After the Disaster
How Good Sanitation Can Save Your Life
Emergencyessentials.com
"The conditions are certainly right for cholera to take hold"
That’s how an aid worker described the sanitation conditions in Kathmandu, as reported by NBC. In the same report, a health professional described cholera bluntly. “It kills you within 10 hours…,” he said, “and it’s a disease that affects the poorest of the poor.”And, with 8 million people effected, “the poorest of the poor” have grown dramatically in number. But if it were just cholera the people had to be concerned about, things wouldn’t be as bad. However, there are threats of e.coli, typhoid, and other illnesses. And with the approaching rainy (monsoon) season, things may only get worse. Nepal really is in the most dire of circumstances.
Following a major disaster, disease and infections tend to spread quickly. According to Medical News Today,
“Diseases and infections are not started in rotting bodies that have been killed by the immediate disaster trauma. In fact, survivors are the source of infection, as their own sanitary conditions deteriorate and sources of clean water are disrupted.”
The Disasters Emergency Committee showed evidence of this from the recent Nepal earthquake: “People are defecating out in the open and there are already reports of diarrheal disease outbreaks and chest infections.”
Sanitation is a critical part of emergency prep. Without the proper sanitation, not only will you be more likely to get sick, but you’ll be helping to spread that sickness to many others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified five areas of sanitation preparedness that will help you – and others – keep diseases and infections at bay following a disaster.
Disaster Kit
Your disaster kit should supply you with the basics to stay sanitary. Items could include moist towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and garbage bags with plastic ties. Fecal matter has a tendency to carry diseases, so be sure to contain it and dispose of it properly (hence the garbage bags with plastic ties). One suggestion for containing your unwanted bodily waste is a portable toilet and privacy shelter. The portable toilet will give you a place to sit and go, and the privacy shelter…well, it will let you do so while still maintaining your dignity.
Wash Your Hands
If kids have to wash their hands after they cough and sneeze, then we as adults should, too. Washing our hands can eliminate many of the harmful diseases before they have a chance to spread. Remember to wash your hands with clean water. If your tap water isn’t safe, then be sure to boil or sanitize your water before washing with it. If possible, wash with running water as well.
You should wash your hands for more than just coughing and sneezing, however. If you have kids, just think about when you tell them to wash. Before eating, after using the toilet…that kind of thing. The CDC website has a long list of when to wash up. Make sure you keep your hands clean!
Bathing
Washing your body is a good health practice to follow. Not only does bathing remove dirt and odors, but also protect us from illness and infections. Finding a bathtub with clean water might not be as easy as before a disaster, but there are other options. For example, you can give yourself a nice, hot shower with the Zodi Extreme Portable Hot Shower. Or, you can turn your water filter into a portable shower with a shower adapter. Pretty handy if you can’t use your own home!
Of course, we still need to keep our teeth nice and healthy. When brushing your teeth, make sure you only use water that is safe and clean. Using unclean water will just defeat the purpose.
Wound Care
A dirty wound can lead to infection and disease. Make sure wounds are clean and covered to keep other infectious microbes from entering. Wash your wounds with soap and clean water. Seek medical attention if the wound starts to swell or if it starts becoming red.
Food and water will help you stay alive following a disaster, but if your sanitary situation is sub-par, that food and water can only do so much good. Sickness and disease can be avoided, but it will take planning beforehand to make sure you have the supplies you need to keep you and your family healthy. Are you ready with sanitation?
How Good Sanitation Can Save Your Life
Emergencyessentials.com
"The conditions are certainly right for cholera to take hold"
That’s how an aid worker described the sanitation conditions in Kathmandu, as reported by NBC. In the same report, a health professional described cholera bluntly. “It kills you within 10 hours…,” he said, “and it’s a disease that affects the poorest of the poor.”And, with 8 million people effected, “the poorest of the poor” have grown dramatically in number. But if it were just cholera the people had to be concerned about, things wouldn’t be as bad. However, there are threats of e.coli, typhoid, and other illnesses. And with the approaching rainy (monsoon) season, things may only get worse. Nepal really is in the most dire of circumstances.
Following a major disaster, disease and infections tend to spread quickly. According to Medical News Today,
“Diseases and infections are not started in rotting bodies that have been killed by the immediate disaster trauma. In fact, survivors are the source of infection, as their own sanitary conditions deteriorate and sources of clean water are disrupted.”
The Disasters Emergency Committee showed evidence of this from the recent Nepal earthquake: “People are defecating out in the open and there are already reports of diarrheal disease outbreaks and chest infections.”
Sanitation is a critical part of emergency prep. Without the proper sanitation, not only will you be more likely to get sick, but you’ll be helping to spread that sickness to many others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified five areas of sanitation preparedness that will help you – and others – keep diseases and infections at bay following a disaster.
Disaster Kit
Your disaster kit should supply you with the basics to stay sanitary. Items could include moist towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and garbage bags with plastic ties. Fecal matter has a tendency to carry diseases, so be sure to contain it and dispose of it properly (hence the garbage bags with plastic ties). One suggestion for containing your unwanted bodily waste is a portable toilet and privacy shelter. The portable toilet will give you a place to sit and go, and the privacy shelter…well, it will let you do so while still maintaining your dignity.
Wash Your Hands
If kids have to wash their hands after they cough and sneeze, then we as adults should, too. Washing our hands can eliminate many of the harmful diseases before they have a chance to spread. Remember to wash your hands with clean water. If your tap water isn’t safe, then be sure to boil or sanitize your water before washing with it. If possible, wash with running water as well.
You should wash your hands for more than just coughing and sneezing, however. If you have kids, just think about when you tell them to wash. Before eating, after using the toilet…that kind of thing. The CDC website has a long list of when to wash up. Make sure you keep your hands clean!
Bathing
Washing your body is a good health practice to follow. Not only does bathing remove dirt and odors, but also protect us from illness and infections. Finding a bathtub with clean water might not be as easy as before a disaster, but there are other options. For example, you can give yourself a nice, hot shower with the Zodi Extreme Portable Hot Shower. Or, you can turn your water filter into a portable shower with a shower adapter. Pretty handy if you can’t use your own home!
Of course, we still need to keep our teeth nice and healthy. When brushing your teeth, make sure you only use water that is safe and clean. Using unclean water will just defeat the purpose.
Wound Care
A dirty wound can lead to infection and disease. Make sure wounds are clean and covered to keep other infectious microbes from entering. Wash your wounds with soap and clean water. Seek medical attention if the wound starts to swell or if it starts becoming red.
Food and water will help you stay alive following a disaster, but if your sanitary situation is sub-par, that food and water can only do so much good. Sickness and disease can be avoided, but it will take planning beforehand to make sure you have the supplies you need to keep you and your family healthy. Are you ready with sanitation?
Gangs; After the Disaster
We all talk about prepping for disaster. Prepping includes securing long-term supply of food, water, residing in a secured shelter, being financially secure, and having adequate security. But when it comes to security, we can talk all day long. Coming up with ideas on how to secure one family, home, and belongings. One danger during an economic collapse is gangs. How will gangs thrive during an economic collapse? How will they survive? What will their methods of retaining information and attacking innocent civilians?
Well for short, we know that it’s likely that you might encounter gangs during an economic collapse. According to the FBI, there are an estimate 1.4 million gang members in the U.S. On top of that, Texas State Senator Dan Patrick stated that there are 100,000 illegal immigrant gang members in the U.S. He stated:
We charged them with 447,000 crimes, a half-million crimes in four years, just in Texas, including over 5,000 rapes and 2,000 murders. We estimate we have 100,000 gang members here illegally.
Let’s talk about avoiding gangs. During a collapse of society, people will attack vulnerable homes, people, and places of interest. One way in avoiding that is through trying to be invisible. For example, making your house look like it’s looted by throwing clothes and furniture outside your property. That will give a general consensus that this home has already been looted.
Another method is by making your house look like it was on fire. One can simply get a bottle of black spray paint and spray the top edges of your roof. That way, it will look like a fire occurred inside. This method might seem a little odd. But if it keeps even one criminals from attacking you, than it is worth it.
Being invisible vs fortifying your homes has some pros and cons. But discussing both the pros and cons of either tactic leads to a healthy debate. Lets say you decide to fortify your home. Most likely, you will bring unwanted attention. Gangs and other criminals will wait it out until someone comes out and either kills or kidnaps that person.
Another thing they might do is burn your out. A simple stick that’s dipped in gas or anything flammable can be thrown on your roof top. What are you going to do? You can’t stay inside. Maybe they can just simply fight their way through your defenses if they have enough people. During desperate times calls for desperate measures. People will be desperate and they will do crazy things.
When food comes into the equation, you can be sure that the gangs will most likely be able to recruit allies in order to take you down. Food and other necessities can be divided evenly if some sort of agreement was made between gangs.
Of course, either method of avoiding gangs or taking them on really depends on the area you live in. Whether it is rural, suburban, or urban. Gangs will be everywhere. The vast majority of people aren’t prepared for a total collapse in society. People are going to do anything for food and water.
What will a father do if he sees his kids crying out of starvation? What will a mother do? Whether you decide to help out of kindness or generosity, there are consequences, both good and bad. When people become desperate, even children will be used as decoys to lure people out of their homes or to give up some supply, which gives a hint to others that necessities or stored in this location.
One idea which seems to be the best is to construct a neighborhood watch. When you have more people working together to provide security and stability, it is better than someone being by their self where criminals can pick them off house by house.
Regardless of the methods, it will be a difficult task for one to defend him/her self during a disaster. We have 49 percent of Americans that are living off of government welfare. Less than 10 percent of Americans own any gold or silver. This just adds to the list of people who aren’t prepared for a disaster, which in turn, makes more problems down the road.
This is clearly a recipe for disaster. An unsecured border, hundreds of million of people unprepared for a calamity, millions of active members, hundreds of thousands of illegal gang members, and an economy that is likely to only get worse.
One-Month After SHTF
***No one knows what will happen in SHTF or any other time in the future***
In the period of one-month, the government sent troops to secure all food and fuel resources, including farms and refineries. Any fuel left in the gas stations was rationed, while generators and pumps were used to extract every last bit from the tanks. While some people might think it would have been rationed to citizens, it was not. It was collected by military personnel and delivered to generators at the hospitals.
Long-term elderly facilities were not included, as survival protocols were put in place for national security through decisions of who was most valuable to invest remaining resources in. Prisons were emptied, but only lifeless bodies were removed. So-called survival protocols were enacted and all those deemed a threat to authority and/or a strain to resources, were euthanized. There was some amount of mob rebellion at first, but then announcements of available food and water to those that were on board with long-term survival efforts, won-over most people, leaving the rest of the hardcore rebels to authority, helpless to a well-equipped, well-trained, and more powerful force.
Most of the generators ran on diesel fuel, and some of the military trucks as well, but any other gasoline was utilized in other military vehicles. Law enforcement was now under the direction of Homeland Security and a type of draft was instituted that was more like the conscripts of olden times. Some people joined up merely for the defenses and supplies afforded extended family, and some were forced into service. Possibly 5% of the mandated conscript force were part of a rebellion in society that wished to accept SHTF, and move backwards into more of a survival of the fittest from the land lifestyle. Some fought openly and died. Most walked among the population in all areas of authority and workers.
The Federal Government was not willing to accept any backward movement and sought to quell this rebellion. Rewards were offered, and people were rounded up for a type of re-education or were never heard from again. Many such steps were taken after the first brutal weeks of SHTF, where chaos ensued and martial law was declared and enforced not only by the military, but also by law enforcement officials and deputized citizens that were driven to protect their own towns and communities. No one thought such measures would be permanent, and that was the driving force of the rebellion against harsh government control and dictatorship that was becoming evident.
Most people that participated in the martial law force to stop all the rioting, looting, killing, and utter chaos, merely thought it was a patriotic team effort to protect good people that wanted to work together. They never thought that a tyrannical movement would grow out of it. Most people spoke of the necessity to secure resources in a protective way to prevent them from being totally destroyed so that infrastructure and systems could be restored. Then people started disappearing and anyone handicapped or dependent in any way were rounded up for movement to so-called more secure camps where they could be more easily cared for in one place.
The big clue that a tyrannical movement had came about was when people wanted to visit their loved ones in these camps and they couldn’t find the camps or get any information on them or their loved ones. When they pushed harder they were warned to let it go. If they pushed past the warning and became threatening in posture or action, they were taken into custody and never heard from again. Then check points cropped up everywhere and travel was limited to small areas. Everyone had their appointed area to live.
People were given new identification papers that limited them to their specific areas where they served in positions given to them through a determination made from their answers on a five-page questionnaire that was used to assess their skills and abilities. It appeared that some people were either highly skilled and needed elsewhere, or failed the test altogether. Whatever their scores or abilities, those people were also taken away and never heard from again. All of these steps and controls were mandated and put into places too fast for anyone to mount and organized rebuttal with any force necessary to stop it. Those that attempted to rebel against these controls in the smaller rural townships, were heard to of been wiped-out.
Surprisingly, there was no real severe amount of world-wide conflict. Countries were in contact with each other and the efforts of the UN to keep peace were still in place. Whatever damage there was to the power systems of the world, there was a present concerted effort to repair them all. There was no obvious attempt by any county to gain any advantage by powering up before any other country. There were successful acts of terrorism, but any and all persons that were suspected of being involved, or had ever voiced opinion against the security of any country, or belonged to a known sinister organization that represented harmful intentions against anyone else, was rounded up and never heard from again.
It appeared that there was a plan in place prior to SHTF, that was being instituted very successfully. While this was scary for many, some were in a comfort zone afforded them by their skills and abilities, while having the ability to accept and adapt to the changes occurring very fast. Anyone with any sense, saw the futility in fighting against such a well orchestrated plan by a more well-equipped force. Most all firearms had been successfully confiscated. Some firefights had occurred, but the enormity of people that merely surrendered their firearms was staggering.
Many people had buried their’s successfully and said they were stolen, but a reference program was available through records and accounting as firearms were surrendered. The military had all kinds of backup computers that they kept charged through solar and manual charging devices. Those that denied having firearms, and stated they were stolen or turned in, were investigated and taken away for further questioning. Any rebellion was difficult to build because of the lack of firepower and the lack of will of most people. Years of sedentary lifestyle and the placing of more and more responsibility in the hands of government, had created a lack of individuality and substance of self-will in most people.
No one considering a rebellion could trust anyone to recruit, join, or even follow. People had become so accustomed to convenience and certain foods, that betrayal was easily accomplished by those in power. There was an active network of reporting any person going against congruence. Some people were using this network of reporting others as traitors to peace, to get even with others, or to gain in numbers with certain specific beliefs so they could become the authoritative power at some point. If any open government ever returned, they wanted to have an advantage in numbers for voting strength.
Any payment system was in the form of your daily bread of sorts, with respect to water, food, and medical if needed. Most of the colder areas were hardly populated as people were relocated to the warmer climates. Those only with skills to work on rebuilding the infrastructure were brought into and housed in the colder northern areas.This way a limited amount of resources were required and needed in those areas. Some areas still had power, but those were now command centers and housing for military and other government personnel. Some of the outer wilderness people were allowed to stay where they were, and utilized as scouts and hunters. As scouts, the would lead military personnel to track rebels and guards remote border areas.
The only communication between areas on a civilian level was via Ham Radio owners and operators, but only at specified times when the government was not utilizing them. Those operating systems were also now under government control and monitored. Some satellites had been damaged by the solar flaring, so Ham Radio was sometimes the only way to communicate at long distances. Licensing of Ham Radio operators made it easy to access where they were, what potential they had, and what backup power would be needed in that area. What firepower was there, was also cross-referenced to protect the equipment from being destroyed.
Licensing of most everything anyone did or owned was a key element in a fast and coordinated confiscation and control of everything deemed necessary for the success of the plan to return the country to stability. The tyrannical part was a cross-section of the overall plan for what was sustainable in population in respect to health, criminal makeup, rebellious attitude, available resources, and usefulness of the individual. What was once a free and prosperous, have anything you want just because you were a citizen country, was now a place where it was necessary to earn your keep or be removed from society, never to be heard from again.
The slightest amount of rebellion would be investigated and the individual accessed for either fatigue or genuine rebellious nature. There was a standing reward for reporting any such people. Due to the lack of food and other resources, reporting others for possible rebellious demeanor, became a kind of economy of sorts. People would seek to gain from reporting others and had became a class of rats or stool-pigeons per-say. No one liked them. Neither the military or the people, but the military protected what they deemed useful and declare them as protected. That didn’t stop them from being killed, though.
Most tyrannical power structures don’t just happen because someone wants to be all-powerful and dominant. They grow out of many systematic changes of seemingly necessary actions to secure stability. Then a leader or leaders emerge and dominate. They dictate in their preferences, and if more than one leader is in conflict, they may go to war. Civil war. Unless one can be assassinated. This was the hope of the rebellion that had been kept so secret. Only a few people new all the factions that were spread throughout the country and even in the government order and military. The hope was to create another leader and take over to free the public again, once systems were repaired and up and running…..
http://www.prepperdome.com/one-month-shtf/
We all talk about prepping for disaster. Prepping includes securing long-term supply of food, water, residing in a secured shelter, being financially secure, and having adequate security. But when it comes to security, we can talk all day long. Coming up with ideas on how to secure one family, home, and belongings. One danger during an economic collapse is gangs. How will gangs thrive during an economic collapse? How will they survive? What will their methods of retaining information and attacking innocent civilians?
Well for short, we know that it’s likely that you might encounter gangs during an economic collapse. According to the FBI, there are an estimate 1.4 million gang members in the U.S. On top of that, Texas State Senator Dan Patrick stated that there are 100,000 illegal immigrant gang members in the U.S. He stated:
We charged them with 447,000 crimes, a half-million crimes in four years, just in Texas, including over 5,000 rapes and 2,000 murders. We estimate we have 100,000 gang members here illegally.
Let’s talk about avoiding gangs. During a collapse of society, people will attack vulnerable homes, people, and places of interest. One way in avoiding that is through trying to be invisible. For example, making your house look like it’s looted by throwing clothes and furniture outside your property. That will give a general consensus that this home has already been looted.
Another method is by making your house look like it was on fire. One can simply get a bottle of black spray paint and spray the top edges of your roof. That way, it will look like a fire occurred inside. This method might seem a little odd. But if it keeps even one criminals from attacking you, than it is worth it.
Being invisible vs fortifying your homes has some pros and cons. But discussing both the pros and cons of either tactic leads to a healthy debate. Lets say you decide to fortify your home. Most likely, you will bring unwanted attention. Gangs and other criminals will wait it out until someone comes out and either kills or kidnaps that person.
Another thing they might do is burn your out. A simple stick that’s dipped in gas or anything flammable can be thrown on your roof top. What are you going to do? You can’t stay inside. Maybe they can just simply fight their way through your defenses if they have enough people. During desperate times calls for desperate measures. People will be desperate and they will do crazy things.
When food comes into the equation, you can be sure that the gangs will most likely be able to recruit allies in order to take you down. Food and other necessities can be divided evenly if some sort of agreement was made between gangs.
Of course, either method of avoiding gangs or taking them on really depends on the area you live in. Whether it is rural, suburban, or urban. Gangs will be everywhere. The vast majority of people aren’t prepared for a total collapse in society. People are going to do anything for food and water.
What will a father do if he sees his kids crying out of starvation? What will a mother do? Whether you decide to help out of kindness or generosity, there are consequences, both good and bad. When people become desperate, even children will be used as decoys to lure people out of their homes or to give up some supply, which gives a hint to others that necessities or stored in this location.
One idea which seems to be the best is to construct a neighborhood watch. When you have more people working together to provide security and stability, it is better than someone being by their self where criminals can pick them off house by house.
Regardless of the methods, it will be a difficult task for one to defend him/her self during a disaster. We have 49 percent of Americans that are living off of government welfare. Less than 10 percent of Americans own any gold or silver. This just adds to the list of people who aren’t prepared for a disaster, which in turn, makes more problems down the road.
This is clearly a recipe for disaster. An unsecured border, hundreds of million of people unprepared for a calamity, millions of active members, hundreds of thousands of illegal gang members, and an economy that is likely to only get worse.
One-Month After SHTF
***No one knows what will happen in SHTF or any other time in the future***
In the period of one-month, the government sent troops to secure all food and fuel resources, including farms and refineries. Any fuel left in the gas stations was rationed, while generators and pumps were used to extract every last bit from the tanks. While some people might think it would have been rationed to citizens, it was not. It was collected by military personnel and delivered to generators at the hospitals.
Long-term elderly facilities were not included, as survival protocols were put in place for national security through decisions of who was most valuable to invest remaining resources in. Prisons were emptied, but only lifeless bodies were removed. So-called survival protocols were enacted and all those deemed a threat to authority and/or a strain to resources, were euthanized. There was some amount of mob rebellion at first, but then announcements of available food and water to those that were on board with long-term survival efforts, won-over most people, leaving the rest of the hardcore rebels to authority, helpless to a well-equipped, well-trained, and more powerful force.
Most of the generators ran on diesel fuel, and some of the military trucks as well, but any other gasoline was utilized in other military vehicles. Law enforcement was now under the direction of Homeland Security and a type of draft was instituted that was more like the conscripts of olden times. Some people joined up merely for the defenses and supplies afforded extended family, and some were forced into service. Possibly 5% of the mandated conscript force were part of a rebellion in society that wished to accept SHTF, and move backwards into more of a survival of the fittest from the land lifestyle. Some fought openly and died. Most walked among the population in all areas of authority and workers.
The Federal Government was not willing to accept any backward movement and sought to quell this rebellion. Rewards were offered, and people were rounded up for a type of re-education or were never heard from again. Many such steps were taken after the first brutal weeks of SHTF, where chaos ensued and martial law was declared and enforced not only by the military, but also by law enforcement officials and deputized citizens that were driven to protect their own towns and communities. No one thought such measures would be permanent, and that was the driving force of the rebellion against harsh government control and dictatorship that was becoming evident.
Most people that participated in the martial law force to stop all the rioting, looting, killing, and utter chaos, merely thought it was a patriotic team effort to protect good people that wanted to work together. They never thought that a tyrannical movement would grow out of it. Most people spoke of the necessity to secure resources in a protective way to prevent them from being totally destroyed so that infrastructure and systems could be restored. Then people started disappearing and anyone handicapped or dependent in any way were rounded up for movement to so-called more secure camps where they could be more easily cared for in one place.
The big clue that a tyrannical movement had came about was when people wanted to visit their loved ones in these camps and they couldn’t find the camps or get any information on them or their loved ones. When they pushed harder they were warned to let it go. If they pushed past the warning and became threatening in posture or action, they were taken into custody and never heard from again. Then check points cropped up everywhere and travel was limited to small areas. Everyone had their appointed area to live.
People were given new identification papers that limited them to their specific areas where they served in positions given to them through a determination made from their answers on a five-page questionnaire that was used to assess their skills and abilities. It appeared that some people were either highly skilled and needed elsewhere, or failed the test altogether. Whatever their scores or abilities, those people were also taken away and never heard from again. All of these steps and controls were mandated and put into places too fast for anyone to mount and organized rebuttal with any force necessary to stop it. Those that attempted to rebel against these controls in the smaller rural townships, were heard to of been wiped-out.
Surprisingly, there was no real severe amount of world-wide conflict. Countries were in contact with each other and the efforts of the UN to keep peace were still in place. Whatever damage there was to the power systems of the world, there was a present concerted effort to repair them all. There was no obvious attempt by any county to gain any advantage by powering up before any other country. There were successful acts of terrorism, but any and all persons that were suspected of being involved, or had ever voiced opinion against the security of any country, or belonged to a known sinister organization that represented harmful intentions against anyone else, was rounded up and never heard from again.
It appeared that there was a plan in place prior to SHTF, that was being instituted very successfully. While this was scary for many, some were in a comfort zone afforded them by their skills and abilities, while having the ability to accept and adapt to the changes occurring very fast. Anyone with any sense, saw the futility in fighting against such a well orchestrated plan by a more well-equipped force. Most all firearms had been successfully confiscated. Some firefights had occurred, but the enormity of people that merely surrendered their firearms was staggering.
Many people had buried their’s successfully and said they were stolen, but a reference program was available through records and accounting as firearms were surrendered. The military had all kinds of backup computers that they kept charged through solar and manual charging devices. Those that denied having firearms, and stated they were stolen or turned in, were investigated and taken away for further questioning. Any rebellion was difficult to build because of the lack of firepower and the lack of will of most people. Years of sedentary lifestyle and the placing of more and more responsibility in the hands of government, had created a lack of individuality and substance of self-will in most people.
No one considering a rebellion could trust anyone to recruit, join, or even follow. People had become so accustomed to convenience and certain foods, that betrayal was easily accomplished by those in power. There was an active network of reporting any person going against congruence. Some people were using this network of reporting others as traitors to peace, to get even with others, or to gain in numbers with certain specific beliefs so they could become the authoritative power at some point. If any open government ever returned, they wanted to have an advantage in numbers for voting strength.
Any payment system was in the form of your daily bread of sorts, with respect to water, food, and medical if needed. Most of the colder areas were hardly populated as people were relocated to the warmer climates. Those only with skills to work on rebuilding the infrastructure were brought into and housed in the colder northern areas.This way a limited amount of resources were required and needed in those areas. Some areas still had power, but those were now command centers and housing for military and other government personnel. Some of the outer wilderness people were allowed to stay where they were, and utilized as scouts and hunters. As scouts, the would lead military personnel to track rebels and guards remote border areas.
The only communication between areas on a civilian level was via Ham Radio owners and operators, but only at specified times when the government was not utilizing them. Those operating systems were also now under government control and monitored. Some satellites had been damaged by the solar flaring, so Ham Radio was sometimes the only way to communicate at long distances. Licensing of Ham Radio operators made it easy to access where they were, what potential they had, and what backup power would be needed in that area. What firepower was there, was also cross-referenced to protect the equipment from being destroyed.
Licensing of most everything anyone did or owned was a key element in a fast and coordinated confiscation and control of everything deemed necessary for the success of the plan to return the country to stability. The tyrannical part was a cross-section of the overall plan for what was sustainable in population in respect to health, criminal makeup, rebellious attitude, available resources, and usefulness of the individual. What was once a free and prosperous, have anything you want just because you were a citizen country, was now a place where it was necessary to earn your keep or be removed from society, never to be heard from again.
The slightest amount of rebellion would be investigated and the individual accessed for either fatigue or genuine rebellious nature. There was a standing reward for reporting any such people. Due to the lack of food and other resources, reporting others for possible rebellious demeanor, became a kind of economy of sorts. People would seek to gain from reporting others and had became a class of rats or stool-pigeons per-say. No one liked them. Neither the military or the people, but the military protected what they deemed useful and declare them as protected. That didn’t stop them from being killed, though.
Most tyrannical power structures don’t just happen because someone wants to be all-powerful and dominant. They grow out of many systematic changes of seemingly necessary actions to secure stability. Then a leader or leaders emerge and dominate. They dictate in their preferences, and if more than one leader is in conflict, they may go to war. Civil war. Unless one can be assassinated. This was the hope of the rebellion that had been kept so secret. Only a few people new all the factions that were spread throughout the country and even in the government order and military. The hope was to create another leader and take over to free the public again, once systems were repaired and up and running…..
http://www.prepperdome.com/one-month-shtf/
Experiencing Emotional Aftershocks
Just like aftershocks can follow an earthquake, traumatic stress reactions are like emotional “aftershocks” that we may experience following a personal, community, or national disaster. Symptoms may begin immediately, but could appear weeks, months, or (occasionally) years later. Most begin within three months of the triggering event.
The sufferings of military men and women who come home from war with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have taught us a lot about human response to intense stress and trauma. These folks often experience flashbacks, anxiety, depression, emotional numbing, trouble sleeping, hallucinations, exaggerated responses to loud noises, and much more. We see similar responses in victims of traumatic events like natural disasters, house fires, terrorist attacks, car accidents, and witnessing criminal acts, and because of increased understanding of PTSD, we can more easily recognize and address it.
Understanding the Roots of Emotional Aftershocks
The severity of our reaction to trauma is influenced by several factors:
Traumatic Stress Responses:
See also our Insight Article, “Preserving Sanity in a Disaster Situation”
For immediate emotional help, call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990.
Sources:
www.fema.gov/coping-with-disaster
www.webmd.com
www.weather.com/safety/homesafety/emotional-health-20120601
www.newsroom.redcross.org/2012/07/symptoms-and-support-after-disaster
www.disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/disaster-distress-hotline
www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder
Just like aftershocks can follow an earthquake, traumatic stress reactions are like emotional “aftershocks” that we may experience following a personal, community, or national disaster. Symptoms may begin immediately, but could appear weeks, months, or (occasionally) years later. Most begin within three months of the triggering event.
The sufferings of military men and women who come home from war with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have taught us a lot about human response to intense stress and trauma. These folks often experience flashbacks, anxiety, depression, emotional numbing, trouble sleeping, hallucinations, exaggerated responses to loud noises, and much more. We see similar responses in victims of traumatic events like natural disasters, house fires, terrorist attacks, car accidents, and witnessing criminal acts, and because of increased understanding of PTSD, we can more easily recognize and address it.
Understanding the Roots of Emotional Aftershocks
The severity of our reaction to trauma is influenced by several factors:
- The intensity and length of the traumatic event
- Other stressful factors we’re already dealing with
- The length of time since the event happened (usually the intensity of our reaction and feelings will decrease over time)
- Long-term results of the event, such as the loss of loved ones or pets, long-term or permanent disabilities, the loss of housing and personal belongings, lasting psychological damage, etc.
- Whether we have prior experience with the specific type of event (or something similar). This prior experience can be positive (and actually help us with our reaction) or it can be negative, making a difficult situation worse. For example, a person who is accustomed to frequent earthquakes may not be quite as terrified as a “first-timer” (positive). On the other hand, a person who has already been through a house fire may be even more terrified of a second event (negative).
Traumatic Stress Responses:
- Fear and anxiety may mount before a predicted or anticipated event as information becomes available through the media or authorities.
- During the event, feelings such as panic, uncertainty, fight-or-flight response, and terror for the lives and safety of self and others may predominate.
- Some people are amazingly able to stay calm and hold themselves together during the crisis, only to fall apart afterwards.
- The severity of the situation may only hit home after the event, when the person begins to realize the extent of their loss—of loved ones or property—or faces the extreme frustration that occurs when they cannot find out what happened to either.
- Later responses may appear in the forms of nightmares, flashbacks, hallucinations, generalized anxiety, restlessness, irritability, anger, sadness, periods of unexpected crying, self-destructive behavior (such as drinking too much), memory problems, difficulty maintaining close personal relationships, and fear of crowds, strangers, or being alone. Anger is frequently a secondary emotion, following closely on the heels of fear or frustration. People often experience guilt at having survived an event that took the lives of many around them.
- Physical symptoms such as digestive disturbances, dizziness, exhaustion, pounding heart, trouble sleeping, or headaches are common.
- Get extra rest and relaxation, especially if you can’t sleep well
- Listen to relaxing music
- Get some form of exercise
- If you've experienced loss, attend or take part in funerals and memorials and allow yourself to grieve
- Establish as normal a schedule as possible as soon as you can
- Talk to friends about your feelings, as well as to counselors and/or religious leaders
- Avoid alcohol and drugs (except medications prescribed by a doctor)
- Don’t fight against recurring nightmares and flashbacks—these are one way our minds deal with trauma. The episodes should gradually decrease and become less painful. If, however, you find them increasing in intensity or length, or causing you to feel a lack of motivation, consult a professional.
- If those around you are saying you need to get help, pay attention to them! There’s no virtue in being miserable or reluctant to accept help in these situations. Often we think we should be strong enough to “just deal” with what we've gone through, not realizing how deeply rooted and lasting the damage is.
- Listen carefully, even if people repeat themselves and dwell on the same topics. Allow them to share their thoughts and feelings; avoid dismissing what they say, but rather hear them out and be there for them.
- Spend time with them. You may need to seek them out, especially if they withdraw and “just want to be left alone.” On the other hand, do allow them some private time to grieve their losses. Don’t immediately try to cheer them up with what is normally a “fun” activity. After they've had time to grieve, however, a little normalcy may be just what they need.
- Offer assistance if you see a need, even if they haven’t asked for help. Many people have a difficult time asking for help with everyday tasks, which can feel overwhelming when a person is traumatized. Child-care, housekeeping or home repairs, yard work, and help with transportation or shopping are good places to start.
- Help them avoid alcohol and drugs (except medications prescribed by a doctor)
- Recognize that people grieve in their own way and within their own timeframe. Never say, “Oh, for heaven’s sake! Aren’t you over that yet? Let it go.” They will when they can.
- If the person exhibits anger or has emotional outbursts, try not to take it personally. He or she may very well have a reservoir of anger with no way to direct it at the cause of their pain.
- If you see any signs or threats of suicidal or homicidal behavior, get the person professional help right away.
- Make an updated family or personal emergency plan.
- Replenish or establish a disaster supply kit for yourself and family members.
- Act on the things you wish you had done before the traumatic event you experienced—build a shelter, fortify your home, obtain food and water storage, learn survival skills, get fire and carbon monoxide monitors, etc.
See also our Insight Article, “Preserving Sanity in a Disaster Situation”
For immediate emotional help, call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990.
Sources:
www.fema.gov/coping-with-disaster
www.webmd.com
www.weather.com/safety/homesafety/emotional-health-20120601
www.newsroom.redcross.org/2012/07/symptoms-and-support-after-disaster
www.disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/disaster-distress-hotline
www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder