Resilience

January 14, 2023

It seems fitting to write about resilience given my recent final examination experiences at King’s College and the fact it’s fundamental to the study of addictions.

In the UK post-secondary world, what’s old is new again when it comes to academic assessments. After failed experiments with virtual testing environments during the pandemic, the university has reverted to ‘mid-century modern’ techniques. Imagine a massive hall with rows of desks in meticulously straight lines with strict invigilators on patrol. It’s hardly an encouraging environment. And just when I thought the digital world had rendered us paperless, King’s College threw a curve ball — handwritten exams. That’s right, old-fashioned paper and pens.

This scenario presented me with several distinct advantages. In addition to being proficient in English, my risk of handwriting-related muscle cramping was low. I’m also no stranger to scary exam settings and strict British protocols. Some of my classmates didn’t weather the circumstances quite as well. Can you imagine hand writing five, 1,000-word essays on the topic of psychopharmacology using a foreign language (and alphabet, for some) in three hours?

The exam room was also freezing cold, which added to the hostility of the whole situation. Needless to say, some of my peers opted to defer their exams to the spring and more than one left the room after reviewing the test questions. I think the fact that one particularly gritty invigilator informed us before exam number two that he’d caught 12 students cheating the previous day put some people’s nerves over the edge.

Humans carry all kinds of insurance policies but the one that ultimately protects us from adversity is resilience. It is typically acquired through a combination of life experiences (nurture) and nature (brain function). Why are some people more resilient than others? Genetics, health, socioeconomic status, family dynamics, peer influence, culture and other exposures all play a role.

Resilience can be eroded by traumatic life experiences, health and financial impacts. Conversely, it can be restored by acquiring supports and developing coping mechanisms. The key is what happens in between, and how quickly interventions are introduced.

People with diminished resilience are more at risk of substance use (and leaving high stress situations, like King’s College exams). That’s why early interventions are critical for at-risk adolescents. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition and confronting it is a painstakingly challenging process for most people. In Barbieland, everyone would endure tough circumstances and recover from addiction. In the real world, it’s not that simple.