Maintaining Mental Function and staving off insanity post SHTF

[Scythe13]

Okay, I didn't know what section to put this in, but since it's a part of life post SHTF, and you need to be functioning properly post Poop-day to rebuild society, then it's going on this section.

First off, many of my recent posts have been about mental functioning, and emotional wellbeing, post SHTF. There is a simple reason behind this, because it's a HUGELY overlooked part of prepping. Clearing dead bodies, and the alike, will take it's toll on a person. So, I've opted to look at past example of situations where people have been either isolated, or are currently isolated, or living in desolation.

First off, dealing with silence.

Have you ever sat in a totally silent room, and just heard so much noise? Well, logically, the answer is no. But if you have ever been in that situation, you'll understand what I mean about 'screaming silence'. Ever been in a totally black room, and suddenly lost your balance unexpectedly? Sensory deprivation. There's a reason it's used as torture! It's unlikely that you'll have to deal with this, thanks to birds and sunlight, but as an example of mental function issues, let's look at this.

People in a totally silent and dark room, have been reported to hallucinate. WTF?!?! How can you see things and hear stuff in the silent dark?!?! Well, as if by magic, your head plays tricks with you. I'm not going into the deep science of it all, as this is just an example, but you get the basic idea.

When a person is deprived of something, the mind reacts.

Okay, so, post SHTF, you're bugging in. Guess what? Those curtains are staying closed. No lights allowed to be on in the night, or in the day. No candles either. What, you dare to make noise? Really? Nope, didn't think so. This will pretty much mean one thing, you'll be enjoying the pleasures of prison style 'solitary confinement'. Damn, that sucks! Well, that's the fun of bugging in.

Since prisons use this technique as punishment, to take away 'the spirit' of a man (or woman), then it looks like we need to start checking out those whom are unaffected by a stint in the prisons 'quiet rooms'.

Studying people like Charles Bronson (not the actor) you'll start to realise he uses games to pass his time. He paces up and down the cells, then every few paces, drops and does press ups. He will take off a button from his clothing, throw it behind him, then search around in the dark to find it. When he finds it, he'll do press-ups and squats. Other prisoners have reported similar things to help keep their brains active during time in solitary. The one thing ALL of them report doing, is exercise.

Okay, so a routine of exercise is one way to stay mentally alert, right? WRONG!!! It's the routine that people use, that keeps them in check. Everything can change, a different prison, a different cell, but keeping the same routine allows prisoners to better cope, mentally, with their situation.

Right, let's say things have changed a little. You're not bugging in, you're bugging out, alone. Time for another kind of deprivation. Human contact.

We've probably all seen Tom Hanks in Castaway. Awesome film. In that film, he creates an artificial 'person' called Wilson. If you've not seen the film, Wilson is actually a Wilson (company brand) volley ball. He totally anthropomorphises this ball, to the point where 'they argue' (seriously, just watch the film and you'll get what I mean). This is apparently VITAL for a person living alone. Human contact helps in so many ways (unless you're BP).

If you do not have contact with an anthropomorphic entity, you can lose the ability to speak. Once you lose that, your higher functioning can greatly reduce. Check google if you don't believe it.

Even the guy that was genuinely stranded on a desert island (his name eludes me at the moment, but he had an old rifle, and ended up taking it apart to make tools out of it, and the beach was invaded by seals, so he had to move inland...if you know who I'm on about, feel free to post his name) tamed cats for company. He needed that company, and says the cats did much more than just keep the rats away. They kept him sane.

But guess what he did, that helped him cope with the solitary confinement!?!? Yep, he kept to a routine.

What we should all be looking at, is getting into a routine as quickly as possible, for the first few days, if not weeks (I'm thinking as long as a month) if we are to work at our optimal level. Not only will this routine help stave off going nutty, but it will also help relieve boredom and idle behaviour.

What's more, if you base your routine around exercises, you'll also benefit from that too. Whether it's 10 mins of stretching in the morning, followed by 100 press ups, or a full on workout, the principles are the same. Build a routine, and work with it. On an island, the routine included collect water, 2 coconuts, feed cats, check signal fire areas, etc. A routine will make sure the things that you know you'll need to do, will get done.

Sit around, get bored, and don't do chores, and pretty quickly, you're in a world of hurt.

For some real fun, check out the effects of cabin fever. Oh, and some captain's cabins were HUGE....and look at your flat/house, could you stay sane in there for 2 months, while the die off is going on? Do you have enough books, and the alike to stay entertained? Do you have an effective enough routine to keep you busy, and ward off idle time.

Idle time is your enemy, just as much as a crazy man is. Idle time is when you dwell on the crap that's happened, on the bodies you buried, etc.

Stay busy, get into a routine, stay entertained, and stay sane. There is no guarantee this will work, but it's the same with antibiotics. There is no guarantee they'll cure your illness, but there's a damn good change you'll pull through, thanks to them.

If you truly believe you'll have plenty to do, 24/7, turn off all your power, shut your curtains (you need your house blacked out) and remain totally silent. Okay, now, turn off the computer, and get everything done silently.

Totally forgot to mention, smells of cooked food can travel. Best eat cold Mac-Cheese. Poop, and wee silently too. A flush would be LOUD!!! Wow, that sounds like a fun night out hu?