Reposted from PsychCentral:
For those in the world of psychology the idea is new. Yet for those on the other side — people simply wanting to feel better — the idea is groundbreaking. Post-traumatic growth simply defies everything we have been told about trauma, setbacks, hardship, and adversity.
And the truth is this: studies on post-traumatic growth show that after major life traumas more people show post-traumatic growth than PTSD (Morris, Finch, Scott, 2007). This is worth restating. It’s hard to believe for sure. And naturally the question becomes, just what does is take to grow from tough times?
Willingness. Willingness to accept that the way things are going is not working. Willingness to say that change is needed. And more than anything, we need a willingness to learn a new way. From this place, we can then begin to look at some of the things that people who report post-traumatic growth do. And they are…
Actualization 