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Saving Lives in New York Volume 2: Approaches and Special Populations
Such conditions can produce what could
be termed “extreme resilience,” the ability
to think and behave successfully in the
clutch of mortal danger.
1. Perceive, believe (look, see, believe).
Extreme survivors rapidly grasp the
reality of their situation and acknowledge
that everything – good or bad –
emanates from within. Their life is ultimately
in their grasp. They move quickly
through denial, anger, bargaining,
depression and acceptance very quickly.
2. Stay calm (use humor, use fear to focus).
Survivors use fear, turn it into anger,
and it motivates them. They understand
at a deep level about being cool
and are ever on guard against the
mutiny of too much emotion. They
keep their sense of humor and keep
calm.
3. Think/analyze/plan. Survivors quickly
organize, set up routines, and institute
discipline. They push away thoughts
that their situation is hopeless. They act
with the expectation of success.
4. Take correct, decisive action. Survivors
are able to transform thought into
action: take risks to save themselves
and others and break down large jobs
into small, manageable tasks.
5. Celebrate your successes (take joy in
completing tasks). Survivors take great
joy from even the smallest successes.
Important to sustain motivation, this
attitude also prevents the descent into
hopelessness.
6. Count your successes (take joy in completing
tasks). This is how survivors
become rescuers instead of victims.
There is always someone else they are
helping more than themselves, even if
that someone is not present.
7. Play (wing, play mind games, recite poetry,
count anything). Using deeper powers
of intellect can help to stimulate,
calm, and entertain the mind. It can
also lead to a novel solution to the
problem at hand.
8. See the beauty (remember: it’s a vision
quest). The appreciation of beauty can
relieve stress and create strong motivations,
as well as help to take in new
information more effectively.
9. Believe that you will succeed (develop a
deep conviction that you will live.) Survivors
consolidate their personalities
and fix their determination; they
admonish themselves to make no more
mistakes, to be very careful and to do
their very best. They become convinced
that they will prevail if they do these
things.
10. Surrender (let go of your fear of dying).
Survivors manage pain well. They
practice resignation without giving up.
It is survival by surrender.
11. Do whatever is necessary (be determined:
have the will and the skill). Survivors
have meta-knowledge: they know their
abilities and do not over or under-estimate
them.
12. Never give up (let nothing break your
support). Survivors have a clear reason
for going on. They are not discouraged
by setbacks. They come to embrace the
world in which they find themselves
and see opportunity in adversity. (Gonzales:
2003, 270-274)
II. Action Steps
To build resilience, the following steps are
recommended by the American Psychological
Association:
1. Make Connections. Good relationships
with other family members, friends, or
others are important. Accepting help
and support from those who care about
you and will listen to you strengthens
resilience. Some people find that being
active in civic groups, faith-based
organizations, or other local groups
provides social support and can help
with reclaiming hope. Assisting others
10 Resilience