Several years ago, I read Gonzalez’ Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. I thought it had so much to say that I even used it as a case study in seminars. In that book, Gonzalez examines why, in very similar circumstances – sometimes identical – some people make it through, and some people don’t. From being lost in the woods to being a Prisoner of War, Gonzalez teased out a theme. I’ve given that book to more people than any other book. I won’t spoil it by telling his conclusions and robbing you of the wonderful way he crafts the stories.
Two months ago, a friend told me about this book, and I bought it the same day. I even use some of Gonzalez’ lessons in my second novel, Fire.
This book he subtitles as well. So, it’s technically Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience. Somewhere between the two books, Gonzalez discovered that surviving a situation may be the easy part. The hard part comes after.
Intense trauma can rewire us. It’s a survival characteristic. If you escape a very, very bad situation with your life, your brain is going to make darn sure that you don’t forget it and what you did to survive. That can color the rest of your time on Earth. It’s the fundamental conundrum of Post-Traumatic Stress.
In this book, Gonzalez tells some sad truths. Not everyone makes it. The situation can haunt them to the point that some people choose the suicide option. The good news is that those numbers are small compared to those who find a way. The bad news is that number is far too large.
The number one cause of death in the US Military is suicide.
Think about that. In a profession where people are actively trying to kill you in combat, you are more likely to take your own life than be killed by someone who is shooting at you.
No Feral rating here, it’s not a story. It’s reality.
I’ve led a pretty great life and my most recent personal trauma ripped my heart out. This book helped.