Leach believes that bringing some sort of normalcy to perilous situations “requires an appraisal that the person has, at least, some control over his situation, has not accepted mental defeat.” He goes on to conclude, “That sensation of choice indicates a reversal of mental defeat and the reimposition of some personal control over the situation which is a key factor in recovery. . . . [Give-up-itis] is the clinical expression of mental defeat; in particular, it is a pathology of a normal, passive coping response.”
