"After Tragedy, How Survivors Cope" - Clare Ansberry
Everyone experiences loss, but it usually follows the natural order, with death coming at the end of a long life. When people face multiple, untimely losses, assumptions about being able to protect those we love, about fairness and, if religious, about God’s mercy are called into question. Many people, though, realize their own strength, having survived the very worst. Often, they become more empathetic and wiser, with a deeper appreciation of what matters most in life, especially those around them. Resilient people share certain traits, Dennis Charney, MD, dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and expert in neurobiology, and Steven Southwick, PhD, a psychiatry professor at Yale University, found in their book, “Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges.” Among them are: optimism, altruism, spirituality and acceptance of what can’t be changed.
- Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System
