Secrets of Mental Health
David DeRose, MD, MPH, and Bernell Baldwin, PhD,
neuroscientist
In 1944, at the age of 16, Edith Eger was taken
by the Nazis from her home in Hungary and sent
to the infamous Auschwitz death camp. Although
spared the gas chambers used on her parents, the
already-thin Edith gradually wasted away as she was
transferred from one camp to another. In May 1945,
approaching death, Edith fell into an unconscious
stupor. The guards assumed she was dead and
threw her into a mass grave in the woods behind the
Gunskirchen Lager Camp. Miraculously, an American
GI saw Edith’s hand moving amidst the corpses. He
rescued the then 60-pound girl from certain death.
If anyone had reason to be controlled by her
environment, it was Edith Eger. Despite her horrific
experiences, Edith didn’t succumb to emotions
of bitterness, hatred or despair. She not only
survived; she thrived. She married a Czech Freedom
Fighter, raised three children, and earned a PhD in
psychology. If you ever met Dr. Edith or heard her
speak, you would likely rank her among the most
positive, uplifting individuals you ever met. Edith’s
message: “Contrary to popular belief, there are no
victims in this world – only willing participants. You