Went to sleep one night about nine years ago. Woke up to find myself living in the suburbs, with a wife, 2 kids, and a mortgage. The only survival technique I've found that works is to wait 'til everyone is asleep, sneak down to the basement, put on the headphones, crank the Clash, and bang my head against the wall 'til I feel like a human being again.

Is that what you mean by a "real" survival situation?