The Scenario:
SITUATION TYPE Surviving isolation
YOUR CREW Yourself
LOCATION Remote Pacific Northwest
SEASON Spring
WEATHER Cool; high 53 degrees F, low 42 degrees F
Loneliness is a condition that weighs heavily on the soul, even when you’re in an environment with all the trappings of comfort like food, shelter, fire, and water. As Dr. David Matsumoto pointed out in RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 51, just the advent of the internet and social media has had profound effects on the population and has been a major source of negative emotions associated with using a computer in lieu of personal interaction with others. Prolonged isolation not only has psychological effects of depression, anger, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide, but research says it leads to poor sleep, accelerated cognitive decline, and premature mortality.
Can these symptoms be staved off with proper preparation if you’re suddenly thrust into a situation where you’re alone indefinitely due to a situation in the wilderness that left you stranded? What can one do to occupy their time to keep their brain engaged in something productive, think positively, and keep negative thoughts from creeping in and losing all hope? We asked survival instructor Kevin Estela and first responder Joey Nickischer to explain what they’d do in that situation where mind over matter is critical.
The Setup: Your own mind is one of your toughest adversaries in a survival situation, especially when there’s no one else to interact with. As has been evidenced by TV shows like Alone, one of the reasons many contestants tap out is because they can’t handle being by themselves indefinitely for long periods of time. Human beings are social creatures and need to be in contact with others to thrive. It’s clearly documented that long periods of loneliness and social isolation are linked to serious health conditions, both physical and psychological. Ask any prisoner who has spent extended amounts of time in solitary confinement, and most will tell you it was the toughest time they ever did. If you were thrust into a situation where, in addition to having to secure food, water, shelter, and heat, you were now forced to find ways to keep yourself from declining cognitively due to isolation, what would you do to keep your head about you?
The Complication: You’re an independent person and love new adventures. You have no problem going it alone on hikes, camping trips, road trips, fishing trips, and hunting excursions because you enjoy not having to rely on anyone else and the excitement that comes with a certain amount of uncertainty. However, you understand that living on the edge doesn’t come without risks. Like Aron Ralston having to amputate his arm after being trapped alone for five days under a boulder, these adventures and insistence on experiencing life to the fullest by yourself are always a roll of the dice.
While fishing alone in the islands off the coast between the borders of British
