Human ResiliencyMarian Sokol, PhD, MPH

Executive DirectorChildren’s Bereavement Center

of South Texas

Camp HeroesMarch 2016

Tiny Lives are No Small Matter

“Every Baby Deserves a First Birthday”

But there are

2,500 SIDS Deaths Annually

26,000 Stillbirths Annually

And far too many parents left with “empty arms”.

“Death Happens”

“ Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”

Ernest Hemingway

I Hate When People Die

Resilience Is …

Traveling through the painful journey of grief. You want to get through it – not over it.

Resilience …What does the research tell us?

“This range is formed by heredity, early life experiences, current knowledge and level of motivation to meet life’s challenges and enjoy each day to the fullest … no matter what happens.”

Robert J. Wicks, PsyD

“Each of us has a range of resilience (the ability to meet, learn from and not be crushed by the challenges and stresses of life).”

Early Childhood Years Are Critical in Shaping Resilience

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesCan Produce Toxic Stress

Resilience will grow in a predictable, “safe” environment, where children can learn, take risks – and even fail and try again.

I Can Fly!

How Resilience WorksInternal Factors that Strengthen Resilience•An “I can do it!” attitude.•An understanding of one’s strengths.•Learn how to nurture and care for yourself.

External Factors That Strengthen Resilience•Provide meaningful contributions to others̶"After September 11th: “Give whatever you have to give.”•Increase bonds and connections̶"Clubs, Organizations, Self-Help Groups̶"Strength of Family̶"Study after study shows that people who are lonely are at high risk for cardiovascular disease and dementia.

(Research of Nan Henderson, LCSW)

How Resilience WorksRESILIENCE CAN BE LEARNED• A staunch acceptance of reality

• A deep belief that life is meaningful

• An ability to improvise“More than education, more than

experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who

succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the Olympics, and that’s true in the

boardroom.”Dean Becker, CEO Adaptive Learning Systems

Invictus Games

A Deep Belief That Life Can Be Meaningful