What if the stores run out of food like during snowstorms or hurricanes? What if supply chains are broken? What if the grid goes down for a while? What if there is a quarantine? (just to name a few).

This is such big unknown we are discussing here that there may be no way to prepare for every contingency. Maybe the better everyone understands the danger the better they can prepare for it?

I wonder if one of the major problems is just that this is not in the living memories of most of the current population?

Mainly I wonder if this all just doesn't come down to choices? If the flu or some other major crisis does hit do you want to be in the store fighting over the last loaf of bread or quart of milk? Worried that you may be bringing the grip home with the groceries? Or do you want you and yours hunkered down together safe at home with enough supplies? And with the knowledge of how to keep everyone safe till the crisis has passed?

Being anxious is way different from out and out PANIC where you break out in a cold sweat, have the taste of bile in your mouth, feel like there are butterflies the size of buffaloes in your stomach and your mind can not grasp what it has to deal with RIGHT NOW! Look around your neighborhood, block, town, city, county and try to imagine a large percentage of your neighbors feeling just that way.

What do you think the chances are that, that is just how someone who is ignorant of the danger and completely unprepared will feel? What are you going to do if they live next to you? What are you going to do if a lot of them live next to you? This is what I mean by PANIC.

[Jonesie]

Re: Panic

The hardest part of increased anxiety for me is the fact that nobody in my life wants to hear about it or discuss the situation. Even those who believe it might happen, don't reaslly want to know what's going on so I just read and keep things to myself for the most part.

So ... how much toilet paper is enough?

150 rolls per person should get you through a little more than 1 year. After the pandemic, there may not be a reliable supply of most goods, and many things may be quite expensive. So buy a little extra if you can. .

My friends don't want to talk about the pandemic anymore. One has not been preparing since last summer, however, and now is quite concerned again.

Now I am running across people who know about bird flu, have heard the warnings to stock up, have had their churches also tell them to stock up. But not one of them has purchased anything yet. The messages are not sinking in.

[LMonty]

Re: Panic

But not one of them has purchased anything yet. The messages are not sinking in.

They are missing out on great opportunities. Friend of my DH at work got real sick- had teh flu, then didnt get better- just found out this week they did an MRI on him and "found something they didnt like". They were kinda struggling to begin with, with a year od baby at home- and this has really hit them hard. Dh called his wife, she assented since we were "cleaning out storage to make moving easier" Ive got two large boxes of food to bring them this weekend.It will help, and it was so easy to do- becaues we're prepared. Just sharing another good reason to do it.


We all have to adjust to our "New Normal" as Sandman calls it. I like the comfort and control (even if its an illusion!) that preparation gives me. (I find it so very hard to understand why others dont!) It increases my self confidence that I can deal with the unknown and with adverse situations.

I've thought through many scenarios. Ive practiced and preapared mentally. Made soem loose plans for different possibilities. Heck, when the chance came to move to a more self reliant property-we jumped on it! I didnt buy a little farm just because i was worried about the pandemic to come- I did it because I've wanted this lifestyle for over 20 years. But that gives me many more options and much more confidence that I can supply our needs in the more serious scenarios.

I'm a lot more comfortable inside about what is to come than I have been in a long time. I have some peace about it. I think that means I have adjusted to it, or at least the waiting period. It takes time, be kind to yourself.

The biggest gift we can give to others when this happens is to help them adjust. Thats what I think a lot of our board will be dealing with. Being ahead of the curve is going to help a lot. Mental practice is priceless.

[prepdeb]

Re: Panic

We have been prepped for quite awhile now and knowing that we have plenty of food and methods to prepare it really does help keep the nerves more steady.

Oklahoma has had several ice storms this winter where the streets were in bad condition for days at a time. While my neighbors kept risking trips to the stores, I just shopped at home and baked bread.

We were fortunate that we never lost our power, but we have alternate light and heat sources if we had.

Pandemic or not, we'll stay prepped to some degree going forward since there are so many situations that could make last minute provisions impossible. The delicate JIT system could easily mean 'Just Impossible Tomorrow' at any time.

[susieM]

Re: Panic

I plan to sleep through the entire affair.

[prepdeb]

Re: Panic

I plan to sleep through the entire affair.

Good plan - I like it

[gsgs]

Re: Panic

the real story about Snowy Owls and Lemmings :

http://www.helsinki.fi/research/news/2003/week46.htm

[Thornton]

Re: Panic

Amish,
Take a look at these two threads

1. Resiliency

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7440

- the bottom line here is that stockpiling is good but insufficient. Taking care of oneself mentally and spiritually is also necessary. Survival against social panic requires social cooperation. That activity is best initiated before the catastrophic event.

2. Risk communications and resiliency

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8625

Use FT as a grass roots risk communications tool.

A lot of work ahead. Hope this helps for a good start.

Joe E. Thornton, M.D. (formerly posted as Christian Rivers until Oct 2006).

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Panic

As Snowy keeps saying.....people need to learn how to hunt and fish and care for themselves, but not as white men do, but like those who have survived for thousands of years.

The caribou herds here have seen large population decreases. The scientists keep looking for explanations based on their perspective from their city existance.

The 40-mile herd which normally summers on the arctic tundra, winters on the north slopes of the Wrangell Mountains - near the border with Canada. This herd no longer goes to the Wrangells, instead they appear "lost" in the area between the summer and winter ranges.

Local village elders say it is because of the way white men hunt......they kill the best in the herd - the very ones who are needed to lead the herd to safety and provide those smart genes via their progeny. Their customs are to let the leaders pass through, then take the weaker among the herd for food.

There are important survival lessons in nature, if we will take the time to look.

.

[DRJJ]

Re: Panic

Personally, God forbid this does hit, I'm debating the value of locking myself in a room without any breakables or sharp objects and having a nice healthy privet panic - running around screaming and throwing pillows till I get panic completely out of my system so I can get down to the serious business of seeing my self and family safely thru the crisis.

What do you think of holding practice panics so if it does happen and we feel a panic coming on we will know the correct way to panic without anyone getting hurt?

My point is in a crisis, any crisis there is likely to be panic. Some may be overwhelmed by it, others may have the character needed to deal with it and others may take illegal advantage of it. My question is how do we deal with it now on a personal level? On a community level?

Now what works for you?

What we practice is what we learn! Practice panic attacks are NOT recommended.

Participation in FluTrackers is valuable practice for pandemic survival. As members we practice restraint, civility, preparation, communication, information gathering, outreach, respect and courage.

We abjure rumor-mongoring, panic, blaming, divisiveness, conspiracy theorizing and theorists, isolation, guns and violence.

Much thanks to our wise directors and moderators who help us all to stay on track

[tropical]

Re: Panic

#11:
"... since ' They have decided to suicide themselves collectively and that if we want to still feed ourselves, it is now time to prep ..."