Mental Health of Preppers

Over the last few years there has been an abundance of reality shows related to survival and prepping. These shows highlight people who go to the extreme in order to guarantee their survival should a catastrophic event occur. Being prepared is generally a good thing but what about being prepared to the extreme. Yes, some will argue that you can never be prepared enough but is this really the case. This article may end up offending some although that is not my intention. While “reality” television show generally have very little reality involved one aspect that cannot be overlooked is the psychology of such extreme preppers. While I am not aware of a textbook definition of Extreme Prepper I will offer my own:

An Extreme Prepper is an individual or group of individuals who spend an overwhelming portion of time, energy, resources, and money, at the expense of other obligations or activities, preparing for the possibility of a future catastrophic event that is natural or man-made.

Examining this definition in more detail highlights many factors:

• Can apply to an individual or a group (group can be family, friends, extended network)
• Spends a lot of time, energy, resources and money
• Prepping at the exclusion of other activities
• Prepping for a future event can lead to a sense of urgency to get prepared
• A catastrophic event can be a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, flash flood, civil unrest, electromagnetic pulse, weapon of mass destruction, etc.

Most of us have watched one version or other of the numerous “Doomsday” television shows. If you scan the Internet you will see a lot of discussion about such shows. Opinions are definitely not in short supply. A common theme that often comes up is the mental status of some of these people. They are often referred to using non-clinical terms such as: crazy, lunatic, wacked out, nuts, fringe, psycho, out there, over the top, and a host of other adjectives. While these terms are typically used in a judgmental and condescending manner there may be some truth if you scratch beneath the surface. We need to start this discussion by asking: What causes a person to extreme prep? See, there is no doubt that prepping is a good thing. The government tells us to prep. FEMA tells us to prep. The Red Cross tells us to prep. Your employer may tell you to prep. Your house of worship may tell you to prep. It is when we go to extreme measure of prepping that we need to examine the root cause. People prep for many reasons:

• Involved in a prior disaster
• Come from a place of war or civil unrest
• Adhering to the advice of the government or other agency
• As a sense of security for you or your family
• Personal reasons

 

Yet, when one extreme preps this is going to a whole new level that may have underlying psychological reasons. Let me be clear before going any further that I am NOT implying that all who extreme prep have a mental health disorder. To accept the possibility that your prepping may be well beyond healthy requires objective self-reflection. You must be open to the possibility that you have taken your prepping to unhealthy levels. This is easier said than done as most people want to believe that nothing is wrong with them. In such cases we should then listen to those around us, those who love us such as family and friends. These people tend to look out for our best interests.

Mental health disorders possibly related to extreme prepping include:

Anxiety Disorder

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Specific Phobia

Personality Disorder

• Paranoid Personality Disorder
• Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Schizophrenia & Other Psychotic Disorders

• Schizophrenia
• Delusional Disorder

Arguments can be made to include other mental health disorders as well.  The key is to determining if your extreme prepping is negatively impacting you or other family members. If so, you are urged to seek professional help with a qualified mental health professional such as a counselor, therapist, social worker, clinical psychologist, and psychiatrist. Many mental health disorders can be treated with appropriate counseling, therapy, and medication as determined by your provider. Unfortunately, there is still a huge stigma associated with mental health disorders that prevent people in need from seeking appropriate help. Situations to consider getting help include:

• Preoccupation with the possibility of a looming disaster or catastrophic event
• Focusing on an event that is highly improbably
• Family members telling you that you spend too much time prepping
• Spend excessive amounts of money on prepping when you cannot afford to
• Not spending quality time with your family to work on preps
• Isolating yourself from friends and family
• Becoming excessively suspicious of anyone outside of your circle
• Spouse leaves you and friends no longer contact you
• Difficulty eating, sleeping, or concentrating
• You believe you are being controlled by an outside entity such as the government

The key to healthy prepping is balance and perspective. Generally, doing any activity to the extreme is not healthy. This is especially true if it takes you away from family, friends, loved ones, or activities that you enjoy. Also, if you are spending money on an underground bunker instead of providing essential items for your family this is a clear indication of problematic behavior. Prepping is good as long as it does not negatively impact other areas of your life. Unhealthy prepping is not good and such behavior needs to be addressed with professional assistance.

If you have a mental health disorder and the catastrophe that you are prepping for actually occurs keep in mind that your level of stress will be much higher than normal. Under the burden of such stress your mental health condition is often compounded and exacerbated. Even if you are well prepared for the catastrophic event the high level of stress will only make your mental health condition more challenging which can impair your ability to appropriately handle situations that arise. The problem here is that you may have adequately prepped for everything but your mental health. If you are an extreme prepper and have a mental health disorder now is the time to start treating your disorder prior to a real event. If SHTF and you have not dealt with your mental health issues you will have problems post-disaster even if you prepped every other aspect completely. Remember, mind and body work hand in hand. Prep them both adequately to be truly prepared.

Good luck and stay safe.

This article is informational only and is not to be used to diagnose or treat any mental health disorder. Seek appropriate care from a qualified mental health professional if needed. The author of this article has a graduate degree in counseling.

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//TC

© 2013