One of my best friends lives in Chile since a few years ago.

He mentions the psychological impact on the Venezuelan refugees was huge. Practically every people who experienced the clashes between national guards and demonstrators had a nerve meltdown. Of course, children were scared as well, watching their parents freak out.

Based on what I have learned after living through SHTF in Venezuela, I want to provide you with a few pieces of important advice for anyone facing such turmoil.

Do your best to remain calm.

If you show openly your fear, your family will immediately catch up with your mood. Not good. It´s supposed you have to protect them. Man up, even if you´re a single mom. I know this is easier for some people than for other ones.

My friend mentioned tear gas and gunshots close to his place and the concerned looks on his kids´ faces. He just shrugged and kept doing his stuff. Kids were like WTF? At the beginning but he told that it was just some guys passing by running from the police and the army who was protecting the people. Kids slowly calmed down and relax a little bit. They trust their papa. They know they will be protected no matter what. But if papa and or mama becomes a nerve mess and has a meltdown, your warm home is going to look like the Simpson´s Springfield nuclear plant facing meltdown. Hysteria everywhere.

My younger kiddo hates noisy environments. He was kept under a cocoon of silent since he was a baby: classical music sometimes, but other ones I used to listen to rock at high volume to train him to withstand noise. Not bad, just that he now loves My Chemical Romance, Fallout Boy and Green Day. Hilarious.

But looking at your parents concerned, at age 15 is a bitter feeling. I know how that feels. I experienced that at 15, and remember could not even swallow my lunch. Much worst was once the tear gas started to get into our patio. Our house is entirely open. Even the dogs were having a hard time. Vinegar spraying in the face was quickly started.

Get more information on surviving civil unrest and riots.

It´s a good moment to remind you all: adding a good gas mask (one for each family member) and after bought, everyone must learn how to wear it in a hurry, and do it properly. This can make an important difference.  Small children are going to be the most severely affected. Seen it happening in Caracas. Guards attacked a hospital. Jeez. If you´re hunkering down adults must take turns to monitor the surroundings (AND. DON´T. OPEN. THE. CURTAINS).

A face covered with a gas mask sticking out an apartment window is very likely to be targeted. So don´t do that. "Regular" "Normal" people do not have gas masks. But we know this is a good tool. Perhaps some drops of Valerian herb essence in a cup of water will help with those nerves, something I strongly recommend. Just put some music, and grab a book while installing yourself in an observation post that allows you to check to see what´s happening outside. If you have (as I indeed have recommended in some previous articles) to have an array of 2 or 3 remote cameras to see what´s happening outside without sticking the nose outside of a window, this is the moment to use them. Quietly and unnoticed. This will work as a means to calm down yours, too.