There truly is no reality game show like it. On 'Survivor', Not only are you stranded on an island and forced to make alliances, but you also have to deal with the lack of food and of course, lackluster hygiene factor. Former contestant Carolyn J. Amkraut Rivera made mention, not brushing your teeth regularly really isn't all that pleasant. Keeping a distance when speaking to someone is advised, "You feel totally disgusting all the time, even after going in the ocean to clean yourself. I also used thorns to clean my nails."
That might be the easy part of the show, as we've seen in the past, the trust factor can truly make all the difference. We can also see some serious villains come to life and become enemies of the fans.
So many times in the past, we've seen top players eliminated due to trusting the wrong people. As Jeff Probst revealed in an interview with EW, this can be a life-changing factor. Trusting others can forever change once you leave the show, and some former contestants can definitely agree to it. To some extent, Survivor can have a scarring role in someone's life once they're done with the show. Jeff explains how some former players felt once they left the island.
Physical And Emotional Scars
'Survivor' might be the most grueling process out there, in terms of reality TV competitions. Not only does it push anyone to the limit physically but it can have the same impact on someone's mental game. Probst discussed the mental side, "It speaks to the invoice that comes with any adventure that is based in reality and not fantasy. When you undergo something as real as Survivor you typically walk away with both physical and emotional scars. Just think through the basic premise of the show: You are abandoned with a group of strangers, forced to work together to survive the jungle, while voting each other out. Additionally, Survivor is a zero-sum game. I only do better when you do worse. And for the last one standing, a life-changing $2 million prize. Those are real stakes."
Trusting anyone after the show can have a lasting impact, "The incredibly strong, even desperate desire to trust someone, anyone, even just for one day, is very, very, very real. But because of the aforementioned premise, you can’t ever fully trust anybody, even for a minute. As a result, if you last long enough, your perception of the world can start to shift. Your new reality is you can’t trust anyone. And you’re right: Then you return home to loved ones who you trusted when you left, but now you don’t. Your perception has shifted so much that you now view them with the same amount of distrust. That trust can and does come back, but it takes real work by the player and compassionate understanding by his family and co-workers."
This just goes to show how difficult the overall game can be, stated by the man himself who has been part of the Survivor for decades upon decades. Although the experience is something else, the lasting impression can do more harm than good.
Sources: EW & The Ringer