ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on detail regarding psychological aspects of "fight or flight" reactions. It explores effective coping strategies that can sometimes tame them and lead toward more rather than less empathetic behaviour. The chapter discusses the ideas about helping children with these reactions. In addition to the intense emotions of anxiety and anger, daily stresses and strains can also affect the capacity for empathy. Even with good management of time and money, cumulative effect of multiple small annoyances or "daily hassles" can affect the capacity for empathy. The term "burnout" has been used to describe the feeling of being permanently stuck in drudgery. Empathetic connections with others can often provide a renewed sense of meaning at times when much of the day seems consumed by the mundane. George Vaillant conducted and described a landmark longitudinal study of college men, where mental health and various other life outcomes were related to the habitual use of either mature or immature defence mechanisms.
