The Power and Price of Survival
Copyright 2009, Pamela Woll The fact remains that we are resilient. That’s what we’re built to be, and there are more resources for resilience within us and around us than we can ever imagine. Our job is to look for and use those resources, and never stop believing in ourselves, no matter how hard it is. Survival is much, much more than just staying alive. And the power of survival is written into us—all of us—down to the smallest cell. —The Power and Price of Survival, p. 52Many people completely misunderstand the most common effects of stress, threat, and trauma— things like anxiety, depression, jumpiness, sleep problems, and the many symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They think these and other effects are signs of weakness, of cowardice, of being "crazy" or having "emotional problems." Out of that misunderstanding comes a deep sense of shame and a tendency to punish or disapprove of people whose bodies are just doing what bodies were designed to do. These injuries and effects can be difficult enough without adding all that shame and stigma. It's time that we, as individuals and as a society:
| The content in these pages is also included in a workbook called: The Power and Price of Survival: Understanding Resilience, Stress, and Trauma. Much more information on this subject is also available at a lot of other web sites. Click here to navigate to a "Links to More Resources" page that describes and links you to some of these. |
