[Dialogue] Hmm, wonder if this happened in WWII?

[James Wiegel]

POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH: A Brief Overview
                        

                          What is posttraumatic growth? It is 
                          positive change experienced as a result of the struggle 
                          with a major life crisis or a traumatic event. Although 
                          we coined the term posttraumatic growth, the 
                          idea that human beings can be changed by their encounters 
                          with life challenges, sometimes in radically positive 
                          ways, is not new. The theme is present in ancient spiritual 
                          and religious traditions, literature, and philosophy. 
                          What is reasonably new is the systematic study 
                          of this phenomenon by psychologists, social workers, 
                          counselors, and scholars in other traditions of clinical 
                          practice and scientific investigation.
                        What forms does posttraumatic growth take? 
                          Posttraumatic growth tends to occur in five 
                          general areas. Sometimes people who must face major 
                          life crises develop a sense that new opportunities have 
                          emerged from the struggle, opening up possibilities 
                          that were not present before. A second area is a change 
                          in relationships with others. Some people experience 
                          closer relationships with some specific people, and 
                          they can also experience an increased sense of connection 
                          to others who suffer. A third area of possible change 
                          is an increased sense of one’s own strength – “if 
                          I lived through that, I can face anything”. A fourth 
                          aspect of posttraumatic growth experienced by some people 
                          is a greater appreciation for life in general. The fifth 
                          area involves the spiritual or religious domain. Some 
                          individuals experience a deepening of their spiritual 
                          lives, however, this deepening can also involve 
                          a significant change in one’s belief system.
                        

                          Some Clarifications
                        Most of us, when we face very difficult losses or great 
                          suffering, will have a variety of highly distressing 
                          psychological reactions. Just because individuals 
                          experience growth does not mean that they will 
                          not suffer. Distress is typical when we face 
                          traumatic events.
                        We most definitely are not implying 
                          that traumatic events are good – they are not. 
                          But for many of us, life crises are inevitable and we 
                          are not given the choice between suffering and growth 
                          on the one hand, and no suffering and no change, on 
                          the other.
                        Posttraumatic growth is not universal. 
                          It is not uncommon, but neither does everybody who faces 
                          a traumatic event experience growth.
                        Our hope is that you never face a major loss 
                          or crisis, but most of us eventually do, and 
                          perhaps you may also experience an encounter with posttraumatic 
                          growth.

                          

                        
                         
                        

Jim Wiegel



"Life has got a habit of not standing hitched.  You got to ride it like you find it..  You got to change with it."  Woody Guthrie





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