There Can Be an Upside to Having PTSD- Post-Traumatic Growth
Comments (0) Recently, I’ve become aware of the developing literature on Post-Traumatic Growth. How wonderful to learn and find validation, that having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can actually have benefits.
We read so much about the downside of having PTSD, that we tend to see it in dismal terms. That’s why I’m so excited to find this new area of study, plus I’m meeting amazing people through my work, who are doing great things and experiencing tremendous personal growth through their recovery from PTSD.
I find myself, at the age of 63, actually feeling that what once seemed so devastating, (that is, having PTSD) has given me a new focus and is (finally) bringing me great rewards.
Today, I’m re-reading an excellent article titled Posttaumatic Growth: A New Perspective on Psychotraumatology. Written by Richard G. Tedeschi, Ph.D., and Lawrence Calhoun, Ph.D, they note:
“In the developing literature on posttraumatic growth, we have found that reports of growth experiences in the aftermath of traumatic events far outnumber reports of psychiatric disorders”
The Domains of Posttraumatic Growth
The authors go on to note, “The kinds of positive changes individuals experience in their struggles with trauma are reflected in models of posttraumatic growth that we have been building, and in a measure of posttraumatic growth that we developed based on interviews with many trauma survivors.
These changes include improved relationships, new possibilities for one’s life, a greater appreciation for life, a greater sense of personal strength and spiritual development. There appears to be a basic paradox apprehended by trauma survivors who report these aspects of posttraumatic growth. Their losses have produced valuable gains.”
To read the whole article, go to:
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/ptsd/content/article/10168/54661
Note:
For those of you currently suffering the depths of despair from your PTSD, know that I’ve been where you are. Take heart, it can get better. So many of us are living proof of that fact. Hang in there, and know that those of who’ve been there care about you, and want to help you find “the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Themocracy