In modern times we have become accustomed to medication and healing is only a phone call away. It wasn’t that long ago that we were much more vulnerable to disease. In 1800 43% of children died before their 5th birthday. It is a staggering stat.
This should act as a reminder that without modern medicine the elderly and the young suffer and die on a regular basis. The young and healthy are also subject to the same fate. We have seen modern medicine come to a screeching halt after major hurricanes and other powerful natural disasters.
Of course, these are temporary issues but imagine a world where the medicine runs out, the doctors leave, and you are left to fend for yourself. Could you become the physician and healer in your own family?
Medical Preparedness
Our powerful and effective pharmaceutical and medical industries have an extended lifespan and created incredible advancements. However, that power is something of a double-edged sword. It has also created dependency.
Most Americans have a box of band-aids and some OTC medicines in their cabinets. That is the extent of medical preparations. This can be a big problem if we see a time of long-term calamity. Most people think about empty shelves and they get hungry.
Food isn’t the only thing that will go away. All medications, bandages, ointments and other first-aid related materials will be gone, as well. Everything must be shipped into your community by trucks and if those roads are obstructed or trucks left inoperable you will literally have to get by with what you have on hand right now.
Can you imagine cutting yourself and worrying about dying from infection?
This will be the situation in a world where waste management is offline, and plumbing is compromised. To be blunt there will be trash and feces in the streets! Next, come to the pests, and they bring disease and viruses.
You need a serious stockpile of medical and first aid preps to assure you are ready for the worst-case scenario.
Natural Healing
You can also leverage the world of natural healing to help with the trials of a serious disaster.
Medicinal Herbs
Many plants have powerful healing benefits. Therefore, many preppers dedicate large spaces in their garden to growing herbs. Many herbs have culinary and medicinal uses. Things like oregano have powerful antibacterial properties.
Essential Oils
By taking many of these powerful herbs and pulling the essence out of those herbs and plants you get powerful medicines that can be used and blended in all sorts of ways. Essential oils are a tough thing to recreate but a small stockpile can address everything from allergies to wound healing and even boost immunity.
Related: How to Use Lime Essential Oil
Trees
The secret of the survival world is the trees. Trees are an incredible resource, but they take some time to learn. Some trees are even painkillers and fever reducers! The best part about these trees is that they are around for all four seasons. That is big!
While gardens die off and wild plants get buried by snow, trees carry on. You can drink the immune-boosting pine needle tea 365 days a year and get those benefits.
Learning about the healing powers of trees is essential.
Medical Library
Having the right books on hand to create a medical library can also make a huge difference if the medical system is compromised. Having some high-quality medical resources will give you a tangible resource that you are going to turn to in the worst-case scenario.
You will learn the natural healing methods as well as which medical preps to stockpile.
There are many books out there and the more extensive your library the better.
First Aid Skills
Even with a stockpile of resources and a medical library, practiced skills are what truly make a difference. Your medical library can teach you about procedures and processes but that can never be a substitute for hands-on experience with things like CPR and dealing with real medical emergencies in real-time.
Most people don’t go to this level because it takes physical work and dedication. However, we are moving into a time when skills like these are no longer going to be options. State agencies offer up free classes on first aid under the CERT program.
These are 8-hour courses and though they are a time investment, you will come away with some serious skills. Of course, it will be up to you to keep those skills sharp.
Trauma classes are also popping up all over the nation. If you decide to jump into one of these, they often cost money and you must be careful about your instructors. Get to know their background and why they are an instructor.
Related: What You Really Need in Your SHTF First Aid Kit
Conclusion
There is a reason medical doctors are in school for so long. There is a lot to learn! There is a lot of practice to be had and experience to gain. If we face a serious collapse of basic services and critical infrastructure it’s going to disrupt our medical system and you are going to become the family physician.
What will you do when they look to you for answers? Are you prepared to act, are you informed enough to act?
Surviving a serious disaster is about gaining every advantage you can.
