Take a look at your day to day life. Is there something you don’t think you can go without every day? Do you smoke? Enjoy your morning coffee? Have that cola/other beverage pick me up in the afternoon? Supplement every meal with some sweets? Or even have the drive to check your Facebook every 20 minutes? Addictions and cravings can be a powerful force in our lives and are something that need to be considered when you’re planning for a survival situation.
For a short term emergency, hopefully you’ve got a bit extra of your favorite addiction stored. You can pretty easily stock up on cases of soda or a few extra cans of coffee. I have no idea how long coffee stores–we don’t drink it around here, but like most things, it’s probably good a while after the printed expiration date on the can. The beans unground would keep longer (like whole wheat stores longer than flour and oat groats store longer than oatmeal) assuming you have some way to grind them. We’ll continue with the coffee theme for a bit here for simplicity–apply it to your own addiction.
But what about when the supplies run out? Maybe you have enough you can wean yourself off over time. Maybe you don’t. What about your neighbors? Family members? You know how they are when they don’t get their morning coffee, right? People can change in a hurry from even keeled to downright unbearable and irrational without those things their bodies are used to. Keep that in mind when you’re having to deal with other people in an emergency situation. Maybe they’re not out to get you, maybe they just haven’t had their coffee that week. So even if you don’t have addictions (well, at least that you’ll admit to), someone around you probably does and you’re going to have to deal with that person either in a limited or long term relationship.
Cravings are like mini-addictions. Like me with chocolate. I don’t need it every day, but it sure is good to have at least weekly! Yes, I have chocolate stored in various forms in my food storage. But probably not enough. You know how a pan of brownies can relieve stress, right? I’ll be baking them in my solar oven.
Study your cravings and addictions also–you may find that it is something else your body needs! I worked a job once that was pretty strenuous physically and we worked 14 hours a day plus had an hour drive each way to get there. And all I wanted to do at work was snack. Even when I had just had lunch and my stomach was full, I wanted a snack. Then one day it dawned on me that my body wasn’t hungry all the time–it was exhausted and instead of telling me to take a nap, my brain said, “you’re low on energy, you need to eat sugar!” See how that works?
Of course the best thing is not to have addictions at all. If you have them, try to wean yourself off now so you won’t be the crazy one when the emergency hits! This is not as easy as it sounds! Some addictions may even need professional help to go away.
My one addiction is sweets. Of course as the one that has the addiction, I really don’t see a need to quit getting my afternoon sugar fix. (I actually attribute it to the same tired=eat sugar mental issue I have–I should just go take a nap instead.) So I’ll just store lots of sugar/candy/sweets in my food storage, right? And that will work for a while, but probably not forever.
So in your preparedness plans, don’t forget to consider your addictions and cravings. They’re a big part of your life now–maybe more than you know, and will only be magnified in an emergency–especially if you use them as a stress reliever! At the very least, stock an emergency stash of your favorite craving, and even better try to get addiction free now.
Now where is that chocolate I stashed?
Keep preparing! Angela
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I’ve been working on those cigarettes and soda. I quit drugs a long time ago, drinking years ago, and it’s been a while since I drank coffee.
On the down side, when I quit drinking coffee my soda intake went up to compensate, and my smoking increased when I quit drinking.
The trick is going to be kicking a habit without replacing it with another.
hmm is hard to quit an addiction yes very hard. Especially when you get these burning cravings which tear into your soul and mind. Trying not replace one addiction with another that is hard. Can one ever truly be without addictions.It is said it is good to be able to exhibit restraint and control I.E be able to deny oneself. Maybe this is true. If you find the root problem and deal with it then that can help prevent any addictions coming back.
it’s that diet dr pepper….
Sure I’ve quit a hundred times, but then think, what’s the harm, I don’t get withdrawals… I like the fizz…. lol…
Going into retirement now, and it is on my budget cutting list… so need to do it! Seems if I am home all day, I can do alright, but at work it is like a prop all day long.
I think I will replace it with another habit tho – watered down non-caffeine teas… or even lemon flavored water works well for me!
I quit smoking about 18 months ago. At noon on a random Thursday, cold turkey. I still have the open half a pack in my glovebox. One thing I find is that if I CAN’T have something, I crave it like mad. If I could have it, but CHOOSE not to (like with the smokes in my glovebox), I am fine. Of course, I am also very stubborn. I am glad I quit – more money for other things, and long plane rides don’t phase me anymore.
With coffee (my other love), we’ve switched from regular coffee to mixing it half and half with decaf. That way, if we quit cold turkey, we don’t get the headaches. I have tried to also cut back, and usually just have one large mug in the morning, now. We may look into buying green beans (much cheaper, and store a long time, apparently), and roasting our own.
I still keep a couple packs of smokes around, to tide folks over if they can’t get any, for whatever reason…I know I used to go from friendly to ripping your face off in no time at all when I was overdue for a smoke, and I don’t want to deal with friends and family in that state…
When I quit smoking I took up drinking loads of water and knitting or crocheting to keep my hands occupied.
Instead off drinking alcohol I drink soda water with ice, not saying I don’t drink at all, but this cuts it down. Also don’t drink soft drink.
Never drunk coffee, only herbal tea, so can’t comment on that.
I am running out of vices, I sound so boring now :D
Just remembered, I am addicted to chocolate (and books), not so boring now, but maybe old age is kicking in :D
I still smoke: one thing I recommend, short of quitting, if you anticipate running out of anything is to store the item, but not your preferred brand or type. i.e. store menthol cigarettes if you smoke regular (so you won’t be tempted to remove what you store for immediate consumption). This works for other “addictions,” too — I like coffee, but I don’t like the flavored varieties: so when someone gives me some as a gift, I store it. It may not be my “preference” but in a pinch, it would work! We don’t drink, so the few gifts of alcohol we receive get stored, too.
Not to talk cravings and addictions up, but in a survival situation, these items are valuable for trade/barter.