Prepper depression is very real and is usually caused by several factors. As my wife has pointed out to me before, it tends to sneak up on you and the overall effect is the completely hopeless and overwhelmed feeling that you get about the world and National situation in general. While there are actually many causes, it can be overcome by following a few simple steps. In today’s post we are going to look at some of the causes and what you can do to avoid it as well as recover from it, if you are already in that dark place. This is one of those topics that are often avoided but pretty much anyone that has been prepping for very long has experienced.
Let’s start out by trying to define exactly what it is and what causes it. Let me state that I am not a Dr. of any type and in no way regard myself to be an expert on this subject. I am only offering observations based on my experience with this and should not be a substitute for professional help. OK, now that I got that out of the way, let’s let started.
Prepper Depression: I would define it as a feeling of helplessness and anger that comes from a feeling of seeing the world crumbling around you (Socially and politically) and the feeling of not being able to do anything about it. This seems to manifest it’s self in many ways. For some of us it makes us angry and for others it makes them sad. In any case, it is not healthy and you need to do what you can to avoid it or overcome it at all cost.
What is the root causes of this you might ask? Well, I believe that it is caused by information overload for one thing. Many Preppers including myself are “News Junkies” and have a need to read everything we can get our hands on to try to keep up with the current state of affairs in the world and in our nation. Day after day, we see and read about the corruption in both world and national governments and the things they are doing to push us toward a one world government and take away all personal freedoms. Each day it seems that we are even closer to World War III and Civil War in our own country. As a result, we tend to see ourselves surrounded by evil and often times feel like it is us against the world. We ask ourselves how the world has managed to come to this, but deep down inside, we know that it because we allowed ourselves to remain silent in the face of evil and are as much at fault for this happening as anyone. This anger and guilt that we feel can at times become overwhelming and can get the better of us at times, but it doesn’t need to. There are ways to overcome it and even prevent it from occurring.
So, the question becomes how do we prevent it from happening in the first place? That is a very good question and I have thought about it a lot over my years as a Prepper. Like I said earlier, I am no Dr., but these are the steps that seem to work best for me. The first thing, I do is to try to remember that about 50% of all of the news you read and hear is not really true. It is facts that have been twisted and distorted to satisfy the writer’s point of view and personal agenda. In other words, don’t believe everything you read and only half of what you see. The next thing is to reduce the number of news sources that you use regularly. Select only 3 or 4 of the ones that you trust the most and have a good record of reporting facts and not just their opinions. The next thing is to research stories on your own that you find especially disturbing. Be sure they are indeed factual and not misleading or a hoax. Even reputable news sources can be victims of a hoax from time to time. This is important so that you are not worrying about something that is not true. As Preppers, we need to focus on things that are factual so that we can be better prepared when the time comes. Not getting caught up in all of the hype will keep you from needlessly stressing on things that simply are not true.
The next thing that we can do is to focus on our preps that we do have and not so much on what we wish we had. Sure, we all wish we had millions of dollars to go out and buy that nice big retreat that sets on a thousand acres and is completely self-sufficient with plenty of room to store 5 years of food and other supplies. The reality of it though is that for 99% of us that is never going to happen. It is unrealistic to beat yourself up because you can’t do it. If you are like me and many other Preppers, you have worked hard for what you have and you should take pride in that. We all have to live within our means and have faith that in the end it will be enough. Planning out in advance what you will need and working toward that goal on a consistent base is the surest way for any of us to reach our goals. Take the time to stop and look at just how far you have come since you began and take pride in your accomplishments. Live in the here and now and don’t dwell on things that you have no control over.
Get out and practice new skills that you may have learned and tryout some of that new equipment that you have purchased to be sure you know how to use it. The fresh air will do you good and will give you a feeling of accomplishment. Join a local Prepper group and get involved with your community. You will find that sharing your thoughts and ideas as well as your concerns with others will go a long way to helping you feel more like you are in control of your own life and happier about your decision to be a Prepper. Like-minded people are a joy to be around for the most part. While there are a few that seem to enjoy wallowing in self-pity, by and large they are upbeat and happy people because they know that when SHTF hits, they will have done everything that they could to ensure their own survival.
As they say, don’t let the Turkeys get you down! Stay positive and remember that you are not alone in this struggle. Have faith in yourself and what you are doing and reach out to other Preppers when the shadows start to creep in. Stay positive and remember that prepping is not a destination, but a direction of travel and I for one am glad to be on this road with you!
-The Sargent –
