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Post Traumatic Growth


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I guess that most of us have heard of Post -Traumatic Stress, but I wonder how many on BTG have heard of Post -Traumatic Growth? (PTG.)

It is something I first heard of this week and wanted to share it with you.

I was at a group psychology session this week and we were invited to consider what aspects of our lives had improved after the brain injury.

Many of us explained how life is more meaningful now and that family relations in particular have strengthened. There was definitely a heightened appreciation of many aspects of our lives and we valued some things more.

The psychologist present began talking about Post Traumatic Growth. PTG is not about returning to our normal selves psychologically, but instead improving from where we were originally.

PTG is all about adapting to a very stressful and negative trauma. PTG does not just happen as a direct result of the trauma, but instead the individual engages with him/herself in an attempt to understand and live with the new circumstances. PTG is all about evolving from the trauma.

I have since discovered lots of articles online concerning PTG – simply Google it and have a look. It’s an interesting read!

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I have read it Lin Lin,

It says having people to help you(my words) and it was like reading about me and Sisters !

They would come up hospital and sing with me (I was told after I had shunt and knew more).

So it sounds right xx Good topic xx

Thanks again,

WinB143 xx

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It is so important to reclaim your individual story. Put a positive spin on it. See what you've gained. Many times if one suffers from PTSD, the memories get fragmented and don't stream together and keep resurfacing as brief weird flashes of partial memories or dream-like things. This PTG includes this aspect. It takes a while to get through the initial mess to approach a place where this growth is possible. I've done it.

However, that doesn't mean that I never have issues. The other day EMTs came into a restaurant to get a woman who was having a stroke. I couldn't stop crying as it triggered so many flashes of the ER for me. I had to sit in the car for about 30min before I could go. However, I'll take this any day because of the PTG I found.

~Kris

Edited by penny
Paragraphs/line spacing inserted for easier reading
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