When most people build an emergency plan, they think about food, water, shelter, and protection.

But there’s one crisis that almost no one talks about.

What happens when the meds run out?

In today’s world, millions depend on psychiatric medications to stay grounded, stable, and functional. Anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia — modern medicine keeps millions of minds held together by a fragile but essential balance.

Now imagine a sudden collapse.

• No power

• No pharmacies

• No refills

• No doctors

• No supply chains

Medication doesn’t taper.

It stops.

And when it does, it can trigger intense and frightening withdrawal symptoms. Confusion. Panic. Hallucinations. Dissociation. Emotional collapse. In some cases, a total break from reality.

Now, for good measure, let's add in the stress of an apocalyptic event.

Fear. Violence. Loss. Hunger. Isolation.

Your brain, under normal circumstances, is already its own battlefield. In an emergency, that battlefield turns into a warzone.

This is the exact reality I explore through Grace in Queen of Likes.

Grace doesn’t just survive the collapse — she descends into it.

Her story isn’t just about a ruined world…

It’s about a ruined nervous system trying to make sense of it.

Through her fractured perception, paranoia, and distorted sense of reality, Queen of Likes paints a brutally honest picture of what can happen when mental health meets the apocalypse.

***

Some will read it and see madness.

Some will see tragedy.

Some will recognize their own private fear.

And the most unsettling part?

Grace isn’t rare. She is multiplied by the millions.

A large percentage of survivors in any real-world collapse would be fighting a second, invisible disaster inside their own minds.

Which raises the question:

If you’re truly preparing for the end of the world…

Are you preparing for the end of modern mental health support too?

No one should ever change, stop, or stock medications without working with their medical professional — but there are responsible, life-sustaining ways to mentally prepare:

✅ Talk to your doctor now about emergency disruptions

✅ Keep a written list of all medications and conditions

✅ Ask about long-term disaster planning for supply chain interruptions

✅ Learn grounding, stress regulation, and emotional resilience techniques

✅ Build a routine where chaos is expected

✅ Strengthen support networks before you need them

✅ Understand your own early warning signs in high stress

✅ Develop coping strategies outside of medication alone

Preparedness isn’t just about what you can stockpile.

It’s about what you understand.

What you can recognize.

What you can stabilize internally — when the outside world unravels.

That psychological layer is what makes Queen of Likes more than a survival story.

It’s a warning.

A mirror.

A case study.

And maybe…a form of preparation itself.

If you are building a survival mindset, this is a story you shouldn’t ignore.

Because the most dangerous battleground won’t always be outside.

Sometimes… It’s the one inside your own head.

Want to prepare smartly and safely? Start here:

• Speak with your prescribing provider about disaster planning

• Research “emergency preparedness for mental health” & “disaster psychology”

• Look into Cognitive Behavioral coping tools, stress inoculation, and grounding

• Build a support web of people who know your warning signs

• Read survivor psychology and trauma resilience guides

• Include mental wellness in your prepping binder

• Journal your baseline mental state — so you recognize change

• Reduce stigma, starting with yourself

Preparing the mind is not a weakness.

It may be the most important prep you ever make.

DJ Cooper uses fiction to highlight real-world scenarios that we can use to enhance our preparedness mindset.