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| Sep 28 2008, 10:55 AM EDT | WolfSquadleader | 2 words added, 2 words deleted |
| Aug 27 2008, 6:05 PM EDT | richboy33lb | 53 words added |
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One of the most devastating after effects of the zombie apocalypse will be how it affects people mentally. Once the dead walk again we can all predict a massive rash of suicides and deaths due to depression but in addition there will be the masses that go insane. We have sections dedicated to the survival of other humans, be they immoral or insane, but what about the all too likely possibility of yourself or your companions undergoing mental degradation due to the death, destruction, and moaning? What do you think the possibility of cracking under the mental strain of living in a post-apocalyptic world is? How would you try to lessen it and live through it? What would you do in the case of a person you are with finally buckling under the pressure?
Richboy33lb- The psyhological strain will include smelling rotten flesh, hearing the non-stop moans and gunshots, and seeing once-powerful empires turned into rtubble.rubble. You will imagine what happened to your girlfriend, or your mom, or even your pet dog. In addition to psychological strain, this will make sleep sad and very hard to get.
vanrulzz sez:
Well, I think one of the things that would prevent this is knowing what the hell is going on, which since you are on this wiki you should know. The cracking is most likely due to the surprise and confusion and all the dead people trying to come after you, and the panic and what not. Therefore I think I would not crack, but it could happen you never know. To respond to Kevin, I probably play too much halo to think like that :P
Kevin990 will say:
With all this talk about a massive zombie invasion, people are diluting themselves with the thought that they can kill another human... undead or not. Think of the massive psychological trauma, killing another person, will cause. During WW2 only 3% of ground troops fired at the enemy with intentions to kill... the other 97% could not bring themselves to aim and purposely kill the enemy... even though they are being shot at. So many wars have been won by soldiers taking pot-shots at the enemy and succeeding. Next time you think of slaughtering countless zombies with nothing but a baseball bat and a .45, think about the person you truly are and ask yourself if you could honestly do it.
Axel Sikth
Kevin990 brings up a good point. But still, the example you use is an example from World War 2. Take a good look at the soldiers now and the wars going on in the Middle East. You think those guys are going to really give a second thought before pumping a zombie, or even a human, full of lead? Course not. And I am sure there are going to be quite a few people who are not going to suffer much from the psychological ramifications of killing a zombie. Same can't be said for an infected person who hasn't changed yet though? That's a different story entirely.
DustinEchos104:
My worry is far less that I wont be able to kill people, although I think it will make me feel bad, I don't like people in general enough to care if I was the one that killed them, they would die eventually (although admittedly, I think killing freshly bitten friends and family would be sad) but how do you keep other people from cracking because a lot of the people I know are not very strong people, of all the people I know only three of us are enlisting, and I don't think they could cope with the zombification of the worldworld.
McSkullcracken: Psychological strain among survivors in a zombie infested world will be great in comparison to the everyday strain seen by most people today. The strain of having killed the zombies will be there, but that thought does not concern me as much as other possible strains on the survivor psyche, as many people have been desensitized by violence in the various aspects of the media(movies, video games, music, news, Internet, books). Really, many of those in younger generations (X+) have been exposed to quite a bit more violence in this manner by the time they are 18 than many in previous generations. While they may not have seen combat or abuse directly, the initial shock of it will probably not be as extreme as some would imagine. Why else would parents be concerned about letting children see violence in media?
The largest strain to affect the survivors will probably be the extreme changes in everyday life and how they view the world. Knowing that playing baseball in a park could be one of the more dangerous pastimes in the world will be a huge thing to adjust to. Simple things like that. No more movie theatres, malls, roller-coasters, concerts. Constant fear, worry, hiding, running, losing people, these are the things that will put a huge strain on people. Losing those close to you would be a large strain, especially if a person loses multiple people in a short time period. The actual killing of a zombie will probably not be that bad. Most people will have the survival instinct of fight or flight kick in, and if its fight, killing something seeking to kill you is natural. People are not murdering people here, they are destroying a creature that poses a great threat to almost all living creatures.
ShotgunMan: I've been waiting for the zombie apocalypse to happen. I've been waiting for so long it seems, that I'm actually hoping it happens soon. But that's probably just my anti-social nature talking.
I'm not worried for my own mental degradation; I've already been reduced to my lowest possible mental state, and I'm not certain that I could get much lower. That, and I've already been exposed to plenty of violence, death, and some recent trauma, so I'm plenty jaded and desensitized. Combat isn't an issue, especially when you always want to take someone out. The only vulnerability I might have is losing my immediate family and a few of my friends, or having to stop the course of their metamorphosis into living death. And if there is some unpleasant thought in the back of my head, I just ignore it until it becomes necessary to address it.
With others, it's another story. They may be taken aback by the ending of society, but what with all the violence in the media it may not be such an issue. Killing zombies probably won't be a problem for people (at least not in mental terms), but having to kill someone who isn't dead yet may be of greater difficulty, even if the survivor is hostile. At least until the "fight or flight" survival instinct kicks in, as Mcskullcracken has stated. Also, sentimentality may get in the way of survival, and some may not be willing to leave their home/possessions/family behind, even if it means death. And if there isn't any initial shock or trauma, then down the road there may be after-effects like post-traumatic stress disorder. There may also be an eventual decrease in morale or negative personality trait development in some people. And then there's the problem that someone may "lose it", so to speak, and try to do away with others.
Sporezombie: Personal i am not hoping but expecting the invasion by zombies but if you prep you can really avoid some of the loss of current life but what is lost can be replaced. If the generation attack has kids that generation Z would be a zombie's worst nightmare if properly mentally trained that is. I have a city plan were kids are exposed to zombies almost in a inferior way. We are still the top of the food chain we just have competition for the title. We really can't help those people and if they go insane good if they can't take it i don't want them in the fight. Zombie Warfare is 70% mental 30% physical. Kill or be killed
Spraymachine: I wonder, has anyone here ever been in a survival situation? I have and there is no way that you can survive something where you life is in immediate danger and go on fine like nothing happened. It changes you, it changes the way you think, it changes your feeling of "safety" all the time. Try having someone trying to hunt you down every moment of every day. You will never feel completely safe, you will never let your guard down, it messes with you. If you have gone into combat and come out perfectly unchanged, then I guess you are an exception to the rules. I know that if I survived an outbreak, I would be very different, if I had to kill zombies in the process, I would be very very different. Psych strain is like the fear you get right before skydiving/bungee jumping/parapenting for the first time; you can imagine what the fear is like before do it, but it is a whole different thing when you are standing on the ledge about to free fall.
Reply to spraymachine from Kelkesh: I get exactly what you mean. My dad was a scout in Vietnam, and he was sent ahead to warn villages about Free Fire zones. I have actually woken up to him putting a knife to my throat and asking what I was doing. His guard has never let down. Regardless, there will be people who crack under the pressure of Z-Day. Just ask yourself "Will it be me?". If it's yes, then chances are you are arrogant. If it's no, then you might. And if its I don't know, then you have the greatest chance. There's my wisdom for you today, I suggest you take it.
Cylon1994
I can't wait for Z-Day either and I think that's okay. It will weed out a lot of the problems with the world such as pollution (No one to run the huge plants if there are zombies about) and corrupt politics (No one to be corrupt) and most of all the survivors are pretty much able to survive anything. Personally I like the idea of scaring everyone with this threat of walking dead. It makes people think about survival more and that maybe getting the new Flat Screen TV wouldn't be so great and instead he should pick up a book about carpentry or electrical. Personally after the Z-Day threat I would not let any survivors that are untrained on-board until I set up my Compound in Montana. Psychology is very important and hard to obtain. It will be the thing that you will lose quickest and so you should get as much of it as your can. It's what separates us from the Undead.
Zuzak: Could anyone really take the sight of the corpse of someone they knew trying to kill them, and then having to kill them in self defense? Most people would have some mental effect from killing someone that they've never seen before. There's also the idea that anyone you know who isn't with you is probably a zombie. Not to mention the millions, if not billions, who are now suffering a fate worse than death. Most people don't even have a plan or have a clear idea what is happening or why it is happening. There's something wrong with you if that doesn't bother you at all. Violence in the media isn't going to desensify you to the point of not caring about that.
Thrawn5:
I will try to avoid the mainstream zombies, the occasional one wont really drive you insane (unlike the incessant moaning). I agree with Vanrulzz, knowing what is going on will help you a lot (in other words, keep informed, keep alive). If someone in my group was cracking under the strain - I would put them in a quiet room, calm them down put them "on leave" (in the basement or whatever) for a few days to try to recover. If they started getting to the other people in my group I would just end up turning them loose...
karaz:
the mental effects on people will cast many lives the best thing in my mind is to avoid any refuge camps everyone will do just about anything they please and no one will step in to stop them they will need the people to fight the zombie. if you look at any zombie comic and see a camp that is how it might be kind of like a sfe hell
Z-daysurvivor: Me personally I'm going crazy waiting for z-day cuz like i don't want to get supplies to early and have em get ruined but i want to get em late and only have like half the stuff...
Nidhogg:
I would definitly have to smack him or her around. To piss em off. "Anger is better than dispair" Ahnuld from T3. If after all of this they still wanna die then I'd hand em a hand-grenade and let em go.
BIA!: I know that ,while in current society those who study the mind in its purely imaginative form(in contrast to its scientific) are looked down upon by many, its going to become very important to have psychiatrists and shrinks around when Z-Day hits. Because real killing and video game killing are very different, so just because you can kill 500 zombies in a game and walk away with a smile, seeing the actual face in front of you, know that that person probably had a wife and kids and a little white picket fence...It's impossible to comprehend until your placed in the survival situation. LikeSpraymachine said, you won't walk away the same person after you kill your first zombie. All mental instability will be based mainly around either
1. Seeing a close family member/friend turned and/or killed.
2. Having to cope with the lifestyle changes
3. Losing hope and/or faith
But the best way to overcome these obstacles are to either insure safety for those close and get prepared, or mentally prepare for Z-Day. That doesn't mean " Oh, well theres possibility that everyone close to me, even I, could die." It means that the people you've known all your life, you love, you care about, will, without a doubt, be killed and turned into a zombie. Once people understand that it will be easier to live and function on a post Z-Day society.
~Jack~: Alright, as I am somewhat unsure as to how I would react in a zombie outbreak, I believe I would be able to take it rather well. At least, better then my sister. More or less, I won't have a problem adjusting mentally to the new life unless someone starts staying "Well, if you can't deal with it, kill yourself" constantly. That kind of comment annoys me to no end. As long as people don't tell me to stay calm, I'll stay calm. I won't truely get angry unless someone tells me I shouldn't be angy when I wasn't angry in the first place... Yes I have some emotional issues, but I'm working on them. *smiles*
When it comes to killing, that's where things change. I don't enjoy thinking about killing other people. living, breathing people with souls. Now, when it comes to zombies... I don't care. They are not people in my book. Heck, they aren't even alive. So, I could shoot zombies all day and not really feel a thing. Now, the only kind of zombie I would feel bad about killing is a zombies of friends or family. that makes me pause and I would end up with a frog in my throat and retreat until I resolve the issue. More or less, I de-humanize the zombies and put them on the same level as insects.
Now, I really hate society and civilization as it is. It feels like the world is going in a downward spiral, not fixing itself anytime soon. So, a zombie apocolypse would actually do some good, stopping that downward spiral and hitting the 'reset' button. My life will have a blank slate and I wouldactually be happy about that part. The only true issue I face would be how to get food...
Chaplin_Gir: What your all forgetting is I'm fairly sure some little boy, or girl will be bitten and bite ALOT more people because who knows how hard it is too shoot child? I bet even some of the iraq vetrans would pause (If only for a second) All i know is to get me started past the psycho barrier of getting a pistol and aiming at somones head is watching a zombie eat/infect somone. Then i'll fight
Richboy33lb- The psyhological strain will include smelling rotten flesh, hearing the non-stop moans and gunshots, and seeing once-powerful empires turned into rtubble.rubble. You will imagine what happened to your girlfriend, or your mom, or even your pet dog. In addition to psychological strain, this will make sleep sad and very hard to get.
Well, I think one of the things that would prevent this is knowing what the hell is going on, which since you are on this wiki you should know. The cracking is most likely due to the surprise and confusion and all the dead people trying to come after you, and the panic and what not. Therefore I think I would not crack, but it could happen you never know. To respond to Kevin, I probably play too much halo to think like that :P
Kevin990 will say:
With all this talk about a massive zombie invasion, people are diluting themselves with the thought that they can kill another human... undead or not. Think of the massive psychological trauma, killing another person, will cause. During WW2 only 3% of ground troops fired at the enemy with intentions to kill... the other 97% could not bring themselves to aim and purposely kill the enemy... even though they are being shot at. So many wars have been won by soldiers taking pot-shots at the enemy and succeeding. Next time you think of slaughtering countless zombies with nothing but a baseball bat and a .45, think about the person you truly are and ask yourself if you could honestly do it.
Axel Sikth
Kevin990 brings up a good point. But still, the example you use is an example from World War 2. Take a good look at the soldiers now and the wars going on in the Middle East. You think those guys are going to really give a second thought before pumping a zombie, or even a human, full of lead? Course not. And I am sure there are going to be quite a few people who are not going to suffer much from the psychological ramifications of killing a zombie. Same can't be said for an infected person who hasn't changed yet though? That's a different story entirely.
DustinEchos104:
My worry is far less that I wont be able to kill people, although I think it will make me feel bad, I don't like people in general enough to care if I was the one that killed them, they would die eventually (although admittedly, I think killing freshly bitten friends and family would be sad) but how do you keep other people from cracking because a lot of the people I know are not very strong people, of all the people I know only three of us are enlisting, and I don't think they could cope with the zombification of the worldworld.
McSkullcracken: Psychological strain among survivors in a zombie infested world will be great in comparison to the everyday strain seen by most people today. The strain of having killed the zombies will be there, but that thought does not concern me as much as other possible strains on the survivor psyche, as many people have been desensitized by violence in the various aspects of the media(movies, video games, music, news, Internet, books). Really, many of those in younger generations (X+) have been exposed to quite a bit more violence in this manner by the time they are 18 than many in previous generations. While they may not have seen combat or abuse directly, the initial shock of it will probably not be as extreme as some would imagine. Why else would parents be concerned about letting children see violence in media?
The largest strain to affect the survivors will probably be the extreme changes in everyday life and how they view the world. Knowing that playing baseball in a park could be one of the more dangerous pastimes in the world will be a huge thing to adjust to. Simple things like that. No more movie theatres, malls, roller-coasters, concerts. Constant fear, worry, hiding, running, losing people, these are the things that will put a huge strain on people. Losing those close to you would be a large strain, especially if a person loses multiple people in a short time period. The actual killing of a zombie will probably not be that bad. Most people will have the survival instinct of fight or flight kick in, and if its fight, killing something seeking to kill you is natural. People are not murdering people here, they are destroying a creature that poses a great threat to almost all living creatures.
ShotgunMan: I've been waiting for the zombie apocalypse to happen. I've been waiting for so long it seems, that I'm actually hoping it happens soon. But that's probably just my anti-social nature talking.
I'm not worried for my own mental degradation; I've already been reduced to my lowest possible mental state, and I'm not certain that I could get much lower. That, and I've already been exposed to plenty of violence, death, and some recent trauma, so I'm plenty jaded and desensitized. Combat isn't an issue, especially when you always want to take someone out. The only vulnerability I might have is losing my immediate family and a few of my friends, or having to stop the course of their metamorphosis into living death. And if there is some unpleasant thought in the back of my head, I just ignore it until it becomes necessary to address it.
With others, it's another story. They may be taken aback by the ending of society, but what with all the violence in the media it may not be such an issue. Killing zombies probably won't be a problem for people (at least not in mental terms), but having to kill someone who isn't dead yet may be of greater difficulty, even if the survivor is hostile. At least until the "fight or flight" survival instinct kicks in, as Mcskullcracken has stated. Also, sentimentality may get in the way of survival, and some may not be willing to leave their home/possessions/family behind, even if it means death. And if there isn't any initial shock or trauma, then down the road there may be after-effects like post-traumatic stress disorder. There may also be an eventual decrease in morale or negative personality trait development in some people. And then there's the problem that someone may "lose it", so to speak, and try to do away with others.
Sporezombie: Personal i am not hoping but expecting the invasion by zombies but if you prep you can really avoid some of the loss of current life but what is lost can be replaced. If the generation attack has kids that generation Z would be a zombie's worst nightmare if properly mentally trained that is. I have a city plan were kids are exposed to zombies almost in a inferior way. We are still the top of the food chain we just have competition for the title. We really can't help those people and if they go insane good if they can't take it i don't want them in the fight. Zombie Warfare is 70% mental 30% physical. Kill or be killed
Spraymachine: I wonder, has anyone here ever been in a survival situation? I have and there is no way that you can survive something where you life is in immediate danger and go on fine like nothing happened. It changes you, it changes the way you think, it changes your feeling of "safety" all the time. Try having someone trying to hunt you down every moment of every day. You will never feel completely safe, you will never let your guard down, it messes with you. If you have gone into combat and come out perfectly unchanged, then I guess you are an exception to the rules. I know that if I survived an outbreak, I would be very different, if I had to kill zombies in the process, I would be very very different. Psych strain is like the fear you get right before skydiving/bungee jumping/parapenting for the first time; you can imagine what the fear is like before do it, but it is a whole different thing when you are standing on the ledge about to free fall.
Reply to spraymachine from Kelkesh: I get exactly what you mean. My dad was a scout in Vietnam, and he was sent ahead to warn villages about Free Fire zones. I have actually woken up to him putting a knife to my throat and asking what I was doing. His guard has never let down. Regardless, there will be people who crack under the pressure of Z-Day. Just ask yourself "Will it be me?". If it's yes, then chances are you are arrogant. If it's no, then you might. And if its I don't know, then you have the greatest chance. There's my wisdom for you today, I suggest you take it.
Cylon1994
I can't wait for Z-Day either and I think that's okay. It will weed out a lot of the problems with the world such as pollution (No one to run the huge plants if there are zombies about) and corrupt politics (No one to be corrupt) and most of all the survivors are pretty much able to survive anything. Personally I like the idea of scaring everyone with this threat of walking dead. It makes people think about survival more and that maybe getting the new Flat Screen TV wouldn't be so great and instead he should pick up a book about carpentry or electrical. Personally after the Z-Day threat I would not let any survivors that are untrained on-board until I set up my Compound in Montana. Psychology is very important and hard to obtain. It will be the thing that you will lose quickest and so you should get as much of it as your can. It's what separates us from the Undead.
Zuzak: Could anyone really take the sight of the corpse of someone they knew trying to kill them, and then having to kill them in self defense? Most people would have some mental effect from killing someone that they've never seen before. There's also the idea that anyone you know who isn't with you is probably a zombie. Not to mention the millions, if not billions, who are now suffering a fate worse than death. Most people don't even have a plan or have a clear idea what is happening or why it is happening. There's something wrong with you if that doesn't bother you at all. Violence in the media isn't going to desensify you to the point of not caring about that.
Thrawn5:
I will try to avoid the mainstream zombies, the occasional one wont really drive you insane (unlike the incessant moaning). I agree with Vanrulzz, knowing what is going on will help you a lot (in other words, keep informed, keep alive). If someone in my group was cracking under the strain - I would put them in a quiet room, calm them down put them "on leave" (in the basement or whatever) for a few days to try to recover. If they started getting to the other people in my group I would just end up turning them loose...
karaz:
the mental effects on people will cast many lives the best thing in my mind is to avoid any refuge camps everyone will do just about anything they please and no one will step in to stop them they will need the people to fight the zombie. if you look at any zombie comic and see a camp that is how it might be kind of like a sfe hell
Z-daysurvivor: Me personally I'm going crazy waiting for z-day cuz like i don't want to get supplies to early and have em get ruined but i want to get em late and only have like half the stuff...
Nidhogg:
I would definitly have to smack him or her around. To piss em off. "Anger is better than dispair" Ahnuld from T3. If after all of this they still wanna die then I'd hand em a hand-grenade and let em go.
BIA!: I know that ,while in current society those who study the mind in its purely imaginative form(in contrast to its scientific) are looked down upon by many, its going to become very important to have psychiatrists and shrinks around when Z-Day hits. Because real killing and video game killing are very different, so just because you can kill 500 zombies in a game and walk away with a smile, seeing the actual face in front of you, know that that person probably had a wife and kids and a little white picket fence...It's impossible to comprehend until your placed in the survival situation. LikeSpraymachine said, you won't walk away the same person after you kill your first zombie. All mental instability will be based mainly around either
1. Seeing a close family member/friend turned and/or killed.
2. Having to cope with the lifestyle changes
3. Losing hope and/or faith
But the best way to overcome these obstacles are to either insure safety for those close and get prepared, or mentally prepare for Z-Day. That doesn't mean " Oh, well theres possibility that everyone close to me, even I, could die." It means that the people you've known all your life, you love, you care about, will, without a doubt, be killed and turned into a zombie. Once people understand that it will be easier to live and function on a post Z-Day society.
~Jack~: Alright, as I am somewhat unsure as to how I would react in a zombie outbreak, I believe I would be able to take it rather well. At least, better then my sister. More or less, I won't have a problem adjusting mentally to the new life unless someone starts staying "Well, if you can't deal with it, kill yourself" constantly. That kind of comment annoys me to no end. As long as people don't tell me to stay calm, I'll stay calm. I won't truely get angry unless someone tells me I shouldn't be angy when I wasn't angry in the first place... Yes I have some emotional issues, but I'm working on them. *smiles*
When it comes to killing, that's where things change. I don't enjoy thinking about killing other people. living, breathing people with souls. Now, when it comes to zombies... I don't care. They are not people in my book. Heck, they aren't even alive. So, I could shoot zombies all day and not really feel a thing. Now, the only kind of zombie I would feel bad about killing is a zombies of friends or family. that makes me pause and I would end up with a frog in my throat and retreat until I resolve the issue. More or less, I de-humanize the zombies and put them on the same level as insects.
Now, I really hate society and civilization as it is. It feels like the world is going in a downward spiral, not fixing itself anytime soon. So, a zombie apocolypse would actually do some good, stopping that downward spiral and hitting the 'reset' button. My life will have a blank slate and I wouldactually be happy about that part. The only true issue I face would be how to get food...
