SURVIVAL STRESSES

[Music] okay [Music] this is one big one 640 200 miles southwest of rainbow proceeding on course to manland work dr. Stark this is the emergency it can happen in many ways but one thing is certain how well you've learned to expect the unexpected they determine the course of events that follow [Music] [Music] this is the beginning of survival problem now stay alive the second night was the toughest I had no feeling in my right foot I kept thinking they'd amputate if they ever got me back every time I loosen the bandage blood gushed on I thought of letting it freeze but decided against it it was just one of those ideas you get at a time like that then a dawn of the third day the weather began to close in to me this meant one thing they wouldn't be able to continue the search I'll admit I was scared it was the way I felt when I realized I'd lost my survival gear I fought it off somehow and told myself to relax I had to go on believing they'd find me with my fouled up leg I knew I couldn't find them then I heard the sound of the chopper at first I thought my mind was playing tricks on me I'd been afraid of this all along but it was up there all right and heading right for me I tried to wave and yell the effort was too much for me I felt myself blacking up but they saw me the next thing I remember was Sergeant Kerry coming down the moist lieutenant Edward Stuart Air Defense Command flameout ejection and 45 hours of raw survival alone 45 hours not a very long interval of time but for lieutenant Stuart long enough to suffer shock and pain from severe injury long enough to know the meaning of hunger thirst cold fatigue isolation remoteness and fear from a technical point of view these are survival stresses your point of view their obstacles you must avoid overcome or be prepared to withstand if you want to live and to complicate matters here are a few more these stresses can occur in all environments to a greater or lesser degree the Arctic the desert in the tropics and on water how these stresses might develop how they might affect you are the big questions you can wait find the answers the hard way or you could profit right now from the experience of the thousands who faced survival and lived from what they faced and from what they learned have come methods for recognizing understanding and combating survival stresses to pass this knowledge along to you is one purpose of our discussion and the other purpose is to make you think about yourself and for this very important reason if you find yourself in a survival situation but chances are you'll find yourself alone so let's take a look at you the individual a very complex creation you are different from all others mentally and emotionally but physically just about the same when your body is supplied with the essentials of life growth and repair processes function normally and sufficient energy is created to enable you to perform efficiently but when the body is deprived of even one of the essentials water for example your physical and mental capabilities decrease and eventually if corrective measures are not taken this something to consider isn't it but perhaps you're not concerned right now because you're fairly well off and where you are life is pretty good so let's take you from your comfortable environment to another one one not so comfortable and try to make the point that way this is the desert no one can deny it's fantastic beauty and no one can deny that men have died here alone through egrants ignorance not only of practical measures to take but ignorance of how much stress their bodies could endure sometimes they discovered this too late about one-fifth of the land area of the world is desert the odds against an emergency over desert terrain are in your favor but it could happen [Music] what then will you be up against mainly two things an excess of heat and a scarcity of water and without water you cannot survive for long for a simple explanation of this let's take a look at you simplified your normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain this temperature your body has an effective and efficient cooling mechanism the evaporation of sweat on the skin surface by this process excess heat absorbed or generated by the body is dissipated and you will continue to sweat as long as the need exists to hold body temperature down in desert areas the amount of sweat produced can be considerable this is also true in humid environments where in complete evaporation interferes with heat dissipation but the bulk of sweat is water and every bit of it must be replaced because every bit of it is needed for normal bodily functions if it is not replaced your body will go into debt for water by withdrawing water from vital parts when the bloodstream gives up water the blood becomes thicker and less in volume the heart has to work faster to pump the thickened blood through the arteries and veins and as water loss continues it becomes increasingly difficult for your body to function what you have just seen on the screen is the process of dehydration understanding its effect on you is important but important to is knowing how to recognize it let's investigate this further approximately 2/3 of the human body is water this level must be maintained if you were to live work and think at peak efficiency when this water level begins to drop you become thirsty and uncomfortable you begin to move in a kind of slow motion you have no appetite as you lose more water you get sleepy your temperature goes up you get irritable eventually you become nauseous dizziness difficulty in breathing and a tingling sensation in the arms and legs follow when your body has lost only 10% of its body weight in water you can't move about normally at this point locating a water source may be impossible and when water loss continues death is inevitable not a very happy thought is it well let's see what you can do to keep the worst from happening conserve your sweat not your water drink all you want as long as it's available stay in the shade off the ground ground temperature maybe a hundred and fifty degrees or higher even here travel only at night move slowly take it easy those were a few hints on water conservation but they represent only a fraction of the information you must know in order to survive in the desert demonstrating how to locate water how to find food how to orient yourself in the desert or anyplace else is beyond the scope of this discussion but you have access to this information through survival manuals by undergoing courses in survival and by viewing air force training films sun sand survival is one such film you saw a clip from it a moment ago make a point to see it in its entirety and make a point to investigate other approved sources of information Army and Navy material for example you might be surprised at how many misconceptions you have about survival perhaps you have the impression that water is a prime requirement only in the desert it isn't in order to maintain your water balance in any environment you need approximately two quarts of water a day yes even here but this environment presents another serious threat cold cold intensified by will the two are a deadly combination of elements which increases the rate of cooling of the body sometimes drastically scientists have a name for it windchill but it's more than a word of technical jargon it's a fact you can't ignore it's a fact for example that exposed flesh will freeze when the temperature is minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit there is little or no wind now this doesn't surprise you does it but wait let's raise the temperature to fifteen degrees not too uncomfortable you've all experienced this but increase the wind velocity to 26 miles an hour and the same result is produced raise the temperature to 20 degrees increase the wind to 43 miles an hour and again exposed flesh will freeze and what about the time for these and other combinations to do the job one hour two hours possibly but it could be only 30 seconds under more extreme conditions such as these cold is an enemy of survival a killer it has a way of slipping up on you numbing mind and body taking away efficiency and most of your will accept that part which says get warm get warm yes get warm and stay warm the most sensible idea you could have but it takes more than an idea it takes know-how knowing how to conserve body heat this in turn involves an understanding of your body's heat system it is a complicated system so again a simplification blood would absorb food and oxygen is circulated to the different parts of the body every living cell has the ability to burn food in the presence of oxygen in the process energy is created part of this energy is used in doing work but most of it is liberated as heat at the surface of the body when you exercise or do work you burn up more food stored in the muscles this requires more oxygen to get it you breathe faster and faster more heat is then generated and the smaller blood vessels near the skin open wider circulation in the skin is increased and heat loss is faster in cold weather when the normal rate of heat loss would result in excessive cooling the circulation of the blood through the skin is decreased by constriction of the smaller blood vessels this reduces the rate of heat loss and preserves the heat for the vital organs rather ingenious don't you think but the system has a flaw in it and for you a serious one when nature cuts down circulation at skin surfaces to conserve heat for your vital organs she sacrifices other parts of the body the hands feet toes nose ears face for example as a consequence these are the first to become frostbitten and remember this situation and danger is not confined to the Arctic it exists right here in the United States some have failed to consider this and die but wherever you are no matter how cold you are the situation is far from hopeless if you're willing to help yourself here's how improvise use materials you have available above all conserve your body heat if you must exercise or move about avoid sweating sweating increases loss of body heat if you sweat or get warm ventilate your garments and keep your mind on survival this is good advice anywhere anytime when you're facing survival the things you've always taken for granted have a way of becoming terribly important and sometimes out of proportion when you're cold you can't think of anything but warmth when you're thirsty you can't think of anything but water and when you're hungry you can't think of anything but food but food is less important than water or shelter being hungry does mean that you're on the verge of starvation you can live for quite a while without food but the time might come when a little self diagnosis will reveal these symptoms do you feel tired and weak you don't think you have the strength to go on you get cold easily you become annoyed short-tempered and eventually you just don't care when you feel that way mentally and physically you're in a precarious position but let's go back a bit how can this happen there are three possibilities illness or serious injury might prevent you from foraging for food you might lack the knowledge of how to live off the land or you find things to eat but you just can't stop them this last is called food aversion or food prejudice and for some it isn't easy to overcome but when it's a matter of life or death you'll have to try you may have to try mighty hard this is a sequence from another Air Force training film jungle survival [Music] [Applause] [Music] obviously food aversion is not an obstacle here if it was it's been surmounted and this is what you'll have to do no one can do it for you [Applause] [Applause] food resources of different environments vary but remember anything that creeps walks swims or flies is a possible source of food and if this makes a vegetarian out of you there's always this learn to live off the land begin right now by experimenting with new foods practice eating foods which are not your favorites and learn to appreciate them controlling hunger is one of the easier problems to solve and survival if you can adjust to discomfort and adapt to primitive conditions and to make it still easier here are a few practical suggestions procure both water and food when you can still think clearly forage for food save your rations for emergency take stock of what you have and plan accordingly don't waste your energy stop and prepare your food whenever you can the rest you get is beneficial I don't think we have to worry about here knowing the effects of different stresses is essential but often it's not a simple matter to pinpoint the exact stress causing the trouble stresses have a way of interacting of producing symptoms which are almost identical and to complicate your problem further stresses physical and nature have very definite psychological implications you just can't define a stress and say here's where it begins here's where it ends as a matter of fact there's one stress for which no single definition is adequate fatigue the number and variety of activities which might produce fatigue are countless it might even be the result of trying to avoid a situation too difficult to face fatigue is cumulative it is evidenced by a lack of staying power a short temper impatience and a tendency to magnify minor troubles weather fatigue is mental or physical is debatable but its effects are essentially the same and as far as you're concerned it's something else you'll have to combat so again here are a few suggestions that might help assess the situation have a plan and follow it this is always the best idea challenge your activities in the most useful direction don't overestimate your strength set up a program of rest if possible and whatever you do concentrate on the positive not the negative yes concentrate on the positive not the negative don't let your imagination run away with you to accomplish this you must be able to separate the real from the Unreal sounds easy enough but often difficult to do even for those with the strongest kind of emotional fibre even for those in the best physical condition a good physical condition and emotional stability are two of the best advantages you can have but sometimes the challenge is too great in a matter of minutes this pilot passed through two major crises first the aircraft emergency leading to the survival situation second the survival situation itself then a third crisis was superimposed injury upon ejection now he could do only two things try to keep his face out of the water and hope that helped calms and it's going to take all the stamina and guts he's got that pilots desperate problem was complicated as yours might be by injury suffering injury is unfortunate enough but whether the injury is minor or severe shock is bound to accompany it sometimes it's the most serious consequence of the injury it can also be a serious aftermath of the emergency experience itself without any injury being present this makes spending a moment on the subject of shock worthwhile let's take a look at it shock its symptoms and treatment you must be familiar with both these are some of the signs pulse weak and rapid respiration rapid skin pale cold and moist and if the patient is conscious he may feel faint or dizzy and he may be frightened Restless or anxious now what do you do about it let's take a look if the patient is injured don't wait for symptoms to develop make him comfortable conserve his body heat but don't overdo it don't give him fluids if he's unconscious or if he's injured internally him that's the other fella the fellow you're going to help but what about you you alone how can you help yourself if you have an injury you can expect shock therefore try to anticipate it if you're able do for yourself what you would do for others now here's something else the word shock is used in another way to describe the mental state of a victim immediately following an accident apathy and irrational behavior are common you can expect this to happen but even when you're alone you have a good chance of shaking it your training is already cure a man well indoctrinated in emergency procedures will usually be guided by them even when dazed training imparts knowledge and knowledge is the most effective at the built for the ills real and imaginary inflicted on the survivor and this includes one of the most common fear fear is a natural response to danger and nothing to be ashamed of everyone who faces an emergency which threatens any of his important needs experiences fear in a survival emergency you may be constantly threatened with the loss of water food shelter companionship yes even if life itself your fear will greatly influence your behavior and your behavior your chances of survival you must recognize it live with it and if possible use it to your advantage recognizing fear in yourself shouldn't be too difficult you've met it before and you've overcome it but as you face survival fear isolation remoteness loneliness and the other psychological stresses are greatly magnified coping with them requires a greater effort but you can do it this man did for twenty long days how is he able to do it alone because he was endowed with some kind of supreme wisdom because he had courage far beyond that allotted to the ordinary human being no he had only the resources you have but he used them to his advantage he was afraid and he admitted it he accepted his lot and he tried to improve it he kept busy he foraged for food to maintain his physical condition and when he wasn't looking for food he kept his mind alert by doing mathematical problems and by singing all the songs he could remember in order to conserve his energy he exercised only lightly but he exercised regularly he was in an alien environment and he was afraid but he didn't let fear take away his will to live he recognized the real dangers and he took practical measures to eliminate them and be active that was a sequence from Air Force training film deep-sea survival it doesn't tell you everything you must know no film cap it was designed primarily to make you think and as I said that was the purpose of this discussion to make you think about these things and how they might affect you how much do you know right now about survival and its physiological and psychological stresses let's hope you know more than this fellow but what is his affliction fear panic no he was suffering from thirst and dehydration that he sneaked drinks of seawater at night compounding his problem the result mental deterioration [Music] mental deterioration if he had taken the trouble to find out he would have known that it might kill him don't let ignorant of survival stresses be your mistake it's the biggest one you can make [Music]