18 Dangerous Health Mistakes To Avoid When SHTF

In today’s chaotic world, you must be prepared for anything. Many possible scenarios can spell disaster if you are unprepared, especially regarding your health.

Being prepared for when SHTF is one thing, but there are many mistakes that you will want to avoid as well.

As we have all seen, things can quickly go from bad to worse, and a global crisis is an ever-present possibility that is always lurking just around the corner.

You can do things today to protect yourself tomorrow, should the inevitable occur and SHTF. While media can often paint preppers negatively, being prepared for a SHTF situation is vital to longevity.

However, being prepared is not always enough. Many mistakes can be made in the days and weeks after SHTF, and you will want to avoid these mistakes at all costs if you hope to survive.

Panicking And Freaking Out

While it is easy to panic and follow the masses, panicking is the worst thing you can do when SHTF. We all witnessed the empty grocery store shelves when panic set in at the start of the recent pandemic.

The precariousness of the situation is only made worse when it comes to your health.

Should you find yourself in a situation where medical help is unavailable or inaccessible, allowing panic to set in and control your actions is sure to spell disaster.

A big part of being prepared is staying calm. Knowing you have everything you need to survive will provide peace of mind in the days, weeks, months, or even years that follow a disaster.

Your precise preparation should help you remain calm in the face of chaos.

Taking Expired Medications Without Understanding The Risks

Some medications are safe to consume long after the best before date, and others are not. You must understand the medicines in your stockpile and how they are affected with time.

Liquid antibiotics, aspirin, nitroglycerin, and insulin have all failed numerous tests surrounding expiration dates.

In contrast, others are safe for consumption years after the date on the bottle. However, each medication is different, so you must understand how they hold up once they expire.

The way you store your stockpile is also vitally important to their functioning ability. Medications should always be stored in a cool, dark place far away from dampness or moisture.

Out On The Town Fully Packed

When SHTF, the last thing you want to do is walk around with medication on your person. In an emergency, looting is a genuine concern.

However, robbery will become even more concerning, and carrying more medicines than necessary will put you at increased risk.

Should you need to travel when SHTF, take only what you require for your journey. Having only the medications that you need at that moment will prevent issues from arising and you being attacked, injured, or even killed by desperate citizens looking to score.

Looking To The Internet For Answers

While we want to believe that the Internet has all the answers, there is a lot of misinformation out there.

Whether posted purposely or out of ignorance, relying on the Internet to tell you how to treat medical conditions is a slippery slope that could prove to be fatal.

Suppose you find yourself in a situation where you must treat a specific health condition on your own without assistance from a medical professional. In that case, you must choose the information and methods carefully.

Look for details from valid, trusted sources and ensure that you find this information in more than one place. Good research can be tedious, but it can save your life. Be sure that the advice is valid, up-to-date, and thoroughly tested.

Lacking First Aid Skills

Having a first aid kit is useless if you lack the skills to use it.

Knowing basic first aid should be an essential life skill.

Unfortunately, this skill is not taught in school, and many people have been infused with a false sense of knowledge.

Taking a course before a disaster strikes or brushing up on basic first aid is always a great idea if you want to be prepared.

Trying To Help Others But Doing More Harm Than Good

We all want to help our friends, family, and neighbors, but helping others when SHTF can easily cause more damage than good.

Whether the harm is your own or someone else’s, consequences can become dire fast. Be wary of helping others and making new friends when SHTF.

It is often the best choice to look out for your own needs before others and not put yourself into a dangerous situation.

Helping others can put you and your family at risk of looting or violence. It also puts you at risk for disease if you are not careful. When SHTF, priority must be placed on self-preservation above all else.

Keeping All Your Eggs In One Basket

Storing all your medical supplies in one place is a common mistake that can be highly detrimental.

When SHTF, it is much easier for a looter to find them if all your supplies are stored in one location. Avoid the risk and spread your stockpile of medical supplies over numerous sites.

If your reserves are discovered or stolen, you will have a backup supply safely stored elsewhere.

Overusing Or Over Consuming Medications

One big mistake is taking medication when you do not truly need it. Overusing medication can leave you in a desperate situation should you require it later but have run out.

Be sure that you are not taking medications that can be stored for more dire times, and always ensure that you have enough stored away for when SHTF.

Ignoring The Golden Rule

Rotating, resupplying, and restocking your medical stockpile is the golden rule of preparedness.

While you should avoid dipping into your reserves whenever possible, there are times when resources must be used. A failure to replenish those reserves could prove deadly.

Be sure that anything taken from your stockpile is promptly replaced, and always remember to rotate the items to ensure they are safe for use in an emergency.

Having medical supplies that are well past their expiration date, have spoiled, or are no longer effective will not be helpful when SHTF.

Treating Your Pets With Human Meds

Although you consider Fido part of the family, treating your pets with precious medications from your stockpile that can be used on you when SHTF is never a good idea.

While you want to help your pets when they are sick, you do not want to put yourself at risk to do it.

Combining Medications With Other Substances

It can be tempting to mix your daily medications with other substances, whether to enhance or compliment them. However, the result can be deadly.

Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can be hazardous when used with other substances. This includes other prescription or over-the-counter medications, as well as recreational drugs.

Fighting Off Infection

Misuse of antibiotics is a consistent concern in all areas of the medical field and should be a big concern when SHTF.

Although a simple fever or minor infection can quickly become deadly when SHTF, misusing antibiotics is a more significant concern in this situation.

Our bodies are designed to preserve us and independently fight off most simple infections without antibiotics. Overusing antibiotic medications can be detrimental for many reasons, but it becomes even more serious when not readily available or accessible.

The overuse of antibiotics can create resistance within your body, meaning when you need antibiotics to work, they cannot do their job effectively. Antibiotic resistance is a serious issue that is on the rise. Antibiotics should only be used when absolutely necessary, especially when SHTF.

Showing Off And Running Your Mouth

While it can be tempting to show your medical stockpile to other people and brag about your preparation plans, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

When SHTF, people will get desperate, and those you thought were your friends will quickly become enemies.

Refrain from showing others where and what you have stored for an emergency and keep that information securely within yourself.

Failing To Consider All Possibilities

Preparing for only one type of disaster situation is no different than failing to maintain a car. You will run into trouble if you only change the tires and never check the oil.

When preparing for disaster, it is best to be ready for anything. While a situation may begin as one thing, emergencies quickly spiral out of control and can morph into a completely new problem without warning. Prepare for all types of disasters, so you are always a step ahead.

Dr. Do-Little

Even today, many people will portray themselves as professionals to scam you out of what you have.

When SHTF, these people will come out of the woodwork in droves. Among these scammers will be people claiming to be medical professionals to gain access or knowledge of your stockpile.

Be very wary of people claiming to be medical professionals, and never show anyone what you have or where it is stored.

Overlooking The Basics

The biggest mistake that a prepper can make is to forget an essential item in their stockpile. Missing even one critical product can mean the difference between your survival and your demise.

Create a list of all the essential items you need to have on hand should SHTF, and keep a copy of this list with your kits.

Be sure that you update and regularly add to your preparedness kits and rotate out items that need to be refreshed. If a product is running low or has a specific shelf life, ensure you replenish it as soon as possible.

When something goes wrong, a trip to the store may not be possible or could be unsafe. It is far better to have too much today than too little tomorrow.

Not Having Enough Supplies

Your stockpile should be plentiful and able to maintain your family into the foreseeable future.

A good rule of thumb is to ensure that you have enough medical supplies in your stockpile to last several months and enough food or other survival items for a year.

While it may be hard to believe you will not have access to necessities for this long, a crisis can quickly change the landscape.

Although you may have access to certain items, going out to acquire these items may become dangerous.

You should avoid going out if at all possible by having sufficient reserves available to you and your family.

Losing Focus

Staying focused when SHTF will be one of the biggest obstacles you must overcome. Be sure that you understand the importance of being prepared, and do not forget to add entertainment items to your stockpile.

Entertainment will be critical if you have children. Children will require objects that provide entertainment while you are hunkered down.

Staying focused and keeping vigilant will become a top priority, and sometimes practice is the best way to ensure that you are prepared. If you have small children, or even for your own safety, practice what it will be like when SHTF.

Having a stock of quality books is a great way to curb boredom, as are board games, drawing tools, and toys. Remember, mental health is just as vital as physical health, and being prepared will be your best defense.

What are some of the essential items you suggest putting into a preparedness kit? I would love to hear how you plan for the future.

Stay safe!

You may also like:

Amish Long-Lasting Recipes Every Prepper Should Learn