Sheepdog Tip of the Day, After Combat tip 63
Dr. George Bonanno's research tells us that there are several components to psychological resilience. One is psychological hardiness, which consists of being committed to finding meaningful purpose in life, the belief that you can influence your surroundings and the outcome of events, and the belief that you can learn and grow from negative experiences. He says that other paths that contribute to psychological resilience include high self-confidence and self-esteem, laughter, and finding positive emotions such as gratitude, interest, and love. (And I would add: honor, courage, fidelity, sacrifice, and nobility.) A final ingredient that Dr. Bonanno says has been demonstrated to be helpful in surviving trauma is that of repressing emotions. Many modern psychologists believe that this is dysfunctional and pathological, but this has been a key ingredient in warrior survival throughout history, as personified in the laconic Spartans, the stoic Romans, the inscrutable samurai, and the stiff upper-lipped Brits. All of which establishes a scientific basis for the warrior sprit discussed throughout this book. Thus, most of our warriors will be just fine, and those who read this book and embrace the warrior spirit are even more likely to overcome adversity. We just need to be sure that our study of psychiatric illness in combat does not turn us into psychological hypochondriacs, or "psychochondriacs."
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Combat
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Additional Resources
For PTSD, Shepherd Resource Group.