Fatigue and fighting zombies

[sandrock74]

I think the mall would have been the onlt place I would have felt comfortable enough to actually fall into a deep sleep, out of all the locales of the various films. It had freedom of movement over a large area, readily available supplies, an easy escape route and NO zombies indoors. I guess if I lived in Kaufmans tower in the Green (I have been there in real life), I could sleep there too. I think thats about it thou.

[Thorn]

I think mental stress and fatigue would claim more people than physical stress and fatigue in the early goings. We are just not conditioned for that, we do not fight for our lives every day, and a lot a lot of us don't work in very mentally demanding jobs. Look at the increase in cases of PTSD just in the united states with veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and you can see we simply are incapable right now. I will say that as these things became common place (such as watching loved ones die, rise, then try to eat you, and then be put down possibly by you) that you would numb to it. That does not mean there would not be lasting effects on us as a people. If it went on long enough perhaps our children who would know nothing else would be better equipped to deal with it, but a good many of us would not. Loss of sleep is common as a result of PTSD and add in environmental factors like the pounding, the moaning, the poor living conditions, lack of food, stress , distrust, and god knows what else and you are going to have a good number of people unraveling at a rapid rate. I can only hope that A) I would not be one of them and B) I could see it early enough in someone to help them or at least ensure they do not hurt the group I am with. If you look at Romero films there are several cases where the poor mental condition of one person leads to issues for the group. My question would be what would you do with someone who was clearly mentally fatigued and unraveling before your eyes?

[RustyHicks]

Well, we know for a fact that 4 can do it, don't we? (For those not in the know, it's a Dawn 78' reference) Here I thought you were talking about Dawn04 I average 6 hours a night, if I'm lucky but I can't imagine trying to sleep hearing all those zombies pounding on the doors, groaning outside. I think the survivors of Dawn were lucky to be held up in the mall. They could take turns on watch, until they got the mall secured and they had the alarm system on at all times. But if I was alone, or even just with my wife we probably wouldn't last too long, exhaustion would get to us, and constant stress and worry can also wear you down. Too bad you can't say to the zombie "Times out dude, gotta have a rest, meet you back here in 5 hours"

[sgrosse]

Having served in the military I can say with certantiy that you can go quite a bit without sleep and only need a little sleep to push your self forward. After Sept. 11 they had us up at all hours working and preparing, gearing for war. Its amazing what you can do when you have no choice. So yall dont sell yourself short. If I could do it than I know that most others can to.

[Debbieangel]

Having served in the military I can say with certantiy that you can go quite a bit without sleep and only need a little sleep to push your self forward. After Sept. 11 they had us up at all hours working and preparing, gearing for war. Its amazing what you can do when you have no choice. So yall dont sell yourself short. If I could do it than I know that most others can to. I see your point sgrosse but, I do have a question for you. Ok both my kids were and are in the military and I remember their basic training. Ok to my question for you. In basic training you were "conditioned" for lack of sleep and how to push yourself relentlessly,don't you think us civilians wouldn't do as well because we didn't have the "conditioning" that you went through? The military breaks you down then they build you up for anything that comes along. So, really you would be on the "ready" already...see what I mean? I hope I am making myself clear in what I am saying? We everyday folks would slammed right in the middle of the crap with let's say our pants down.

[AcesandEights]

Ok to my question for you. In basic training you were "conditioned" for lack of sleep and how to push yourself relentlessly,don't you think us civilians wouldn't do as well because we didn't have the "conditioning" that you went through? The military breaks you down then they build you up for anything that comes along. So, really you would be on the "ready" already...see what I mean? I hope I am making myself clear in what I am saying? We everyday folks would slammed right in the middle of the crap with let's say our pants down. Good points, Debbie. There's also the matter of the general age and fitness level of the people being discussed. And that matter of life and death/ultimate horror of seeing the dead walk, pumping the stress level through the roof and compounding the effects of sleeplessness and waring at the person. Yes, stress and danger can pump people up for a while,a lot longer than most of us realize, I'd wager, but ultimately everyone must crash.

[Yojimbo]

We everyday folks would slammed right in the middle of the crap with let's say our pants down. I know that those folks who have gone through millitary training are better prepared, both mentally and physically, to "get it up" so to speak for extended periods on time on a great sleep deficit. Even with those good folks, many of them reach a breaking point or go through some pretty bad trauma after the fact. So if this is the case with our well trained and battle tempered vets, then civilians, I am afraid, would fare much worse. To paraphrase the wino in LAND: "We'd be f**cked"

[zombieparanoia]

This is why I would have to say that one of my first looting stops would be (after gun store and MEC) a drugstore to pick up as much adderall, ritalin and amphetamines as I can carry. They may be addictive but they'll keep you alert as long as your able to take it.

[Yojimbo]

This is why I would have to say that one of my first looting stops would be (after gun store and MEC) a drugstore to pick up as much adderall, ritalin and amphetamines as I can carry. They may be addictive but they'll keep you alert as long as your able to take it. Or at least until you tweak out so bad you get reckless and careless or have a seizure, or get paranoid and start hearing voices. Maybe doing amphetamines might get you by for a while, but I don't know how long someone's physiology or mind could hold up with repeated dosings. That image of the invincible Tony Montana snorting a pile of coke and then mocking his assassins while they pumped him full of bullets just came to mind!

[zombieparanoia]

Or at least until you tweak out so bad you get reckless and careless or have a seizure, or get paranoid and start hearing voices. Maybe doing amphetamines might get you by for a while, but I don't know how long someone's physiology or mind could hold up with repeated dosings. If it keeps me alive longer I'll take it. Besides, look at methheads, they take among the most powerful amphetamines available regularly and in concentrated form and they live for months and years. Soldiers in combat zones have long used amphetamines to inrease alertness while on duty. I'd only want to take it unitl it became clear which way things were heading. Once it hits a tipping point in either direction you can adapt.

[Slain]

I'd rather camp out in the middle of nowhere, and let the zombies grind themselves to pieces in the desert trying to find me, instead of trying to survive jacked up on speed inside a zombie infested city. YMMV

[Crappingbear]

I'd rather camp out in the middle of nowhere, and let the zombies grind themselves to pieces in the desert trying to find me, instead of trying to survive jacked up on speed inside a zombie infested city. YMMV Yup. I said that years ago on the old board here and still believe it today. I'll glady disappear in the desert southwest of the U.S. from Texas to Utah with no fortifications and feel safer than in a compound in Jersey. Mesquite thorns and cactus make a nice perimetercover.

[Trin]

I'm of a similar mind. I'm a stone's throw from bfe Kansas. If you drove out into the farmland I don't know how they'd find you. And you'd see them coming for miles. In my worst zombie nightmare I cannot imagine enough of them grouping up to form a threat. So bring on the zombies. I'll be sitting in a cornfield trying to figure out how to make moonshine.

[Yojimbo]

If it keeps me alive longer I'll take it. Besides, look at methheads, they take among the most powerful amphetamines available regularly and in concentrated form and they live for months and years. If you can call that living, given the way I have seen most serious crystal heads go about their lives and end up looking. But, your point is well taken, and I am sure that meth will at least keep you from falling asleep allowing the ghouls to creep up on you. Soldiers in combat zones have long used amphetamines to inrease alertness while on duty. Thgis is very very true. If I am not mistaken I think that one of the axis powers actually invented speed for this purpose during WWII. I do know that the American Forces currently use speed to keep their fighter pilots alert during long missions, so there must be something to this. Imagine that- going mach 5 and trolling for the enemy while tweaking - must be one hell of a rush. I'm of a similar mind. I'm a stone's throw from bfe Kansas. If you drove out into the farmland I don't know how they'd find you. And you'd see them coming for miles. In my worst zombie nightmare I cannot imagine enough of them grouping up to form a threat. So bring on the zombies. I'll be sitting in a cornfield trying to figure out how to make moonshine. Yeah, I'm with crappingbear and trin - rather be in the sticks