Prepping with Purpose: Bypassing Paranoia to Plan Effectively!
Do people actually get prepping paranoia about the ‘end of days,’ or is it maybe something a little simpler, such as a Cat 5 hurricane or a major fire?
I have a son who works in the banking industry and is stockpiling everything from gold to rice and beans. He has a friend who keeps a loaded assault rifle on the dining room table at all times.
Both are waiting for ‘the economic collapse’.
I am here to tell you that going crazy with this stuff is unnecessary.
Let’s explore the hows and whys’ you should practice a little common sense when planning for disasters.
Ready, Not Rattled: The Fine Line Between Vigilance and Overreaction!
Doomsday prepping started as a topic being discussed worldwide, and now people have taken the initiative to prepare adequately in case they live to see such a day.
Right now, both online and physical stores offer common citizens products designed to help them go through such an ordeal swiftly.
Despite being labeled fearful, doom preppers might be very right, and at one point, their fearful actions might help them survive imminent natural disasters and terror attacks.
If you start taking statistics of how many people have taken the initiative to prepare for worse times, you will be surprised to discover that you might be the only one with no plans whatsoever.
Recently, it was discovered that several prepping extremists have gone to incredible lengths to ensure that they stay safe in case of a catastrophe. Some have even spent as much as $200,000 just stocking food, water, and medical supplies that would last for years.
This wasn’t long after introducing a Costco prep kit, which is known to go for $6000. It was widely advertised, and quite some people went for it in a bid to secure a chance to enjoy 600 cans of food that can provide just enough calories to enable 4 people to last up to a year.
The world seems to be moving forward so fast, and different people are doing different things to ensure they stay ahead and survive anything thrown their way.
Soon, preparedness will not just be for a small section of individuals but everyone ready to face the changing times that may lead to catastrophic disasters.
Striking the Balance: Smart Prepping Without the Panic
Despite being very evident that you need to adequately prepare for the danger that might be lurking in the future, sometimes you may take your preparedness a little too far. You will find yourself going beyond that common sense line, and that is when it becomes paranoia.
This is when the obsession with a catastrophe takes a toll on an individual, and he or she starts making ridiculous plans in preparation for the same. Paranoia can be self-destructive if not taken care of and might be a huge obstacle to someone’s personal life.
This might even make an individual start having a problem at work, home, and even in his or her social life. It is the last thing you would want in your life in times like these, where anything can happen.
Paranoia has been known to affect people’s mental health in some ways, and it can have mild or severe symptoms. This intense fear that something might happen can lead to several reactions from the individual to the extent that you become a danger to yourself.
Some people would differ and, in fact, claim that paranoia prepping is even much better since it makes you go the extra mile to make sure that you and your family will go an extra mile to ensure that you are safe in case anything wrong happens, be it a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.
For the past 20 years, several scary happenings have taken place, and this has plunged most people into paranoia, making them prepare for the worst.
Extreme Prepping Paranoid Examples
Some of the extreme paranoia prepping that have managed to capture people’s attention include:
The person with an underground bunker loaded with supplies.
Recently, it was discovered that an individual built an underground bunker in his ranch in preparation for the worst moments.
This banker was reinforced with steel doors; to access it, you were supposed to go through a narrow staircase leading straight underground. The sight of the place is more scary than safe. The bunker had been stocked with huge supplies that would cater to the family’s needs for several years in case the worst happened.
This level of preparedness is extreme, making it more of paranoia prepping. This is because, due to statistics or personal experiences, this individual has convinced himself that he must be extremely prepared to survive horrific times.
This has, in turn, made him go overboard with the plans.
The guy who lives in his RV with years of supplies.
This is yet another case that can be considered as paranoia preparedness.
The individual went ahead to purchase food, water, medical supplies, and other relevant survival needs so that he or she may be able to get through a disaster. It is estimated that the whole setup cost him approximately $200,000, and he has been living in his RV ever since.
The simple fact that he cannot stay home shows that this is more paranoia than just trying to prepare for hard times. It has affected his social and personal life to a great degree, and he cannot view the world as a normal and safe place to live in.
He is already in survival mode in a world that has not yet undergone chaos or natural disaster. What makes it even scarier is that he might already be living through his supplies.
This is why prepping with paranoia is much more dangerous and highly discouraged.
From the two examples, it is seen that these people have undergone some traumatic events that have made them not to be able to use common sense but instead act with complete sensationalism that seems to be affecting their normal lives hugely.
It is like they are already living the disaster instead of planning for it.
Being prepared means preparing for any disaster ahead and not living it now. At this point, their preparedness has turned to paranoia and affected how they make valid decisions.
Survival Prepping with Purpose: Bypassing Paranoia to Plan Effectively!
Keeping gallons of water, saving canned food, having backpacks ready, and storing medical supplies is one way of being prepared.
This is reasonable and logical since it is just an act of getting ready to tackle anything that will shift life into an unbearable situation in the future.
Once you do that and still manage to go ahead with your normal daily programs without any problems, you are just cautious and not paranoid. Anything beyond preparing is more of paranoia, and once it starts affecting you, it takes away even your common sense.
Being prepared for impending danger is one way of ensuring you remain safe throughout your life.
That is why taking measures before the catastrophe strikes is considered a wise choice.
You should, however, ensure you don’t let your paranoia get in the way of your preparedness because it will destroy your social life and the relationships you have built, something that might make you even more vulnerable to your destruction.
Ensure you use common sense and your rational actions, not paranoia-driven. This way, you will be able to make incredibly useful preparations.
Anticipate, Don’t Agonize: The Art of Calm and Collected Prepping!
Prepping for doomsday can be challenging, especially if you have no idea what to expect.
However, if you watched the Nat Geo series Doomsday prepping or spent some time on this site or others, you should have at least an idea of where to begin. Some of the essential things that you should consider having include:
1. Water.
There is no way you can survive without water. That is why you need to store as much as possible. You are however advised to be wary of the types of cans you use to store your doomsday water because some are known to start leaking after some time.
Thus, You should go for hard-sided containers or the impressively stacked water bricks, known to carry more water while utilizing minimum space. Several of these should keep you and your family hydrated for quite some time as you try to figure out your next step.
2. Cans of food.
Most doomsday preppers have invested hugely in cans of food since it’s the only way to supply your body with all the nutrients required to keep it functioning optimally. Some even stack up to a thousand cans that are filled with vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates.
This is because if a catastrophe occurs, you have no idea how long it will last before everything returns to normal. With that in mind, most people go for the maximum number of food they can afford.
It also depends on the number of people whom you are planning for. If your family is quite big, you will need more cans.
3. Medical supplies.
You can have all the food and water you want. Still, without medical supplies, especially the ones you really need personally, such as prescribed medicines, you are doomed to succumb to some diseases and other medical-related conditions.
That is why it is vital for you to have a kit full of medical supplies, including the basic drugs.
When talking of medical supplies, this doesn’t mean the basic first aid kit you are used to but rather a good kit that can last several months without getting depleted.
These come in handy in case of an injury or when someone falls ill. Just make sure that it is fully stocked.
With this in your possession, you will at least be sure that you will survive for some time as you wait for things to go back to normal gradually, which might take time.
4. Flashlights.
They may seem irrelevant, but they can be a big plus.
Forget about your smartphone’s flashlight, but think of the long-lasting flashlights that come with battery slots. This is because, depending on the catastrophe, there might be no electricity to power up your flashlight.
This means that you will need those that make use of batteries. These will hugely help whenever night falls and you want to move from point A to B. With a good flashlight, you should be able to have fully illuminated nights that are secure, something that would be quite hard otherwise.
You can also stack several batteries if the ones you use run out.
5. Go bags.
With go bags or the ever-important ‘bug out bag’, you have a chance to carry some things, including food, medical supplies, water, and even a flashlight.
Remember, at one point, you will need to leave your comfort zone and get to another place for one reason or another. Without a bug-out bag, you will not be able to carry anything with you, and this might be both scary and dangerous, especially if you don’t know what’s looming in the streets and how far the place you are trying to go.
That is why you need to have go-bags each for your family members. This way, everyone can carry whatever he or she feels is needed most during the move.
6. Utility knife.
Having a utility knife, or what is known as a survival knife, is very important. This is because, at one point, you will need to cut loose or cut open some things, and there is no better way of doing so than with a utility knife.
It will also come in handy for protection in a case where you need it. Otherwise, it is the best tool that can easily help you perform several things that would be impossible otherwise.
Common Sense Prepping Without The Paranoia
Those are some of the main things that you will find to be incredible when it comes to saving your life after a catastrophe.
They should be able to keep you safe for quite some time as you wait for the situation to normalize or try to figure out the next step.
So far, the three basic things that you should not miss are food, water, and medical supplies. These are the only things that can help you stay alive for quite a long time.
Not necessarily a deep hole in your backyard.
