PTSD in a SHTF situation.

Post traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health problem that can occur following the direct experience or witnessing of life -threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape. It is a medically recognized as an anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful conditions.

Being able to recognize PTSD. 

People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through a range of symptoms (e.g.,nightmares and uncontrollable thoughts, difficulty sleeping, and feeling detached or estranged from other people), and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly worsen the person’s quality of life and ability to function PTSD is marked by clear biological changes as well as psychological symptoms. It is complicated by the fact that it frequently occurs together with related problems such as depression, substance abuse, problems with memory, and other physical and mental health problems.

I think that this PDF explains what it is, how to recognize it and some ways to deal with it Click Here

PTSD  for Preppers

It could be a natural disaster, it could be an attack, it can be the grid down. What ever it is PTSD is a survival tool that kicks in under life threatening events. And some times it does not shut off. As we see with soldiers, abused women and children ect. In fact most wild animals have it to so degree, it makes them hyper aware. We as humans are a domesticated beings and have no real use for it. So when it turns on it can be a fright for the person and those around them.  

I am a person that has seen to much in my life time and have had PTSD and will always have it to some extent.  But many people have lived in a world that can never prepare them for a post shft life. They think they can handle it because they watch tv and read the news.  But to live it will be a whole different game. 

Many people will be fine, but there will be some that will not. And it is our jobs to understand and recognize the symptoms.  And to have some basics to help the person through it safely.  Read the above PDF, even print it for your prepper binder to help you learn to notice if a person is in distress. 


Support
Support  is one of the most important things. Let the person know this is common. And I am here for you, lets talk about it. And even explaining the symptioms and why it has happened will help a great deal. 

Sleep
This is so important. It is hard to sleep with PTS, and without sleep things just get worse. Learning some of the local weeds and herbs that help with relaxing and sleep are a very important prepper tool. 
 Most of the herbs on this page are for smoking. BUT everyone of them can be added to a tea and have the exact same effect.  CLICK HERE
 
And the one herb that is used already to treat PTSD is illegal in most states still.  Because of this if something happened many people will still not be able to get it.  That is why I tell all prepper's to fight to get it to be legalized in your state. The medical uses top 70 different diseases. 



Nutrition 
When a person has been through a trama they may stop eating and that is not good for the body or the mind. Making sure they are getting food in them is beyond important. And if you can get supplements that will help to. 

Some foods that can be helpful are turkey, chicken, fish, peas, nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanut butter that have The amino acid tryptophan.
If you can eat them with carbohydrates, such as potatoes, pasta and rice,  this can help the brain's uptake of tryptophan.

Plant-Based Protein are also helpful with PTS Click Here for info I did about that. 

They also say that Probiotic foods can help with the stress.  Foods like yogurt Pickles Natto (a fermented soybean), Fruits like bananas, and tomatoes and veggies like artichokes, green beans and leeks. Also whole grains breads and honey.

Every little bit can help. 

And Hope or Spiritual well being

Even if you are not a religious person sometimes helping and believing that things will get better can help.  Even being able to talk to God when everyone else it asleep can bring rest to a troubled mind. 
Now I am not a professional,  I can only talk about what I do know. There will be people with PTS and knowing some of these basics will help you snap them out of it or at the least learn to live with and control it when meds and docs are not available.




Never be afraid to ask for help 

I also came across this PDF worth looking at.  

Holistic Self-Care for Post-Traumatic Stress & Dissociative Identity Click Here 

If you think you or someone you love that is a vet has PTSD here is a good place to start Click Here 

If you think you or someone you love that may have be abused or had an etreme event happen in their lives my have PTSD this is a good place to start Click Here

 

Click Here to learn about this group

 

 

 

:(  this song is the song for this post -Ray Lamontagne - Empty

It always hits me in the heart.

 

 

Many Ways to Stop Bleeding (or fix big boo boo's)

Lets first start with.... if the wound is really large you need to go to the doctors or find medical help.

-If it is a wound you can handle or have no choice but to handle the first thing you need to   do is clean the wound the best you can.

-Try holding the wound closed and see if butterflying it with a bandage or tape does the trick..and elevate it if you can to.

If this does not work then here are a few things that have worked.  

**Many astringent herbs when applied externally to stop bleeding are called styptics or anti-hemorrhagic for internal bleeding.


To start with here are  a few things that you can use 

Acorn meal -  Aloe Vera -   - Cinnamon powder  - Geranium - Goldenrod root powder  - Horsetail  - Lady’s Mantle  - Marigolds  - Mugwart Dry  - Oak Bark powdered  -  - Paprika  - Pine sap  - Plantain crushed  - Shepherd's Purse  - Stinging Nettle  - White Vinegar -  Witch Hazel


Here are a few more:

Black Pepper
We'll start with the popular black pepper. This only works on small and medium wounds. Black pepper is an antibacterial. It is known to help blood coagulate. This can stop bleeding. In fact it was used for just this purpose before our modern styptics came along. Chefs still use it.

You would pour a good amount on the wound, apply pressure or a tight bandage and the bleeding should stop fast.

Cayenne Pepper

Lets talk about Cayenne Pepper, . And a tea reduce internal bleeding, One teaspoon in a cup of water (only do this if it is a SHTF situation!)
A wound, external or internal, will stop bleeding if the individual drinks a cup of water (preferably hot) with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (red pepper) stirred into it. The bleeding will stop generally by the time a person can count up to ten after drinking the cayenne tea. The cayenne equalizes the blood pressure from the top of the head to the feet. This keeps the pressure from the hemorrhage area so it will clot naturally, which it cannot do with heavy blood pressure pumping the blood rapidly at the hemorrhage area.

Honey!! 

Of coarse! Wrap a small wound with honey and yep it will stop it from bleeding. And the kicker is that the wound mixed with honey actually creates a form of hydrogen peroxide!
But mix honey and Cayenne Pepper for larger wound and it may just surprise you how fast it stops bleeding.  

Finely ground clean moss
I stress clean. Some moss's are better than others.
Dry moss finely ground will stop bleeding and some moss even has a form of penicillin in it. If you do not or can find dry moss to grind. The top part of the moss can be placed on the wound and wrapped it will stop bleeding and help keep the wound clean. 

Ash
Is a great wound healer, it is sterilize because of the heat that creates it. It will also disinfect the wound.  Remember lye is made from ash. 

 Turmeric does the same, but personally I do not have this in my herbal medical stash. 

  Yarrow 

 "The nosebleed herb" got its name for that very reason the leaves act like an astringent swab. But for wounds you just crush the leaves and same as above apply pressure till it stops bleeding. ( I have tons of yarrow....just cuz it is pretty and grows like crazy.)

Echinacea
Purple coneflower  and other species of echinacea has been used for at least 400 years by Native Americans to treat infections and wounds.

Salt

Next my moms favorite boo boo fix. Salt!!  When we had a cut my mom would take us to the beach and have us stay in the water....it helped heal them faster and kept them from getting infected.  But right now we are talking wound care. Soaking a small wound in salt water will stop the bleeding and help heal it.
I am a big fan of salt. It really does heal, and it heals fast. Also keeps infections at bay.

Garlic power

YAAAA ohhhhh...Can't forget about da garlic! Garlic power is the real deal, same as above apply to the wound and then apply pressure. (I grew up in little Italy so garlic HEALS EVERYTHING! kinda like salt does).  

Flour or Cornstarch 
You just  place on a wound and it will stop it from bleeding. They will basically absorb the blood and stop the bleeding

Coffee

Next is gram's trick, coffee. Never really bought into that one. But while doing my research it appears others say it works to. Just apply the grinds to the wound (the finer the better). 
She has to be sending me the the "I told ya so vibe right now".

absorbs all the moisture and blocks the blood from coming out of the infected area. - See more at: http://www.findhomeremedy.com/the-12-fast-and-effective-home-remedies-for-bleeding/#sthash.xOTeGxaf.dpuf

Tea Bags

They say tea bags...but I have tried it on a small cut and it did not work...I of course grabbed the salt water and bam...I was good.

Glass

Ok now we go a little astray ....Glass,  yes glass. Not broken glass but a bottle or a window. Glass is known for electro-negatively charged surface. It helps in the stopping the blood by activating the clotting process of the blood vessels.  Ok I have done this...not because I thought it would stop the bleeding but because it was cool and took some of the pain away..and the bleeding did stop...did the glass do it? I don't know.

Cattail pollen 

You can put the pollen on the wound and or drink in cold water.  Or the ash from the leaves will stop bleeding. This will help stop bleeding and bonus to this plant is that there in a numbering agent that grows on the plant to. Click here  to learn about the plant and what part of the plant the numbing agent is.

Spider Web

Ok and I read about the spider web..and saw it on duel survival...well not sure how or if there are webs available that are big enough for most wounds. But hey ya never know.

Chapstick, or vasaline.
If you put that on a small cut it will immediately stop bleeding bythe time it rubs off the cut will have stopped bleeding. For small wounds.

Crazy Glue
 Dermatologists and urgent care physicians use this why shouldn't you? What they use is called Dermabond. (it is almost the same but it is a little more flexible).  this is for cuts and gashes not full open wounds.







The perfect song for this post is  Garbage - Bleed Like Me

Open pit forges for melting aluminum foil and soda cans

This is for informational purposes only.  I would take time looking at all the different videos out there to see all the different ways to do this and also learn from mistakes that others have made. Research is a must before attempting this.

Now I choose this video as an example for several reasons.
1- the guy is as new at it, as I am
2- he did it with a simple fire and no fancy hook ups ( It think once you master it you can get fancier)
3- he shows how you can make copy's of things (which can be great for simple replacement parts) 
*** but also watch the video below for making a sling shot....I think how she makes the molds is amazing and opens the door to many possiblity's. 

Now this video is showing aluminum cans. Which if melting have a lot of extra stuff in them. So you would actually have to melt cool and melt one more time for impurity's. See the below video for the sling shot to understand how to deal with this.....she even shows her errors so you learn from them

Understanding Aluminum foil for melting
I on the other hand am looking to do aluminum foil. which is actually a bit harder because it can burn and turn to black dusk. Aluminum Foil is made with with stand temps of around 500°. for use in you oven and stove top. The melting point for it is 660°  And for cans and pans it is 1221° so the fire you see in the above video would be to hot for Aluminum foil....have to experiment a bit to find the right kind of blaze. 

And if you really get into it this is a list of the melting points for other metals. Click Here

So knowing this fact will help you not burn your aluminum. Also rolling it up tight before melting will reduce the changes of it burning.

So instead of putting that aluminum in your recycle bin save it for a cool project. 




 >

Ideas of things to make

• - Sling shot ***MUST WATCH** this video shows an excellent way of making cheap forms for what ever you want to make!! 

•  Here is a site with fun stuff to make with it Click Here in fact I would call this a great go to site for this.

 
A few other videos on it worth watching

Ok I love love this one!  After trying this whole forge thing out, if it is something you are going to continue with, I think this is the perfect easy design worth taking the time to make.

 

How to do it in a hole in the ground.  Instead of a fan or a blow dryer I have an old air mattress pump that will work just as good and it has rechargeable batteries so no electricity needed. 

Here is one made of bricks.

Then you have the ones that uses gas...I am way to novice to want to screw around with gas, but here are some plans if you have some skills to make this happen
Click Here

and was looking at my rocket stove and  that can easily be turned into a forge

Rocket stoves 

Song for this post has to be  Modern English - I Melt With You

Not a prepper? Are you ready for lifes road bumps?

Even if you do not buy into all the different reasons for being a prepper you may want to at least stockpile for  everyday reasons like job loss or a pay cut, illness or even an unexpected large bill.
 Look up the unemployment rate in you state HERE
Even having to replace a refrigerator of other large appliance can hurt ones budget.

If you lose your job for what ever reason it could be a year or two before you get another one. If you end up out of work on comp or disability for what ever reason can you live on unemployment or disability? or welfare and food stamps for 2 years? NO! This can be the kiss of death to a pay check to paycheck family.

But if you do some basic prepping it may just save you!

I had to an unexpected stomach issue that landed me in bed for weeks at a time spanning  several surgery's.  And my stockpile was my saving grace. Although my employer did still pay me every week (I am a very lucky person) I still had the issue of getting around for a good period of time. But I found that I had everything I needed. Just had to pay the bills.

STOCKING UP ON THINGS LIKE:

• Shampoo and other hygiene products
• TP
• Cleaning products (which can not be bought with food stamps) 
• Canned soups  
• Drink mixes  
• Vegetables
• Canned meat like chicken and tuna
• Solar charged battery's 

 This list can go on....it all depends on you and your family's needs, likes ect.

 EXAMPLE:  My biggest prep for this is COFFEE sugar and powdered creamer!!!!! I have several years worth :) And with the market the way it is, I invested in it and have already saved. I use a K cup now but have my stove top pot ready to roll for hard times, what ever they maybe. BECAUSE I CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT COFFEE!

Remember to always keep in mind, meals and per person when stockpiling food.  And always check the date on canned goods to get longer shelf life.

These things can and will be the very things that will help you survive a job loss or illness.  Having a stock pile can help you keep the bills paid and keep you mentally healthy during a trying time. Also remember starting a new job may mean taking a lower paying job.  So learning to live on less before having to really do so can save you.

LEARN TO COUPON NOW!! 
Couponing is an art that takes time to learn, but learning it before hard times can help you stretch that dollar and help you be able to have a stockpile before you need it without costing you anymore money.
I have some of the basic how to's on couponing on this page Click Here

People say that using coupons or stockpiling is too time consuming.  Looking back on that I am thankful that I took the time to learn and  have a stockpile.

people say that using coupons or stockpiling is too time consuming.  Looking back on that I am thankful that I took the time - See more at: http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2014/03/how-to-survive-job-loss-by-living-off-your-stockpile/#sthash.lzlXNICl.dpuf

people say that using coupons or stockpiling is too time consuming.  Looking back on that I am thankful that I took the time - See more at: http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2014/03/how-to-survive-job-loss-by-living-off-your-stockpile/#sthash.lzlXNICl.dpuf

people say that using coupons or stockpiling is too time consuming.  Looking back on that I am thankful that I took the time - See more at: http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2014/03/how-to-survive-job-loss-by-living-off-your-stockpile/#sthash.lzlXNICl.dpuf

AND DON"T FORGET! 
 What I did was walked around my house and looked into all those draws and corners and made a list of those things that I would miss the most if hard times came and added them to my stockpile. 

• Other things to have on hand are extra printer paper, envelopes, printer ink and forever stamps (for resumes). 

• And last but not least....those special things that you will miss in hard times. Things like your favorite perfume or makeup (which I get free with coupons) or Candy (which I put in Mylar bags so they will stay fresh for a long time). Or any other little comfort items you may think of. 
•  Even having  emergency garden seeds stocked ready to go.

FIRST AID SUPPLY'S TO HAVE ON HAND
Here is a printable basic first aid supply list pdf (at Scribd) Click Here  Also note that I added a link to a great pdf

Handbook of Basic Nursing  Click Here PDF
Medical hard times can happen to anyone! Just when you least expect it! Be ready because most insurance company's now a day make you get over the counter stuff even if the doctor writes a prescription for it. So that will be an unexpected out of pocket cost that you can be prepared for. 

 

And the song I have to end this with is  .....G love and the Special sauce-This ain't living