Post Traumatic Growth ?

[theshadowoftheliving]

The more I think about this concept the madder I get.

Yes, most studies refuse to deal with anyone that has any kind of childhood trauma.

I don't know who I was pre-trauma. I don't think I existed - literally and metaphorically - before trauma. How the #%^@%$^!@&^ does anyone measure what is or is not the result of that?

 

[EveHarrington]

I wish the concept was broader and said something like "the growth that happens due to the hard work that one does in healing from trauma". Cuz really, as it stands, the concept is invalidating. Why is it narrowed to 5 areas? 4 of the 5 I was fcked out of due to trauma (waaaay below baseline) and the 5th I have gotten back but it was stolen from me for decades.

 

[joeylittle]

This is a long journal piece, but a good read. Camille Wortman, the author, questions the assumptions around 'growth', and whether that growth is being accurately reported. She also points out:

The real question is not what percentage of people show a few self-reported positive changes following a crisis, but what percentage of people show positive changes they would judge as significant and that are not overshadowed or dwarfed by any negative changes that may have occurred. It is important to document both positive and negative changes that may have been caused by a trauma. When both kinds of changes have occurred, we need to think hard about when it is appropriate to conclude that positive changes are indeed indicative of growth.

Dead Link Removed

For anyone who is curious, here is the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), which is the current standard in the US for how an individual's 'growth' is scaled and scored. It was formulated by Calhoun and Tedeschi, the two psychologists who led the research into this area. (click to enlarge)

Why is it narrowed to 5 areas?

From what I can tell, those are the 'clusters' that Tedeschi and Calhoun identified, when looking at all the raw research data. They were the groupings that made sense to them, based on what they were learning. Which, of course, doesn't make it indefensible by any stretch.

You might like Wortman's piece very much. She's got excellent points on what the flaws are with the current model for PTG.

 

[anthony]

I mean i certianly agree we can grow but while reading the link I provided, it sounds like it growth only based on trauma. Like "if I lived through that, I can face anything”, thats not how I think even after 8 yrs of therapy but certianly not before therapy.

The piece you quoted, actually stated that that was exactly NOT what was being said:

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.

I think it's total crap to say that PTG is limited to those certain areas as it means that I've accomplished absolutely nothing in my 10+ years of healing.

As per above. PTG isn't dismissing anything, nor is it including specifically. It is merely trying to categorise common variables.

Post traumatic growth is certainly what I've been doing for the last 10 years. I've not just been healing trauma, but as a result of my trauma, I have changed (me, my beliefs, my view of life) due to my traumatic history. I nearly committed suicide due to depression, which is due to trauma. I now see life much differently, and I appreciate it far more than before that act. Whilst I see people the same, some negatively, some positively, I am also far more appreciative of some people over others based on my growth since trauma.

Now... some of my growth is just age, which brings experience, which usually brings wisdom. We typically make better choices as we get older. Not all, but mostly.

I tend to agree that the concept is real, if flawed, is positive, is negative, just is what it is... a name to describe positive growth due to not just trauma, but stressful events endured in life. It eluded towards relationships, losing them, gaining others, relationships becoming weaker and stronger. We learn from our experiences, our mistakes, our misfortunes, and hopefully (hopefully) grow positively as a result. Not always though.

 

[anthony]

Answering that form above, based on my PTG due to everything after my trauma, it looks like:

Even religion, which I'm pretty much far from... I'm not anti-religion, certainly more accepting of peoples belief system within it, and I appreciate that there is a lot unknown. I don't believe the bible, but I also don't believe that there isn't some truth to what we do not know about death and beyond.

There is too much evidence to support something can exist vs. there is just no such thing as ghosts. Maybe ghosts are something other than us after death, maybe we have souls, maybe, maybe, maybe... which is my point. My views have changed, my ability to accept different things, yet at the same time, my acceptance does not mean I am fore something, or against.

 

[illusionist]

My abuse stems right back to early childhood....I have no ' before ' but I am certain that my exuberant appreciation of life, and all that I have in it is directly related to my abuses and long term neglect..

Food...I went without as a child, and as an adult, for prolonged periods of time. I am now very aware of the luxury I have of eating a proper meal every day, and I'm thankful.

Clothes....I fully appreciate that I can go into my wardrobe and have a choice of clothes. Clean, whole clothes!...spent too many years not having the luxury.

Living life free from actual daily fear and physical harm ( beatings )..... I still have fears ingrained, but they are related to the past, not present.

Love....I have a hard time accepting it, but really cherish it.



I feel all this....have all this, yet I still fight the want to die, at times.

My appreciation for life, and all that I have in it ( which does go further than the basics above), is far too extreme to have been present without trauma. It is not a case of being happy that trauma gave me this appreciation, it's a case of it is what it is, as already said.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Post traumatic growth is certainly what I've been doing for the last 10 years. I've not just been healing trauma, but as a result of my trauma, I have changed (me, my beliefs, my view of life) due to my traumatic history. I nearly committed suicide due to depression, which is due to trauma. I now see life much differently, and I appreciate it far more than before that act. Whilst I see people the same, some negatively, some positively, I am also far more appreciative of some people over others based on my growth since trauma.

That I get, I do and maybe its because of where I am at vs where you're at, but I dont have any of that above growth and the form would be zeros down the board if im being honest (exept maybe # 7 but its not a path with the remainder growth). But, I have grown, I have changed, a lot, but all of those questions on that form I answer as "no I dont/no i didnt" or "no i cant". And while going through it, it made me feel as though I havent grown enough and that feels horrible. And wrong.

So that was my point of it all. Where my opinions come from. Its very possible that im misunderstanding it though but as Im understanding it and most eapecially that form, it doesnt seem to fit my situation and where im at right now. Most especially the form.

 

[Hope69]

This is a difficult concept for me. I grew up in an environment that glorified and rewarded suffering. My mother loves survivor stories, the stories of those who triumph and grow out of adversity. That is the classic hero story, and I believe there is some power and use to this idea. All humans will face suffering at some point, and we can take inspiration and hope from those who have moved through their suffering and perhaps even gained some insight, wisdom, or quality of life.
My belief, however, is that we are not in control of how much healing or the end results we will experience through our own healing process. This is contrary to beliefs I held that will power, personal choice etc....making lemonade out of lemons...are choices we make. I believe the truth is far more complex. Given the biological changes that the brain and nervous system go through as a result of trauma and that these changes are not within our control, the way we heal, the extent to which we heal, and the time frame are not choice. WE can make the choice to seek help, adopt healthier habits, learn healing modalities, that will affect our outcomes and growth, but how, when and how much are not a choice, just the result of constant effort.
My mom stated recently that perhaps some good will come from my PTSD. After 15 years of this crap (actually longer but there was not a diagnosis for many years) I can say that I would have preferred ignorant bliss, every day suffering, manageable crisis over the soul sucking pain of PTSD. Has any good come of this? Yes, I know that when I have good moments, I am deeply thankful. I know that health should never be taken for granted. I have a compassion for others that I would not have had. I also understand that others pain and the way they express it is not always a choice. Still, I would have preferred ignorance any day.

 

[scout86]

My T had talked about this idea a couple times. His take on it seems to be "we have a bunch of lemons here, let's figure it how to make lemonade". I haven't read the articles yet. Too hard to do on my phone, so maybe that's way off. His approach to all this is, I think, circumstances are what they are, we mostly didn't choose them. There IS choice about what to do with them. I can choose to take what is, and find ways to make it work better, or worse, or to decide I'm stuck and fight not to change. And probably other things I haven't thought of. LOL My choice. "Post traumatic growth", the way he seemed too see it, it's growth that occurs because you work to overcome the effects of the trauma. It's not spontaneous and it doesn't mean you should be thankful for the trauma. If you wanted apples and you got lemons instead, you can still make something from the lemons. To me, and I'm sure not to everyone, coming up with a good recipe for lemon meringue pie seems better than complaining about the lack of apples I'm probably never going to have.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

"we have a bunch of lemons here, let's figure it how to make lemonade"

That I get and that I agree with. What Im having issue with is "because of my trauma". I read the above list and im debating of typing it all out in paragraph style why all of them are zeros.

I assume since all are zeros that this concept doesnt apply to me. But still making some form of lemonade.

 

[scout86]

Like I said, I didn't read the link earlier, because I was on my phone. Right now, I haven't got either the time or the ability to concentrate reading it probably requires. So, maybe I'm wrong. But, my thought is "Because of the trauma, we have a lot of lemons. What can we do with them that's better than a pile of rotting lemons?" No trauma? Maybe you've got apples, not lemons?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

No trauma? Maybe you've got apples, not lemons?

Yeah, i totally get and agree to that. Its the form that was posted and filled out that im more referring to.