E-Mail 'Psychological and Physical Survival - Part 3, by K.B. MD' To A Friend

14 Comments

1. Great articles, K.B. Really enjoyed them. I certainly hope you decide to write more.

   1. Yes, well done. Thank you.

2. Thank you for taking your time writing this educational, helpful 3-part article. I am passing this along to a few people who suffer at this time from what you described. It came at a most appropriate time. I also believe this will be helpful in the near future as to what is coming. Your reference to certain scriptures for support from our ultimate helpmate is important.

3. Hey Dr. K.B., I really enjoyed this series, lots of useful information. I wholeheartedly agree with your comments on pets. I’ve never tried “head meds” but they can’t be as good as having a cat or dog. 🙂

4. Useful information and definitely adds to our store of preparedness knowledge. One additional resource on the subject I’d recommend reading is a report prepared by IBM (yes, IBM) entitled ‘Psychological support for survivors of disaster: A practical guide’. This report was the first resource that got me thinking about the psychological aspects of preparedness:

   https://www.collabforchildren.org/sites/default/files/downloads/Trauma%20Guide%20from%20IBM%20-%20Adults%20-%20English.pdf

   1. JM, thanks for the link to that report. It appears to be good but will take some time for me to read the full 59-page report. If anyone here knows a pastor or counselor or psychologist who believes in preparedness, I encourage you to share K.B’s article & maybe this link. The topic of emotional & psychological health is not discussed much on prepper sites, so let’s do what we can to raise awareness by passing along resources like this.

5. Thank you, KB! Excellent and informative and important. So much appreciated!

6. Thank you, Dr. K.B., for this thoughtful series in an area that we don’t hear much about in the prepper community -psychological/emotional health. The sections on prevention & area to strengthen are esp helpful. I will share this w/ my pastor & a prepper friend that has a background as a mental health counselor. God bless u.

7. This is an article all readers should print and save for future reference. It contains valuable information that may be difficult to access when truly needed.

8. I’ve always been fascinated with survival. I’ve read many life stories and books on the topic
   I’ve also had the chance at overcoming quite a few difficulties. So, after my husband was injured on the job we had to live on almost nothing. We had 2 toddlers and I was pregnant and we were hauling water. I found it helpful to keep as regular of a routine as usual and look for things to be grateful for. It was hard but we got through it. After our house fire we had 4 children and were able to stay with friends until we found new housing. Our kids didn’t seem unduly traumatized because I worked at trying to create a routine and also made fun activities for them to get involved in. Kids reduce stress through playing and by being reassured that you have it under control. I believe it’s important to have meaningful work, feeling that what you do counts. Also being appreciated and appreciating what others do helps reduce stress. Under extreme stress all the regular recommendations probably won’t be possible. But we can control our outlook and look for ways to overcome whatever we’re given to go through.

   1. Oh, Sis. What a powerful statement: “But we can control our outlook and look for ways to overcome whatever we’re given to go through.”

      I was first exposed to this ideal by Victor Frankl, who survived incarceration in three concentration camps.
      He explored the approach in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning”.

      He also made a statement you might appreciate: “Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story, and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness, unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.”

      Carry on

9. Thanks for the very useful perspective on these scenarios. However, I am somewhat skeptical that a generation now characterized by “comfort llamas”, and “cry rooms” would ever be able to storm the beaches of Normandy or pilot an F4F in the battle of Midway. Of course, this may just be the difference between college students and worker bees. And don’t say it, I have been both.

   1. Thanks, Sam. Sadly, I agree with you.

10. K.B., you brought us some great wisdom.

    Especially your statement about touch. I still remember the day I was in great pain after surgery at the VA and my dear friend, Doug, sat next to me holding my hand as I wept. That tenderness, at a time when my sweet spouse was not available, so helped me through a very rough time. He took me home a couple hours later so I could be there when my honey arrived.

    So, yes, the humble power of touch.

    Carry on

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