My brother plays alot of video games, and is a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid line. I noticed the character could take some drug that would settle his nerves when aiming his gun, so he could shoot straighter at the target. It got me wondering, does such a drug exist? If so, would anyone consider putting a drug of this type in their kits so as to stay calm in a survival situation (not a para-military fantasy)?

I use a perfectly legal substance found throughout the USA. It's called bourbon. It is generally NOT considered to be a good idea for the PSK though, and it does nothing for my aim <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Regards, Vince

Vallium will calm your nerves, but I'm not sure what it will do to your aim. I had to take it for a muscle spasm in my back, and I hated how stupid it made me. But I hear it can be addicting, so use sparingly.

If there ever is a time you want to be operating @ 100% disasters is it. I would not want to take anything that would alter my mental balance in any way. A person’s brain is made to send danger signals, warnings and pain information to keep abreast of your surroundings. For me this is not theory but a chose I have made in the past. I have gone with out pain medications because I wanted to have 100% mental function, I can always quit hurting later when being less than 100% will not endanger myself or others around me.

I pack Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) in my first aid kit. In addition to being an antihistamine, one of its side effects is being a mild sedative. Less woozy feeling than valium, and available in non-prescription strength. Mind, I wouldn't use it for myself for that reason, but it is available if someone is about to go bug-squat crazy from the stress <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

"bug-squat crazy" That's a new one for me, I like it. Mind if I use that ?

Dave

Sure, go ahead--I'll be here all week; try the veal.

Christina:

Got some demerol after some surgery in the "nether" regions and didn't really care about shooting someone or even getting shot. No drug made to relax you will help you come out on top in a shootout, wheather video or real.

It was a Catholic hospital where they did the surgery in the "nether" region and they had so much gauze shoved up there that it was pressing on my bladder. Believe it or not, they gave me beer to relax the bladder and allow flow to occur.

Demerol and beer is better than ice cream when you have a tonsilactomy. Demerol and Jim Beam bourbon would have been better, but the sitz baths weren't bad.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Recommendation from the Red Cross is not to put any drugs in the FAK. Not even paracetemol. If you do put medication/drugs in your kit. It better be for personal use only. Don't want anybody to have an allergic reaction during a disaster now do we?
But I doubt it'd be wise to alter your mental state...

Yes, giving prescription meds to others isn't a good idea. It's not legal, either (not that that bothers me all that much). But you do have to careful about allergic reactions. My sister had surgery and was given either morphine or a synthetic morphine (never got that part straight), and she turned into a paranoid screaming whacko, trying to climb out the window (3rd floor). They had an antidote for it, but they had to track her husband down to get permission to administer it.

One of the side-effects of the calming-type meds like Paxil & Prozac is shaking hands. ("No, Your Honor, I DID mean to shoot HIM, but I didn't mean to shoot the school and the old folks' home, too...") <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sue

I have never played metal gear solid, but the only drug i know which will 'calm the nerves' - or to reduce hand tremors from 'stress' is a beta blocker like propranolol. It slows the heart rate and reduces the tremors in the hands. That should help the guy aim better.

Of course this is in a game, and you should not be taking propranolol in a survival situation to 'calm the nerves'. It would blunt the 'fight or flight' response which you would want to be at 100%. All meds in the kit should be for your own use only. Unless you're a doctor.

My father used to take this before he passed away last year at the ripe old age of 88 years I used to pick it up for him has he used to get stressed about alot of stuff that he should not of ...Anyway yes the other name is PROPRANOLOL His dosage was 10mg on to 3 tablet a day.....So that is way more than 15mg.....for leathal dosage....Made him
more confortable.... <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Jim Beam, sitz bath!
That is a waste of good bourbon! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Skater:

No! No! No!.

The Jim Beam goes into the same area the demerol does.

The sitz baths are for the other end! <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

You have got to go back to drinking regular caffinated coffee before reading these posts. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I take 120 mg a day of Inderal in a timed release cap for high blood pressure. This is down from 240 mg 6 months ago. My meds are the one thing that are always with me, far more important in my case than any other item in my psk.

Listen to Trusbx folks. He does this stuff for a living and what he's said in this forum about medical issues can be counted on!!
I do "stress and anxiety" for a living..and I treat many trauma surviviors. There is NO DRUG worth using to "calm down" in these situations. The risk-benefit ratio just isn't there. Anxiolytic drugs may (may.. but I don't like them) be used to aid recovery. But NO DRUG (i.e. no mood-altering drug) is helpful in the immediate/acute situation.

The following is the Benson Breathing Technique. It is the (IMHO) most effective technique we have for overall calming. It can be readily learned, safely and effectively used, and it absolutely does work if done properly. (Trusbx, if you can monitor it, you'll see CO2 balance change after 2-3 minutes of this).

Benson Breathing (or Breathing Retraining)

It is important to understand that you are working to achieve a Calming Reflex, which you can induce with breathing and muscle relaxation techniques: with practice this reflex becomes more effective, and is more quickly induced.

The Benson Breathing (BB) technique is simply this:
You breath in, fully and gently.
You hold your breath, without tightening up.
You breath out fully, slightly pursing your lips as if blowing on hot coffee.

Make the three parts equal: IN HOLD OUT.
It usually helps to establish a count or cadence: IN.2.3. HOLD.2.3. OUT.2.3..

Yawning is a good sign. Slight lightheadedness suggests you haven't found a comfortable rhythm, so breathe normally for a while and try again.

Practice when you DON'T need the technique, 3 or more 10-15 minute sessions daily. Most people in my practice can produce substantial calming after 2 minutes of this, after a week to 10 days of practice.

Speaking of caffeine, what happens to these folks that live on expresso when it's suddenly withdrawn? Are they crawling around on their hands and knees with the mother and father of all headaches? Seems it would be hard to concentrate on a life-threatening situation in that mode.

Sue

NAro's advice on breathing is exactly right. 12-year SEAL veteran & trainer Jeff Gonzalez reports that this practice helped him enormously during his military operations. Trainer John Farnam says the same thing. I believe Farnam refers to the practice as "autogenic breathing".

From http://www.killology.com/art_onkilling_anxiety.htm:

"...the bridge between the somatic and autonomic nervous system is breathing, and an increasing body of research and law enforcement experience indicates that if we teach the victim to control their breathing then they can control their physiological arousal. (This is based on information and feedback gained from training over 20,000 law enforcement personnel in this technique over the last three years.) The breathing technique that is being taught to SWAT teams, police departments, Green Beret battalions, and other elite forces around the world (sometimes referred to as “autogenic breathing”) consists simply of a deep, belly breath: breath in for a four-count, hold for a four-count, breath out for a four-count, hold for a four-count, and repeat three times."

Thinking about it, many relaxation techniques ( hypnosis, yoga, bio feed back) all have a basis in some type of deep breathing technique.
Dave

Yep, and I'll stack it up against any OTC painkiller for treatment of acute pain.

I met a career marine D.I. in the V.A. undergoing withdrawal symptoms from caffeine as devastating as heroin. It was also complicated by mood swings of aggression coinciding with the training cycle of bootcamp. Our cultural clock can be as ingrained as any biological one. Back to Christina's post, we do have cutural comforts; flashlights in the dark, dolls or teddybears, small religous items or writings, so called comfort foods. I had a non standard electrical system on my Motor lifeboat, and in nasty weather could switch on 'Saint Elmo's Fire' on the mast. I'd drape my medal on a scared survivor ( or often as not coastie) and explain the meaning. The placebo effect is also worthwhile. I find 2 aspirin solve 99% of my maladies- real and imagined <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

NAro:

There is no "cute" pain.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hmm, I have got to learn this breathing technique. Maybe I can teach it to my patients.... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

uhh...15mg of propranolol (inderal) would hardly tickle a 50kg guy....let alone be lethal to him.

If it wasn't prescribed to you for any reason, don't take it! Or take it and suffer the consequences..... <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Okay, I feel better now.

Trusbx
This technique is a modification of Herbert Benson's published technique. We're using it for PTSD patients, pain patients, and in anger managment cases. The only medical contraindication may be hyperventilation-prone patients, but I'm not particularly cautious there unless I see a problem.
I've taught this technique to first-responders, and the feedback is positive.

Bountyhunter:
O.K. for you, I suggest this modification of the technique:

1) Breathe in fully and gently.
2) You hold your breath, without tightening up.
3) While doing #2, send a few more posts to this thread.
4) If you get light headed, or experience a loss of consciousness, .... good!

NAro:

Have you got my house bugged?

You've just described daily occurances for me. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Actually, yes. I do have your house bugged. If only the others on this forum knew what you just did a moment ago....

Frankly, NAro, I don't think I want to know.

I had a coworker with an anxiety disorder who was prescribed 0.05mg of Lorazepam which is actually listed with the pharmacy as an anti-anxiety drug. Might fit the bill as it is quite effective at reducing fear with no other side effects as compared to Valium or Alcohol. You of course would need a prescription.

Brian, I don't agree.
Lorazepam (Ativan) is a benzodiazepene.
Yes, a low dose of Ativan may calm you down for a period of time. It is apt to take 20-30 minutes or more to start working, and in the treatment of anxiety it is not as safe/effective as the breathing technique. There most certainly are risks and side effects with any benzo. I believe that the lowest dosage in which it is available is .5mg, not .05.
IMHO... not worth it.

Yes it's .5mg ... sorry bout the type-o. Side effects of short term use are debatable. We could debate side effects all day. Technically everything in life has side effects. Long term use of ibuprofen has serious side effects (blood thinning) for example. Here's more than you ever wanted to know about Lorazepam if you're really interested. You'll notice the short term side effects are on par with most over the counter drugs. I'm not condoning this. Simply stating it as an example that is probably better than valium or alcohol. It's a prescription drug for a reason. Primarily because you can become dependant on it and long term side effects are more serious, abd to a lesser extent because of the possibility of bad interaction with alcohol and other drugs. Therefore, of course you absolutely must get a competant licensed physician to prescribe it.