Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges

by Steven M. Southwick, Dennis S. Charney, Jonathan M. DePierro

Overview

Life presents us all with challenges. Most of us at some point will be struck by major traumas such as the sudden death of a loved one, a debilitating disease, or a natural disaster. What differentiates us is how we respond. In this important book, three experts in trauma and resilience answer key questions such as What helps people adapt to life's most challenging situations?, How can you build up your own resilience?, and What do we know about the science of resilience? Combining cutting-edge scientific research with the personal experiences of individuals who have survived some of the most traumatic events imaginable, including the COVID-19 pandemic, this book provides a practical resource that can be used time and time again. The experts describe ten key resilience factors, including facing fear, optimism, and relying on role models, through the experiences and personal reflections of highly resilient survivors. Each resilience factor will help you to adapt and grow from stressful life events and will bring hope and inspiration for overcoming adversity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009299749
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/07/2023
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.76(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Steven Southwick, MD, was Glenn H. Greenberg Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, PTSD, and Resilience at Yale University Medical School and Medical Director Emeritus of the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the National Center for PTSD of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Southwick was one of the world's leading experts in psychological trauma and human resilience. His collaborations with Dr. Dennis Charney led to foundational discoveries about the biology and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and factors that support resilience. His own resilience while fighting advanced prostate cancer for five years was an inspiration to his friends, colleagues, and family. He passed away on April 20, 2022, and this book, which he worked on through his final weeks, is dedicated to his life and legacy.

Dennis S. Charney, MD, is Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Charney is a world expert in the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders. He has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the causes of anxiety, fear, and depression, and among his discoveries is use of ketamine for the treatment of depression – a major advance in the past fifty years of clinical care. He also focuses on understanding the psychology and biology of human resilience, which has included work with natural disaster survivors, combat veterans, and COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers. He has over 600 publications to his name, including books, chapters, and academic articles. In 2016 he was the victim of a violent crime that tested his personal resilience.

Jonathan M. DePierro, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Associate Director of Mount Sinai's Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth. Dr. DePierro, a clinical psychologist, is an expert in psychological resilience and the treatment of trauma-related mental health conditions. After many years working with individuals impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he now focuses on supporting the mental health needs of healthcare workers. Having experienced extensive bullying throughout his childhood, he learned important lessons about resilience that continue to inform his clinical and research work.

Table of Contents

1. What is resilience?; 2. Optimism: belief in a brighter future; 3. Face your fears; 4. Moral compass; 5. Religion and spirituality; 6. Social support; 7. Role models; 8. Mind your body; 9. Challenge your mind; 10. Cognitive and emotional flexibility; 11. Meaning, purpose, and growth; 12. The practice of resilience; Resilience facing death: a tribute to Dr. Steven Southwick.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book is awesome. Nobody can predict the future and we all know that tragedy can strike at anytime. This book teaches you how to become stronger, how to bend but not break, and how to make the best out of a bad situation. The authors are real scientists—they cut through all the fluff out there and show you how to toughen up for the challenges that lie ahead. This book teaches you that you’re a lot stronger than you think…that you are resilient.” Earvin “Magic” Johnson

"[The authors] have written a crisp, user-friendly guide to the latest scientific research on resilience. With a light touch, they illuminate what seems to be every major study in the field over the last 20 years." — Washington Independent Review of Books

"This brief but powerful book makes an important contribution to our understanding of trauma and the psychological, biological, and social factors that can help us triumph over adversity." —ForeWord

Editorial Reviews

‘There is no resilience without adversity. Unfortunately, we live in a dangerous world. This book, written by world leaders on the science of resilience, is a must read for everyone. Certainly professionals who help others through stressful or traumatic experiences would profit from the knowledge shared, but every single person will learn how to manage challenges better. The authors include very easy-to-read clear suggestions backed by decades of neuroscience research and from the stories of multitudes of resilient survivors. Every clinician from novices to experienced clinicians has something to learn from this gem. The lessons in this book are what we should teach our children.’ Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, Ph.D., ABPP, Director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program and Paul A. Janssen Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology. Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine

‘The Resilience book is an extraordinary manual that combines theory and practice, biology psychology, spirituality, social sciences to offer the complete science and knowledge of not just survival in times of suffering and tragedy but learning to thrive and find higher purpose. Our brains are created by genes but sculpted by experiences. This book covers both the science of epigenetics and neuroplasticity to show that our biological organism can be redesigned for joy and optimal integration of body, mind and spirit.’ Deepak Chopra, M.D., FACP, FRCP

‘To paraphrase the bumper sticker “stuff happens” and it is how we respond to adversity that matters. Steven Southwick, Dennis Charney and Jonathan DePierro show us how, provide an expert’s guide to the science, and offer practical advice for navigating life’s challenges. In this deeply personal book, replete with juicy and often harrowing details of extraordinary hardships faced by both themselves and others they know, they provide living examples that will inspire. Resilience is a beautiful book that will benefit everyone.’ Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., author of the New York Times bestseller The Emotional Life of Your Brain

‘This superb third edition has everything. It is chock full of graphic anecdotes about people who successfully overcame overwhelming challenges. It provides a comprehensive explication of the 10 key elements of resilience. It describes the latest behavioral and neuroscientific research underlying each of these elements. And it provides very practical and doable tips that should enable each reader to practice resilience and thereby enrich their own lives. What makes this book so special is that it succeeds at presenting a huge amount of information in an engrossing conversational style accessible to all readers. The authors even share some very personal experiences to illustrate important points. This extraordinary volume ends with a moving tribute to the late Steve Southwick for whom this book is the capstone to a remarkable career.’ Matthew J. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth; Emeritus Executive Director, National Center for PTSD; Emeritus Director, National PTSD Brain Bank, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

‘Sometimes it seems like trauma defines our age.  This book reminds us that resilience is an equal and opposite force.  Blending personal stories, cutting-edge science, and clinical insights, Resilience provides a comprehensive and rigorous tour of how we recover from trauma, whether that trauma is from a pandemic, a terrorist attack, or a personal tragedy.  For anyone interested in a deep understanding of how humans can triumph over profound adversity, Resilience is an essential text.’ Thomas Insel, M.D., Co-Founder and Exec Chair, Vanna Health; Author, Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health; former Director of US National Institute of Mental Health

‘Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges presents distilled lessons from three pioneers of the study of human resilience and psychological traumatization. Its messages are simple, profound, and easy to integrate into one’s personal coping style. The third edition of this outstanding book is expanded and updated. It is also a wonderful memorial to one of its authors, Steven Southwick, M.D. He was a beloved and respected figure in the world of stress research, who died as the book was finalized.’ John Krystal, M.D., Chair of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine

‘Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges encapsulates beautifully the literature on the psychological, biological, and neuroscientific perspectives on stress and the individual’s response to it. Written by accomplished clinical investigators, this edition highlights and integrates what we know about resilience, and what we still need to know in order to enhance what we clinicians offer those exposed to unimaginable adversity. This book belongs in the library of every clinician, investigator, and teacher committed to understanding what paths one might take when traumatic events occur.’ Terence M. Keane, Ph.D., National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder’s Behavioral Science Division & Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

From the Publisher