The Nature of Post-Traumatic Growth

You’ve had a terrible, stressful experience. Maybe you’d even call it a trauma. Are you going to be debilitated by it for the rest of your life? Maybe; maybe not. PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, is a term that’s bandied about a lot in our current culture. But have you heard about its corollary, post-traumatic growth (PTG)? Probably not. Since it’s not a reimbursable diagnosis, it doesn’t capture the headlines that often. But, it’s important to recognize that people can emerge from life’s traumas stronger, more resilient and even happier than they once were. How does this positive outcome occur? Let me show you the ways: Initially, you let the emotions flow. You cry. You sob. You isolate. You wail, scream, rage. You express whatever emotions need expressing. You can’t believe what has happened. You want revenge. You want to reverse time. You feel so helpless, so vulnerable, so lost. It’s not fair; it’s not right; it shouldn’t have happened. But it did. And it has changed your life. At some point (when it feels right), you accept what happened. The trauma is what happened — no denying that! But your life is not over. You stop constantly reliving the experience, seeking a way to “undo” it. “Why didn’t I?” “What if I had done this?” “How come it happened to me?” “I should have ….” You recognize how replaying “what if’s” is not helpful; it simply muddies the waters. You take action despite your overwhelming emotio...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: PTSD Self-Esteem Self-Help Trauma acceptance Personal Growth Posttraumatic growth Posttraumatic Stress Trauma History Source Type: blogs