Surviving a Life Changing Event - Dealing with the Personal Nature of Survival

Surviving a disaster is often just the beginning of any ordeal. A disaster can have an immediate and lasting effect on every aspect of your life. This can completely change the circumstances you may have to deal with after the disaster. It is this personal nature of survival that often catches people by surprise and then manages to leave them in a vulnerable position.

Having recently survived a heart attack, there were some obvious vulnerabilities that would require changes in my preparations. There were also some things that I had done right that worked to my advantage. If you develop even minor health problems, you’d better be prepared to deal with the changes that are going to be required to get your life back on track.

Now for an old guy in his early sixties to survive a heart attack is a pretty good accomplishment. You often don’t get a second chance. When I questioned the doctors about it, they said the fact that I was in relatively good health was the probably the most important factor in this case. Unfortunately, surgery was needed to correct the problem and this created a whole new set of problems.

The first thing that disappeared was my independence.  I had to rely almost completely upon someone else to get anything accomplished. With my physical abilities severely limited, it was going to take a good support network to manage even the simplest of activities. Having to rely almost totally on someone else to accomplish even the most routine and mundane of activities can be extremely hard to accept, especially if you've been fiercely independent most of your life. Even simple things like getting dressed became an almost overwhelming task and you could forget about things like driving a vehicle or having to carry anything with substantial weight. Doing it myself just wasn’t going to happen.

The next thing that started disappearing was money. Even with good health insurance, there are going to be a wide variety of extra expenses that are going to pop up. Deductibles and co-pays can add up quickly but it’s all the little things that can leave you in bind very quickly. Fuel expenses for trips back and forth can also add substantially to the cost. When combined with the added cost of medications or the need for a special diet, it won’t take long for your finances to be suffering a disaster of their own as a result. This is also true for other types of disasters.

Time also becomes critical and has a very real and personal impact on your situation. You will need time to heal and depending upon the nature of your problem the amount of time needed will vary greatly. This could affect your job status or any other plans you may have made to work on or complete other projects that may have already been scheduled. Things may literally come to a halt until your recovery is complete. This could be anything from a few days to a couple of weeks in the case of a minor event or several months or even years to overcome a major event.

So what are some of the common factors that will help in dealing with the personal nature of survival? There are a few basic items that may help you in this respect when dealing with a disaster.

Common Factors

1. Maintenance - Maintenance should be a priority. Whether it’s your body, your vehicle, your gear or your home, if you don’t work to keep it in the best possible shape, you could be seriously endangering your ability to survive. Always make sure that everything is in the best condition possible. If you’ve got health issues, then seek out ways to make your situation better. If you have problems with your vehicles or gear, work to resolve or correct the problems.

2. The Emergency Fund - Whether you are trying to return to normal after an illness, injury or some other natural disaster, you are going to need extra funds. Maintaining the maximum emergency fund possible will help you overcome this obstacle.

3. Time Management - Time can be a friend as well as an enemy. It’s how you make use of it that determines its true value. Utilizing your time in a positive manner will allow you to achieve the fastest results.  Make time work for you instead of against you.

4. Support Network - There may come a time when you will be unable to handle things by yourself. In cases such as this, you will need family members and friends who can help you, until you can get things back to normal; you are going to need all the help you can get. Whether you’re doing repairs or just need a helping hand while you are recuperating from an injury or an illness, you will need the support of family and friends.

These are just some of the common factors when it comes to dealing the personal nature of survival. Survival will always be an extremely personal experience and you should always strive to be prepared to handle any of the lifestyle changes that may occur.

I also visited with my friend John Wesley Smith on his radio program where we further discussed options for being prepared for life changing events. Here's the link:

http://destinysurvival.com/2012/08/24/what-if-the-life-changing-event-you-experience-isnt-one-youve-prepared-for/

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker