The area I am touching upon in this might be considered sensitive, but I broach it in all seriousness. I am a former Girl Scout Leader and an Explorer (are they around anymore?) and I have seen the effects of one person on a group, be that group two, or twenty. Mental depression is something that is, in my opinion a huge sabatuer to Survival. As is anger, rash behavior and so on, that is a direct result of that depression and/or chemical imbalance.<br> <br>The two that I have seen most are PMS and manic depressiveness. Starting with PMS, it would be easy to lightly dismiss this as not all that important. However, I speak from first hand knowledge that my reactions are Not normal during this time frame. When one is in a serious survival situation where you have to depend on others, having them wig out for even a few minutes can mean really dire circumstances. It could tilt your chances for survival.<br> <br>I have looked through the kits here, and nothing really touches on this, yet to me it's very important. Midol is a common OTC drug, which can be used by anyone, not just for pain relief and reducing mental anxiety, but a muscle relaxant as well. (Ask my hubby about his recent back injury, thank goodness he wasn't silly enough to dismiss this drug, as it eased his pain greatly until we got him to the doctor.) <br> <br>If this is too much redundancy in some opinions (as in you believe your pain relievers that you carry will suffice), at the very least include something like St John's Wort, which is also an OTC herbal remedy that helps reduce mental anxiety. That would also serve the second problem of manic depressiveness, which both male and females suffer from. There may be other aids out there, I'd love to hear about them. <br> <br>I know survival is a strong instinct, but sometimes the situation that threw you into a survival mode could have caused circumstances such as the death of a loved one, or very low odds for recovery. I've heard of people surviving seemingly insurmountable odds, and I've seen others faced with very little problems just give up. It was the mental attitude I think that drove both those boats, so to speak.<br> <br>Anyway, that's my bid for taking mental health as just another thing to account for, a matter of fact and a matter of life. Not something that is an afterthought. ;)<br><br>Catherine<br>"On the plains of hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions who, on the verge of victory, sat down to rest, and, while resting, died."<br><br><br>A short ps to the above: Upon bouncing this off of Doug, he brought up the point that these items should be in the personal care kit. A survival situation could create these strong emotions in people who normally don't exhibit this behavior though, so they might not have thought of the addition. Just an idea anyways, cause I love a good discussion! ;)<br><br>