FROM THE INTRODUCTION
The young woman had tears in her eyes when I took my seat next to her on the airliner bound for Little Rock. She was on her way to college, 2000 miles away, and distraught: 'I don't know if I'll be able to stand it.' At that moment, I was thinking of my own distress: I don't think I'll be able to stand it either. I was on my way to visit my father, who was in the latter stages of his struggle with cancer. I'm a therapist. I know how to handle these things, I thought to myself. Knowing that others live through these events and survive did absolutely nothing to comfort me or quiet my pain. I wondered, Will I make it? What should I do?
The very first step to take in emotional healing is to acknowledge that, This is human stuff... I sure don't have to like it, but it's real, it's normal and it matters. You are not alone in your pain.
In this book, we'll take a brief look at the lives of four people -- Survivors -- who've gone through some very rough experiences:
- Married for nine years now, Sharon is realizing that she's still alone... she's not happy... there's no end in sight. Lately she's gained weight, sleeps a lot and feels empty.
- Dale's wife Joyce died three months ago in an automobile accident. They'd been married twenty-three years. She was my whole life, he exclaims. Every day he cries.
- At thirty-six, Katherine began to recall episodes of abuse and sexual molestation when she was 6 or 7 years old. She is overwhelmed with painful memories.
- The doctors told Gary they got all the cancer, but it could recur. Everyone says, 'You're lucky... You should be thankful.' Gary doesn't feel thankful. He's consumed by fear.
The life experiences of Sharon, Dale, Katherine and Gary are quite different, yet each of them is plagued by significant emotional despair. These are not cases of mental illness, but examples of ordinary human beings living through painful times. Despite their differences, these four people fortunately all share one vitally important human quality: an inherent capacity to heal from deep emotional wounds. They are Survivors. How about you?
