Drudge Report had an interesting article yesterday titled “70 million Americans taking mind-altering drugs”, it was an interesting read, it was also a good reminder that one should stay as focused and as unaltered as possible.
Think about it, if there is a disaster of some sort, one where medications are unavailable for a period of time, people with addictions will do desperate things to get their fix. You may be reading this and say, “well this won’t affect me, I am not addicted”. Think again.
You may not be addicted, but what about your spouse, kids, neighbors. There are people all around us that are taking some form of prescription or illegal drug. Again, you may be thinking “nope, not around me, my family is clean, I attend church with my neighbors, we are all good people who don’t do any type of drugs.”
Fair enough, what about smoking? Drinking alcohol? What about drinking caffeine? Eating sugar? Playing video games? Texting? Yes, these things may not be classified as narcotics, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be addicted to them.
You see, we all have our vices, and when all of a sudden something that our mind and/or body have gotten used to having is suddenly stopped, the body will react negativity. It is one thing to worry about others around us who are in withdrawal those who will do whatever they have to in order to get the fix they need, it is something totally different to live in denial thinking it won’t happen to your family or those around you.
If you or your family can’t go a month without coffee, soda, video games, smoking, TV or some other vice then you have immediately put yourself and your family at a dis-advantage in a time of disaster. Think about the things you and your family do on a daily basis, could you turn it off tomorrow for a month with no ill effect? Imagine taking everyone’s iPhone away for a month? Some people have never had to “go without” or sacrifice. This will be a shock if there is a SHTF type situation.
People get very irritable when something they are used to having is suddenly taken away. They can get angry even depressed. In a disaster type situation, this will just make matters worse. Some people, adults and kids alike, have had life so easy that they have never had to sacrifice and not have what they want, when they want. They have not built up the discipline to adapt to a situation that does not go their way.
Why wait for a disaster, start weaning yourself and your family off of life’s addictions. The daily coffee, the constant texting, video gaming, smoking, soda, whatever it may be, why not start today at sacrificing something for a month or more. Get the family used to having to adapt to change.
Now, you have replace the item you are removing with something else, a distraction. I have found that exercise is a fantastic replacement for a vice. Exercise burns off extra energy, it makes the body focus on reflexes, balance and sometimes pain in place of the missing vice. Exercise is also something that can be a great family event, bike riding, running, even walking. Plus exercise will get the body in shape which will help during a disaster. Exercise will also be something that you need and will do during a disaster, unlike smoking, drinking, or video games, which are not productive but destructive vices.
So why not challenge the family and yourself, start giving up your small addictions and replace them with a positive productive vice, exercise.
11 Feb 2014
0 CommentsAddictions
Think about it, if there is a disaster of some sort, one where medications are unavailable for a period of time, people with addictions will do desperate things to get their fix. You may be reading this and say, “well this won’t affect me, I am not addicted”. Think again.
You may not be addicted, but what about your spouse, kids, neighbors. There are people all around us that are taking some form of prescription or illegal drug. Again, you may be thinking “nope, not around me, my family is clean, I attend church with my neighbors, we are all good people who don’t do any type of drugs.”
Fair enough, what about smoking? Drinking alcohol? What about drinking caffeine? Eating sugar? Playing video games? Texting? Yes, these things may not be classified as narcotics, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be addicted to them.
You see, we all have our vices, and when all of a sudden something that our mind and/or body have gotten used to having is suddenly stopped, the body will react negativity. It is one thing to worry about others around us who are in withdrawal those who will do whatever they have to in order to get the fix they need, it is something totally different to live in denial thinking it won’t happen to your family or those around you.
If you or your family can’t go a month without coffee, soda, video games, smoking, TV or some other vice then you have immediately put yourself and your family at a dis-advantage in a time of disaster. Think about the things you and your family do on a daily basis, could you turn it off tomorrow for a month with no ill effect? Imagine taking everyone’s iPhone away for a month? Some people have never had to “go without” or sacrifice. This will be a shock if there is a SHTF type situation.
People get very irritable when something they are used to having is suddenly taken away. They can get angry even depressed. In a disaster type situation, this will just make matters worse. Some people, adults and kids alike, have had life so easy that they have never had to sacrifice and not have what they want, when they want. They have not built up the discipline to adapt to a situation that does not go their way.
Why wait for a disaster, start weaning yourself and your family off of life’s addictions. The daily coffee, the constant texting, video gaming, smoking, soda, whatever it may be, why not start today at sacrificing something for a month or more. Get the family used to having to adapt to change.
Now, you have replace the item you are removing with something else, a distraction. I have found that exercise is a fantastic replacement for a vice. Exercise burns off extra energy, it makes the body focus on reflexes, balance and sometimes pain in place of the missing vice. Exercise is also something that can be a great family event, bike riding, running, even walking. Plus exercise will get the body in shape which will help during a disaster. Exercise will also be something that you need and will do during a disaster, unlike smoking, drinking, or video games, which are not productive but destructive vices.
So why not challenge the family and yourself, start giving up your small addictions and replace them with a positive productive vice, exercise.