The Psychology Book

152

W

hen tragedy strikes,

some people are

devastated. Unable to

summon their coping mechanisms,

they fall into deep depression or

despondency, sometimes losing

hope and even the will to carry

on. They may become entirely

preoccupied with the disaster

and suffer nightmares, flashbacks,

and anxiety attacks. Other people,

however, react differently. They

seem to manage not only the normal

ups and downs of their lives, but

also potentially overwhelming

losses and traumas. Instead

of becoming depressed and

unable to cope, somehow they

are able to deal with painful

circumstances and move on.

Boris Cyrulnik is interested

in this difference of reaction. To

find out why some people are so

deeply affected, while others are

seemingly able to “bounce back,”

he has devoted his career to the

study of psychological resilience.

Resilience is not a quality

inherent within a person, Cyrulnik

found, but one that builds through a

natural process. He says that “alone,

a child has no resilience... it is an

interaction, a relationship.” We build

resilience from developing

IN CONTEXT

APPROACH

Positive psychology

BEFORE

1920s Freud says that early

trauma negatively impacts

an infant’s brain and can

override any genetic, social, or

psychological resilience factor.

1955–95 A longitudinal study

by psychologist Emmy Werner

following traumatized children

into adulthood suggests that

one-third of the population

tends toward resilience.

1988 John Bowlby asks for

a study of resilience.

AFTER

2007 The UK government

starts the UK Resilience

Programme in schools.

2012 The American

Psychological Association

forms a task force on

psychological resilience.

O U R H I S T O R Y

DOES NOT DETERMINE

O U R D E S T I N Y

BORIS CYRULNIK (1937– )

You can

accept the

challenge...

...and move

forward with

your life.

...and

continue to

suffer.

You can feel

crushed and

inadequate...

Bad things

happen.