It takes much more than the knowledge and skills to build shelters, get
food, make fires, and travel without the aid of standard navigational
devices to live successfully through a survival situation. Some people with
little or no survival training have managed to survive life-threatening
circumstances. Some people with survival training have not used their skills
and died. A key ingredient in any survival situation is the mental attitude
of the individual involved. Having survival skills is important; having the
will to survive is essential. Without a desire to survive, acquired skills
serve little purpose and invaluable knowledge goes to waste.
There is a psychology to survival. You will face many stressors in a
survival environment that ultimately will affect your mind. These stressors
can produce thoughts and emotions that, if poorly understood, can transform
a confident, well-trained person into an indecisive, ineffective individual
with questionable ability to survive. Thus, you must be aware of and be able
to recognize those stressors commonly associated with survival. It is also
imperative that you be aware of your reactions to the wide variety of
stressors associated with survival. This chapter identifies and explains the
nature of stress, the stressors of survival, and those internal reactions
that you will naturally experience when faced with the stressors of a
real-world survival situation. The knowledge you gain from this chapter and
the remainder of this manual, will prepare you to come through the toughest
times alive.
