Identifying Dangerous Behavior Patterns Now & For Long Emergencies
The purpose of this article is to consider some of the more dangerous behavior patterns that are commonly found in people. The intent is not to shame or call people out for being “bad” or “crazy”. Quite a few of the behaviors discussed are ones that a lot of us have exhibited at one time or another. At the same time I am going to talk about some behaviors that are deplorable and something everyone wants to keep away from their family.
Behaviors that are just part of being human can get anyone into a lot of trouble during an emergency or SHTF situation when the behavior is taken to the extreme. When people know how to recognize behaviors and how to help one another, the risk of harm and dangerous situations can be reduced in good times and bad.
Some behaviors are not acceptable no matter what and need to be stopped immediately. Pedophilia is but one example of atrocious behavior. I will never forget the time I confronted a pedophile that was propositioning other kids and teens. I am lucky they did not get scared and hurt me or worse. At the time I was maybe 15. I was fearless to the point of recklessness at times when I was a teen and got angry. What I did was confront a dangerous behavior with another one, my own over confidence and anger.
The person confronted was convicted and went to jail where they stayed for the rest of their life. At least they didn’t harm any other kids. I hate to think how many suffered at their hands over many decades.
Identifying dangerous behaviors is a critical component of practicing good situational awareness and keeping you and your family safe now and in an SHTF scenario.
This is a long post because there are a lot of common behaviors to cover. I have no psychiatric or medical training or credentials. This is just what I came up with when considering what emotions and behaviors are common and problematic.
The world has changed a lot. While people once were friends with those that lived near them, now people have extended their social circle much further.
In prepper groups, people may come together that have never spent anytime together at all. The distance between your house and someone in your group may be far or very close. Roads are a lot better than they were in the past too. I remember my Dad complaining about how terrible the roads were in the 1950s in rural North Carolina. Now there is pavement practically everywhere and the speed limit is often 55-70 mph.
The downside of bringing so many people together from all over the place is that you are increasing your odds of running into people with a variety of issues.
If you want to rely in each other during a long emergency, then people need to know a bit about each other. If you suffer from PTSD for example, that is relevant information for your group to have. I think it is a good idea for those that choose to be part of prepper and survival groups to be completely honest with one another about any behaviors or conditions that could come up during a long emergency. After all, when you decide to join a group that is supposed to be together during an SHTF scenario, you are putting your life in the hands of others on some level.
If people want a mutual level of understanding and trust on that level, then they need to be honest about behaviors.
You don’t have to go to the police or even through them to get a background check done. There are many websites to choose from that for a low monthly rate will allow you to perform unlimited background checks. For some people, it is quite interesting to see what comes up on their criminal record. This is a great way to check someone out before you hire them or even before going out on a date. Frankly, the whole internet dating thing seems a bit sketchy and scary. Single women and single mothers seem like they are especially vulnerable to predators out there when they use these sites. A background check.
Although plenty of jobs and volunteer applications ask for references, it is amazing how few actually get called and followed up on. I think it is a good idea to take references seriously and ask a few questions that are relevant to you and the job you want performed.
Don’t just call relatives or super close friends either. Call people that have actually employed or worked with someone.
I am not trying to promote criminals or going easy. What is a serious crime to you may not be so serious to someone else? I do want to ask you if you know how easy it is to get a felony in the United States? Also, if someone made a mistake like beating a mailbox with baseball batt when they were a crazy 19-year-old but they have a good record from then on and you are interviewing them 20 years later, do you really consider that single act bad enough to negate all the positive things the person has accomplished over the last two decades?
There are so many laws out there that people don’t even know a few them. If everyone reading this could all come together and make a list of daily activities, I bet a lot of people have committed crimes that they had no idea were actually a crime. That is what happens when laws are created but never really erased despite the changing times.
Everyone is wrong sometimes but if something tells you that a person or their behavior just seems off or not right, exercise some caution at the very least. Perhaps after a cautious period you will be proved wrong, but it is good to play it safe in today’s world.
People are busy and times are not the greatest for a lot of people. Even though a person may not mean to not spend adequate time with their children, it is easy to get into the habit of everyone doing their own thing.
When kids and teens are not getting attention at home, it can be easy for them to start exhibiting unhealthy behavior patterns or get taken advantage of by people that have truly alarming and dangerous personality traits and behaviors.
These people will say all the right things to make a teen or kid feel special, loved, and may even bestow gifts and treats on them. This is sometimes called grooming, and it happens all the time.
Spending time with kids and teens also allows you to see patterns and pick up on things that are not right, such as your kid hanging out with people that you don’t trust or that you know have a history of concerning behavior. The sooner you get involved, the better.
Have you ever met someone that seemed fearless? Perhaps you even envied or admired them for their courage? There is a difference between being brave when you need to and always going with the more rewarding and risky behavior. Part of survival is knowing when and where to take the risk and how to consider others when you make that decision.
Over confidence can me a symptom of egomania, in that the person cannot believe that they cannot do this great thing or be better than the other person. If someone seems to be overly confident regularly, it is important to be aware and talk to them about it.
If the behavior continues, or the person endangers others, steps must be taken to correct the behavior before someone gets hurt or killed. Combat and violent scenarios are not like the movies or video games.
Some might call it merely being delusion but the refusal to accept the new reality and create strategies to cope and continue can be fatal both to the person and those around them. We are all guilty of finding something hard to believe at one time or another. The difference is did you come to terms with it and move on or did you refuse to acknowledge the truth and cope?
This is a very hard behavior to change in modern times. Consider how we are all encouraged to overreact to just about everything. Television episodes, video games, movies, cartoons, the local and national news and more all encourage over reaction. Prepping can be that way too. There are preppers with big budgets that have gear and bunkers beyond your imagination.
Do yourself and your kids a favor and discourage over reacting to every little thing. Don’t put a band-aid on it for the placebo effect. Sometimes things just happen and if someone learns to over react to daily things, how do you think they are going to handle more serious circumstances?
This is one of the scariest behaviors in this article because people are just sometimes born this way or at least develop the behavior so early in life that there is no real hope for change because it is so deeply ingrained and often very hard to see.
Some people show less symptoms when they are past 40 years old, if they haven’t got into a lot of trouble already. There is no guarantee. That is not just me giving an opinion either, it is well documented by a lot of psychiatrists.
It doesn’t mean that the person is going to extremely harmful necessarily but they are someone to be cautious around, especially in any circumstance where human feelings and empathy are required to make a good decision. During an SHTF situation someone with antisocial personality disorder is likely only going to care about their own well being or if they exhibit any warm feelings of concern for others, it is just because it is what they were taught is socially acceptable, not because they really feel that way.
Someone with antisocial personality disorder can be really dangerous, especially when they don’t get their way. They often exhibit a complete lack of remorse and a disregard for the safety and well being of others. This can all be hidden underneath a friendly and charming exterior that spells trouble for those that fall for the facade.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can be very harmful and quite dangerous at times. I know quite a bit about dealing with PTSD since I was raised by my Dad who has been diagnosed with severe PTSD from his time in the Vietnam War.
Loud noises, being taken by surprise, or suddenly woken up can result in someone getting hurt if they are unaware of how to act around someone with PTSD. I have heard about people having reactions to noises that sounded like explosions and jumping through glass windows.
I was taught to be a bit on edge and paranoid too. PTSD behavior gets passed down and I know for a fact that I have to watch out for it in myself during an emergency. Getting overly defensive or reacting too fast with extreme force can be good at times but other times it can get you in a lot of trouble.
For more thoughts and coping tips, please see my post “Preventing and Treating PTSD: Advice for Life and SHTF Situations”.
An example of projection could be something like this: Someone threatens you repeatedly or makes you feel not safe on purpose. They may try to tell you what to do on your own property, etc but they tell others that you are the bully. That you are testing them.
I have been called a bully several times by people that have come to my house to threaten me after they were just asked to not throw trash out on our property when they parked there.
Projection is when someone is saying that you have the feelings they have or are the type of person they are. Sometimes people will be very anti this or that and speak out a lot against something. The person that is projecting is denying that they exhibit certain impulses or behaviors but claim that others have them. Someone that gossips a lot may say that someone next door talks about people all the time when they never say a word.
I really don’t have any good suggestions for helping someone in denial about their feelings and who they are. It is a very hard nut to crack. Often times the person projecting will just get angry or angrier if you suggest the truth to them even if you are trying to make them realize the real issue and heal beyond it. If it is someone that is really close to you then it could help to just talk to them about what is going on and try to work through it.
Being a little vain at times or about certain things may be annoying at worst but when it starts to control decisions that affect others negatively, it becomes a major problem. Don’t get me wrong, egomania is not good for the person that demonstrates it either. It is a good way to wind up largely alone or with other not so great people.
If a man or woman always has to be the best at something, stronger, more good looking, wealthier, etc, and really believes they are all those things it can be hard for them to accept the error of their ways or even take the time to learn something properly. Why take the time when you are already the best?
This can be a hard behavior to solve. Sometimes if someone has something happen to them that makes them realize they are not the best, they stop being quite so egotistical. Another method is to reassure someone that has this tendency that they don’t have to be the best at all times to have value and be worthy of friendship or love.
I have met a few people that were raised in abusive households that exhibited egomania on such a level that they could not hold down a job long enough to advance. In one case this person was fired from almost every job because they always had to be the best and it led to violence in some cases.
Everyone feels a bit down and out at times. I never believe someone if they say they don’t have depressive periods. Depression is never good, but it is part of life. It can be hard for some to realize where the line is between a regular case of having the blues and depression that is a daily struggle.
I think about it like this: If someone is sad and depressed to the point where it is affecting their personal relationships, job, health, hygiene, etc, then it has advanced to a major issue.
Knowing what is causing someone’s depression is a major help towards offering them the support they need to become healthier, happier, and more productive. When you know that or if you realize what is making you depressed, you can come up with strategies to work through issues.
Just hanging out and keeping someone’s mind on other things can help. During an SHTF situation, those that are depressed need to be kept busy with activities. Sometimes people think that an extended event will mean constant work and combat but the truth is that even during very hard times there may be days where not a lot gets done except just very basic tasks. This is why it is good to have some morale boosters in a disaster kit like games, puzzles, books, crafts, or anything that entertains and offers the mind something beyond dwelling on unfortunate circumstances.
There are plant based options for helping out with mood and depression. Passionflower can help calm the nerves for example. Having a few homeopathic options on hand may be helpful if someone cannot get the medication they take for depression.
Anxiety can often be soothed in similar ways but some people with severe anxiety actually have panic attacks that can make them entirely helpless in an emergency. It is best if people know ahead of time if someone has anxiety on this level so they can take steps to calm someone down before it reaches a full on panic attack.
If you have panic attacks, let those around you know about it if there is an emergency. It is the safest thing for everyone.
I know of a few of these and they know I know. Let’s just say they are not allowed on my property. I don’t even want to give them the chance.
People that are kleptomaniacs may never steal really big things but that doesn’t mean that it is not a dangerous behavior. When supplies are limited during a long emergency or SHTF situation, someone stealing something very small like a can of tuna could turn into a much more serious situation.
There are a lot of different reasons why someone might develop this behavior. The thrill of something for nothing or getting away with it may be the underlying factor. Other causes can be simply growing up without having anything except the basics. This doesn’t make it ok, but it is at least somewhat understandable as to how the habit starts.
The people that I have known to have kleptomania have not turned out well at all, especially in their later years. Older kleptos started out in a time when there were not cameras everywhere to catch you in the act. Pawn shops didn’t take your picture or film you when you brought something to get some fast cash. As a result, the older ones that have not wised up to the game changer of technology, are getting caught and prosecuted even after 40 years or more of regularly stealing.
People laugh a lot when someone mentions sexual addiction but it is far from funny. We live in a world where anyone with an internet connection on their phone has access to all kinds of sexual photos, movies, etc and there are a ton of dating sites. There is also less stigma about being very open about a variety of sexual practices.
In short this makes it easier for people to develop an addiction to sex. It is an escape from the world we live in and it makes them feel good.
I am not here to judge or tell people what is right or wrong when it comes to sexual morality but I do think that when it starts affecting people’s ability to lead a normal life or they are neglecting and hurting those around them, there is a problem.
During a long emergency anything that distracts or causes conflict among people in a group, needs to be addressed. If you have someone that is a sex addict and they start propositioning others, it can cause real trouble. Talking to someone can help but someone has to want to change and see how their behavior is affecting others. Distracting someone with work and productive tasks will be helpful
The internet is a cheap and plentiful technology. Some might say that during an emergency situation people will just have to learn to deal with no internet or television. Of course they are right but that doesn’t mean it is going to be easy for some people and those around them. People get cranky when you take away their phone or computer. This is a result of living in a society where a lot of social interaction is done on the Worldwide Web. Social butterflies that are addicted to gossip will have a really hard time when this outlet is taken away.
This is another case where people need to keep busy with work or other enjoyable activities. A lot of people that are addicted to the internet can television find that they are happier after they disconnect for a few days.
It can be hard to know if someone is a pedophile. During good times we at least have easy and inexpensive background checks to see if any live in a neighborhood. Of course that is just those that get caught. There are plenty of perverts that do not.
If someone seems to be pretty touchy feely around young kids that is a sign but a lot of pedophiles know better than that. I also want to point out that although it may seem like men make up a lot of the pedophile population, there are plenty of female pedophiles out there. They often don’t get caught as easily because people often don’t see a woman as a suspect in such a perversion.
It pays to watch out who your kids spend time with. Also pay attention to off-hand comments that people might make. If someone around your neighborhood is known for “liking them young”, maybe you should pay attention the warning that people are trying to send you.
For anyone reading this with those sick tendencies, I advise staying to yourself during an SHTF event because if you get in a prepper group and do something awful, that will probably be the end of you. There are some things people will not stand for when the law of the land is in their hands.
Did you know that a staggering number of adults in the United States are on one pharmaceutical or another? A lot of addiction starts at the doctor’s office and snowballs. There are a lot of people that are taking medications just to deal with depression, stress, anxiety, and other mental conditions. Pills are handed out with expensive counseling and the dosages are increased so addiction steadily builds.
Hey, they tried it with me once. There is big money in prescribing pharmaceuticals that require a $150 visit to a doctor every month to renew.
Oh, and they try to up your dosage every month or two until you reach a maximum level. That my friends is how we have a nation of kids addicted to amphetamines that are endorsed by the school system and doctors. When the school suggests your kid has ADHD, that is the first nudge to the doctor and daily amphetamines.
This is a big issue that needs a whole article to itself. I will refer you to my post on “When The Meds Run Out: Dealing with a society in withdrawal and finding alternatives now & for SHTF”. This post has a lot of additional info and solutions for helping others now and during hard times.
There is no set number of drinks per day that makes someone an alcoholic. Some people can drink more than others and function at a level where people don’t really notice anything amiss. Then there are others that can drink 2 light beers and be hard to deal with. I am not saying it is good for the person that can drink a lot and still keep their head to drink a lot, just that alcohol can have varying effects at different amounts with different people.
Alcoholism is when someone very much relies on drinking a significant amount daily and experiences a wide array of emotions and even violence if they do not get what they want. An alcoholic may choose to drink a lot over being able to show up to work or school and do a good job.
During hard times, the rate of alcohol consumption can increase a lot even among those that really did not indulge before. At the same time, some people react differently. During good times it is a lot easier to maintain a habit compared to an SHTF scenario where you need to be on alert and able to do more physical labor and dangerous tasks.
If someone was considering quitting or reducing their consumption before, being thrown into a situation where their safety and that of their family relies on them being alert and at least somewhat sober, maybe the kick they need to make a change for the better.
If you have read many of my articles, then you already know that I am fine with admitting that there are just some people that like awful things and take joy in them. I wish it were different but to think so would be naïve and detrimental to personal and family safety.
While I know people can sometimes change if they want to, I could never trust someone that I knew had a history of being a domestic abuser. To me it would seem like, during a crisis, it would be all too easy for someone to revert to that behavior again.
Bullying is a serious concern. I am not talking about a bit of teasing here and there. In the modern age people sometimes seem to think a kid is going to break if they have to endure the lightest teasing. The bullying I am talking about is consistent abuse that may be of a mental or physical nature or even both. A bully could be anyone that picks on people that are different from them or more vulnerable.
Sometimes abusers and bullies need dealt with in different ways. I got made fun of a lot in school and even harassed in college
Pretty much everyone has said something in their lifetime that might be considered racist. I am not saying that everyone that said whatever actually hates a different race or that they even realized that what they were saying was racist, merely that the vast majority of people have probably said something terrible when they were a kid at the very least. People are human and make mistakes.
Racism is fueled by ignorance, hatred, and the feeling one gets from having another group to look down on. Even if you are doing not so great, it still might feel good to think “well at least I am not like them. I am still better.” What a horrible way to live and think. Hate can really devour a person.
My family has a lot of Native Americans in it. We also have some African American ancestry. I had no idea about this until recently because since the early 1800s in my family there has been a strong effort to hide any non-Caucasian blood because they were all scared to death of being treated differently. I heard racial slurs come from their mouths because they were trying to put on such a show to hide their roots.
Family pictures that I have been shown in the past few years point to a copious use of white face powder and hair oil to hide any sign. It is a mess sorting out some family stories because there was always something they were trying to hide.
If you hear someone regularly make racist statements, call people by racial slurs, and make extreme statements, I advise cutting ties with them as soon as possible. A long emergency can be hard enough without irrational hate added to the mix. If you really feel like you might be able to help them see things differently then you might want to try but in my experience it is pretty hard to change someone’s mind that truly feels like other races are less than their own.
Sometimes people just say things that are awful but deep down they would probably not hurt someone of a different race any faster than someone of their own but it is still very much NOT OK to make hateful statements.
There is a lot of fear and hatred of genders even though people say they want equality in many cases. Dividing people on gender lines is a great way to create contempt and discord in a given population. By trying to say we are the same, we do ourselves a great disservice.
Men and women working together can do great things. The idea is that we can each make up for what the other is lacking. Both genders have their strength and weaknesses.
Fear of a specific gender can occur for very dark reasons as well. If someone was treated horribly or abused in some way by a specific gender, they may have a lot of trouble learning to not have at least some feelings of fear when around a lot of people of that gender. In this case, patience, compassion, and proving them wrong by showing kindness and good behavior may improve or even eliminate the behavior as someone heals and begins to trust again.
I think both men and women feel a tendency to blame the other side for issues at times. It is far easier to do this than approach a problem with the idea that one may not be 100% right in their behavior either. Avoid making generalized statements like “That’s a man for you” or “What do you expect from a woman?”
There are bad women and bad men. No gender is better than the other. If you have someone in your group that makes fun of people based on this or uses it as the sole basis for assigning tasks, then something needs to be done before the whole group suffers low morale and anger.
People lie for different reasons. In some cases it is a lack of self esteem. For example, if you are trying to impress someone you might tell them something fantastic that happened to you or that you did even though you have done nothing even close.
Some liars are basically harmless most of the time. You can learn to deal with them and just not take them seriously during good times however during a serious event this can be a more serious concern.
Pathological liars will lie even when they are not really doing it for any major personal gain. Lying is just part of their psyche. They are not even aware that what they are doing is harmful. These people will lie about small and meaningless things that will have a normal person asking “why did they even bother?”
Lying can lead to dangerous or even fatal events during a long emergency. Consider how well you really know someone before you trust them in a major situation. This may be impossible if you get thrown together with someone and have to work together somewhat by necessity.
Lying is a hard behavior to deal with or solve. Pathological liars often just stay that way over time. Other types of lying can sometimes be cured or at least managed if someone understands there are consequences to their actions that actually make life less pleasant for them.
There is a big difference between liking something or someone and obsessing about it or them all the time. It can be hard to not think about some things a lot but obsessing can be very unhealthy and make it impossible for someone to know what is going on around them and make decisions quickly.
Fanaticism gets in the way of logical thinking. A person may be driven by a key idea and not be able to think about other goals.
If you are the object of someone’s fanaticism it can be scary and feel dangerous. Stalking is a form of fanaticism. Recognizing this behavior often becomes easier the more you get to know someone.
If a person seems to clingy or needy, then that is a warning sign. If you try to politely distance yourself and someone repeatedly doesn’t take the hint that can indicated a dangerous behavior pattern that could become darker.
If you have kids that are old enough to be dating, it is important to be aware of warning signs that fanaticism.
There is a difference between a kid having a crush on another and pining over them all the time or obsessing over their social media. If a teen is having a hard time getting over a relationship or dealing with rejection, it is important to give them something else to do so they can get their mind off it and move on.
Of course if fanaticism goes too far, you should report it to the police so there is a record of the behavior. If you think the situation is serious enough, you can file for a restraining order. This at least shows that you did everything within the bounds of the law to diffuse the situation without violence. If anything ever escalates and you have to use force, the law will be very understanding.
Plenty of people occasionally gamble a little on vacation. The key is never to play with more money than you are willing to lose or can afford to lose without causing hardship for yourself or family. Personally I never gamble because I know that even if a game is not rigged it takes more skill than I have. I would rather just work a bit harder and save for something. That is a sure thing compared to getting lucky.
For some people though, the thrill of winning is too much. Plenty of people get addicted when they are desperate as well or they get on a winning streak and don’t know where to stop.
People can gamble on all kinds of things. If you start noticing a friend or loved one spending too much time at gambling establishments, asking for loans, etc, this is a sign that a bit of fun as spiraled out of control. The sooner a person corrects the behavior the better.
All too often someone has to hit rock bottom before they give up a very serious gambling habit. Talking to the person and trying to be supportive or giving them something else that is productive can help. If money is a real problem, you might be able to help them find a side gig that helps make ends meet. There are a lot of freelance jobs online that are part time.
For a lot of people it can be really hard to make ends meet. Unless you have some major advantages and utilize them well, it is quite hard to get ahead. Some people think the solution is to work harder. On the other hand there are people that have a lot of assets and income but they still will not slow down for a moment. The Work-A-Holic is in danger of burnout and isolating friends and family. The sad thing is that a lot of people that fit the description of a work-a-holic, would tell you that they are doing it so that their family can have more security now and in the future.
The truth is that a lot of families would be happier if the work a holic worked less and spent more time with them unless the difference in income is actually enough that they do not have the basics covered. It is important to ask oneself what the difference in lifestyle actually is.
Resentment is especially common in families where everyone knows that money is not really a big problem. While it is still very hard and hurtful for those that are in families where there are lower incomes, family members may at least be able to understand why someone is choosing to work so hard and not spend more time with them.
Sometimes a person really likes their job so it is hard to stop. I know that I sometimes write until 11:00 pm if I feel I am in a good place. This can be good and bad because that means that when I wake up at 6 or 7 am, I really didn’t have any downtime besides sleep before I need to do farm and vineyard chores and start writing again later in the evening.
When you work too much your get burned out, and it makes you do a poorer job at everything while destroying relationships with those around you. Just how much of an impact this has depends on how far you take it when it comes to work. In a survival situation you need to be able to spot those that are exhibiting this type of behavior so they do not push others so hard that it ends in disaster or severe resentment among the group.
Everyone needs to take some time to do something besides work, work, work.
Those that are around a work-a-holic need to be upfront about what they are feeling and encourage the person to take some time for other things. Someone that is burned out may not even realize how their behavior is affecting others. To them it may seem like they are doing what they have to do to keep things together.
When someone always things that something is wrong with them it can be annoying at best during good times. During a long emergency without being able to run to the nearest doctor, a hypochondriac can quickly tax your medical supplies if allowed to practice their behavior. There are plenty of people out there that are actually on lists at hospitals and doctor’s offices because they are known hypochondriacs.
This behavior increases the cost of medical care plans and it is not good for anyone to constantly expose themselves to doctor’s visits and medications. Unfortunately, there are plenty of doctors that will prescribe something just so that the patient feels like the doctor at least did something. Simply telling someone that it is all in their head or they cannot find anything at all wrong is not okay.
If someone obsesses over their health too much, it takes away from their life in many ways.
Like any issue it is important to be supportive and listen to concerns. Sometimes hypochondria is a result of a lack of attention. It is a lot easier to get support and attention if people think you are sick. Spend time with people you care about and get their mind off health issues.
During a survival situation if it is clear that someone is not actually sick or suffering an infection, it is worth considering giving them a placebo tablet. This can calm the nerves but doesn’t use up your antibiotic supply or cause the hypochondriac to panic.
While I am hesitant to suggest being deceptive in most cases, during a situation where supplies are limited and everyone needs to keep their head on straight in order to survive, a mild deception may be for the best. You also don’t want to contribute to an antibiotic being less effective because someone takes them too often when they are not needed.
How would you handle this situation? Please let me know in the comments.
If you or someone you know suffers from a behavior that could impact safety and well being during an emergency then know you are not alone. There is a lot of help out there even if you don’t have a big budget for counseling or doctor visits.
The sooner problems are addressed the better. Taking steps to get help and heal now is a major step towards being better prepared.
An online search will yield results for support groups and services in your area. It may not cost you a dime out of pocket to be a lot more prepared for what life can throw at you and those you love.
Do you have a story to tell? Any tips for overcoming the behaviors listed in this post? Are you part of a prepper group that is open about mental health issues and behaviors? Please feel free to share any thoughts or experiences in the comments below.
Samantha Biggers can be reached at [email protected].
Updated Jun 28, 2019
Published Jun 28, 2019
Samantha Biggers can be reached at [email protected]
Great post!
The hardest part of getting a group together is the people because of the complexity. You will get some of the traits in the people you select because no one is perfect.
There are some listed that are acceptable such as PTSD if within bounds and controllable. Pedophiles in any degree are not only an automatic no go but require further action.
With diversity will come prejudice. Degrees of acceptance must be quickly and well established.
I’ve worked in a very diverse environment for 30+ years in the military and law enforcement and I see little difference in preparedness group dynamics and work. In fact I prefer those types of people and their families because they know how to negotiate the waters and handle situations while still accomplishing the common goal.
Great article. Appreciate you taking the time to write it all down and put it out there for our consumption. All too often we (society and families) choose to overlook the signs and or symptoms of these behaviors, let alone in our own self. Recently, I thought because I had made some quick cash/money gambling on vacation – I could do it again and again to ‘get ahead’ on some bills. That of course did not happen. Since then, just like you stated in your article, I have worked a little OT and I am guaranteed that ‘quick cash’. For me, by doing working the OT, it doesn’t cause the depression and or anger over losing that money and the time away from home/family. I also see and or find it easier sometimes to convict others of the things you listed out, than to find those issues with myself. For me, praying and reflection during my drives to and from work allow me to see where I’m slacking… Most of the time.
I think everyone knows some of these people. I do and it was a family member. When I spoke with him about these behaviors and how they could endanger the rest of the family he said that we didn’t appreciate him and that we would all die without him. I assured him that we would actually be safer without worrying constantly about him being a full blown narcist and an egomaniac. He decided to leave us because he was sick of not being appreciated. That was a little over a year ago. Yes, there are some good points that I miss but life has become less stressful, more actually gets done and surprisingly everyone in the family feels like a weight was lifted all of them. We are all happier.
thank you for a very thorough and informative article!
it’s true that at least some psychopaths’ behavior changes as they age. i was raised by a psychopath who was/is also a sadist; some of the things he did to me and others in those days are almost too evil to believe even for me, and i was there! but as he went into his 70’s his behavior started to change, and at times he seemed almost normal. of course, i haven’t seen him since 1988, so i could be wrong, but from our phone conversations and reports from more local family members, it seems that he is no longer behaving the way he did. why a psychopath would change in that way is beyond me, and i wouldn’t trust him to babysit a pet parakeet even now, but maybe the change is actually real in some ways…very strange.
most people who sexually abuse children are not pedophiles. a pedophile is someone whose sexual/romantic interest is mostly or exclusively directed toward children, for whatever reason, and those people are quite rare. most child molesters are sexual predators who abuse children because it is the most effective way to gain power and control over another person. they often find ways to sexually abuse adults as well, through rape or seduction, but it’s easier and safer to dominate a child. of course, they enjoy the sexual gratification, but it’s the power they need more than anything.
if i were to join a prepper group, i would have to warn them that i’m one of those people who always does the wrong thing in an emergency. i assume it’s a symptom of my ptsd, but i haven’t been able to change it, so i just have to let someone else take over and follow their instructions. rather embarrassing, but something my fellow preppers would need to know!
workaholics (and other perpetual motion machines) are usually people who have traumatic histories and stay in motion so they won’t have to think about what happened to them or feel the emotions connected to it. those people would be likely to become even less functional in a shtf situation or worse.
on a lighter note: for several of these categories, you could have just written “see trump, donald”.
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