{"id":35707,"date":"2017-09-14T06:00:49","date_gmt":"2017-09-14T13:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=35707"},"modified":"2017-09-12T14:22:31","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T21:22:31","slug":"traumas-silver-lining-transforming-through-posttraumatic-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/traumas-silver-lining-transforming-through-posttraumatic-growth-0914174","title":{"rendered":"Trauma’s ‘Silver Lining’? Transforming Through Posttraumatic Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RedNowadays, people seem to be very aware of trauma, complex trauma, and both the existence and effects of posttraumatic stress (PTSD)<\/a>. This increased awareness can only be a good thing, but there’s one significant omission. I don\u2019t often hear people talking about the concept of posttraumatic growth, or what could be considered the \u201csilver lining\u201d of trauma.<\/p>\n

Far from considering the possible positive impact trauma could have on a person, modern culture seems to in fact be fixated on protecting people from hardships of any kind. In this litigation-minded society, people are cautious about every little thing. Children can\u2019t play tag on the school playground or climb trees anymore because they might get hurt. People are preoccupied with safety, in Western cultures in particular.<\/p>\n

Considering personal safety is, of course, important. But with the type of mindset that encourages children to see the potential danger in every action, children are then more likely to grow up being afraid to take any risks, for fear they might fall down and get hurt. The fact is, they might<\/em> fall down and get hurt. But falling, even pain\u2014neither are insurmountable experiences. Without pain, people cannot grow. It is the hardships in life that mold us and build our character and inner sense of confidence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How Hardship Can Help Us Grow<\/h2>\n

Of course I am not saying people need to experience extreme forms of trauma in order to learn and grow. However, I\u00a0do believe people benefit from facing hardship and difficulty, and the intrapersonal struggles we often undergo in order to persevere through these life challenges help us become strong enough to face them. With trauma, then, often comes the development of strength of character and inner conviction of survival and victory.

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“Although the world is full of suffering,” Helen Keller once said, “it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Consider that we cannot learn to get up until we fall down. Our confidence grows as we watch ourselves endure through and triumph over hardship.<\/p>\n

Traumatic experiences are far-reaching and often affect all aspects of a person, including physical health, emotional state, and mental well-being. These effects are likely to include both immediate impact on a person\u2019s life and daily function as well as long-term effects. An individual\u2019s physical body, including their brain<\/a> chemistry, is often radically changed\u2014at least for a while.<\/p>\n

The effects of trauma, whether they are short-term effects or last for months or even years, often include dissociation<\/a>, increased negative thinking, flashbacks<\/a>, triggers, emotional dysregulation, and changes in the brain\u2019s structure, among others. In short, traumatic events transform a person.<\/p>\n

When a person experiences any type of trauma (personal or otherwise), they often lose part of the self<\/a>. Qualities such as trust<\/a>, innocence, gullibility, sense of safety, and beliefs in the self and\/or others may be shattered. Only once the initial shock of a traumatic experience wanes can the affected individual begin to grieve<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But falling, even pain\u2014neither are insurmountable experiences. Without pain, people cannot grow. It is the hardships in life that mold us and build our character and inner sense of confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grieving is nature\u2019s best way to heal trauma. Just like a broken arm needs healing, so does a broken psyche<\/a>. But the grief process is just that\u2014a process, not a destination. It can be described as a spiral: the feelings are experienced over time as healing takes place. Certain triggers may cause the survivor to be reminded life is not safe, and anxiety<\/a> attacks may flare up when something akin to the original trauma happens.<\/p>\n

But with rest, support, self-care<\/a>, inner compassion<\/a>, and other steps known to help the process of grief (journaling, crying, talking, expressing feelings through art, and being kind and patient with the self, among others), healing and posttraumatic growth are both possible.<\/p>\n

Working Toward Posttraumatic Growth<\/h2>\n

If you have experienced trauma yourself, or if you are a counselor who wants to help someone you are working with understand how to make sense out of a trauma, you can ask questions such as, \u201cHow has this experience changed you?\u201d \u201cWhat wisdom do you have about life now that you didn\u2019t have before this traumatic event occurred?\u201d \u201cWhat is helping you heal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thought-provoking questions such as these can help people ponder the effects trauma has had on them. People often make meanings out of difficult life experiences through epiphanies. It would be difficult to “force” an epiphany, but you might ask, \u201cHave you had any epiphanies related to your experience?\u201d<\/p>\n

I believe the most important way to transform trauma into growth is to find hope<\/a>. If you have been victimized, finding something positive to hold on to is considered an essential aspect of recovery. This may not be easy, especially not at first, but it is imperative for a contented life. The discovery or regrowth of hope can lead to posttraumatic growth.<\/p>\n

Though in the early wake of trauma, it may be difficult for some survivors to imagine any positive outcome, much less growth, it is possible for people to develop strengths and experience other positive effects after a traumatic experience, especially with the help of a compassionate and qualified mental health professional<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These\u00a0“silver lining” benefits of trauma might include:<\/p>\n