Physiological and Psychological Aspects of Survival
The physiological and psychological aspects of survival and their significance
on an individual in a wilderness survival situation is very subjective. Know
your mental, emotional, and physical limitations and prepare for their impact
on your ability to survive.
A. Fear is a normal reaction to a threatening situation. Acceptance of this
fear will lead to purposeful rather than random behavior. This way will
greatly increase chances for survival.
B. How a person will react to fear depends more on himself than on the
situation. Timid and anxious persons may respond more coolly to fear than the
physically strong or happy-go-lucky.
C. Two factors frequently reported to decrease or help control fear are:
(1) Having confidence in your abilities and your equipment.
(2) Concentrating on the situation at hand and the job to be done.
D. The seven "enemies" of survival are pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue,
boredom, and loneliness. They are mental distractors and difficult to
overcome.
(1) Pain is uncomfortable but in itself is not harmful or dangerous. It is a
symptom of underlying problems and should be monitored. It can be controlled
and can become subordinate to efforts to carry on.
(2) Cold numbs the mind, the body, and the will.
(3) Thirst dulls the mind. Serious dehydration may occur in a survival
situation even when there is plenty of water available.
(4) Hunger lessens your ability to think rationally.
(5) Even a moderate amount of fatigue can materially reduce mental ability.
Fatigue can make you careless and promote the feeling of hopelessness.
(6) Boredom and loneliness are two of the toughest enemies of survival to
overcome.
E. Everyone has experienced pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue, boredom,
and loneliness, but not to the extent that their survival has been threatened.
The more you know about these and their effects on you, the better you will be
able to control them, rather than letting them control you.
F. One of the most important psychological requirements for survival is the
ability to accept immediately the reality of a new emergency and react
appropriately to it.
G. Much of the available evidence demonstrates the importance of having a
"preparatory attitude" for whatever emergency may occur. Knowledge and
rehearsal of survival and emergency procedures bring about a feeling of
confidence and preparation for survival. While you can't prepare for every
situation, you can prepare for the most probable situation.
H. Survival may depend more on personality than upon danger, weather,
terrain, or nature of the emergency. A person is more prone to survive if he
can make up his mind; can improvise; can live with himself,; can adapt to the
situation; can remain cool, calm, and collected; hopes for the best, but
prepares for the worst; has patience; can take it; and knows where his special
fears and worries comes from. The will to survive, along with a positive
mental attitude, are key ingredients to surviving.
I. In summary, development of self-sufficiency is the primary means of
protecting yourself against the physiological and psychological stress that
could affect you in a survival situation. If you have not learned self-
sufficiency, it is not too late to begin.
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