Most of us are familiar with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how it rewires the brain and disrupts someone’s life to believe that the world is no longer safe anywhere and never will be again.
the symptoms of ptsd are as varied as those who suffer from it. some have very sensitive reactivity and flashbacks, while others may experience this and also have emotional numbness and feelings of distance or separation from others.
You are reading: Post traumatic growth books
an event or layers of trauma can build up and erode a sense of well-being if left untreated or misunderstood. Perhaps there has been no better example of post-traumatic stress for everyone on the planet than the year 2020.
With layers of trauma from the pandemic to injustice, fires and natural disasters, few were spared the aftermath of what seemed like an apocalyptic year. even those who pretended not to notice and avoided the warnings or were irritated by the events may not realize that these are also symptoms of acute stress that can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder.
post-traumatic emotions or physiological reactivity are not a unique manifestation, nor is their treatment modality. trauma is not a competition. no one feels the same trauma in the same way, but there is hope and help for the debilitating after effects.
Education is a great place to start unraveling the tangle of emotional and physical negativity. positively processing what happened in the past can lead to a better future. For some, this may take a long time, but it’s worth the effort, so trauma doesn’t have to define you, but it can refine you in unexpected ways.
Paradoxically, trauma is one of the ugliest and most debilitating teachers, but at the same time the most beautiful and powerful. there is much to gain despite the loss.
few have heard of post-traumatic growth (ptg), but there is such a thing. Flashbacks, triggers, anxiety, hypervigilance, and the entire other constellation of PTSD symptoms are there to keep us safe, but we can play it so safe that we harm ourselves by avoiding and mistrusting.
Embracing reactivity momentarily to discover what is really being expressed can help us recognize and neutralize unwanted symptoms. it’s said, “you have to feel it to heal it”, and that’s what ptg is all about.
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There are several exemplary books on the subject that can help you move away from the trauma and move toward a better life, untethered or anchored in the past. It really should be called past traumatic stress because the symptoms usually occur long after the events and can get worse over time, but it doesn’t have to be.
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As a therapist, I help others grow after trauma, and it can be tough if there is resistance. still, it can also be rewarding once the resistance gives way to exploring how this may have made you a better or wiser person in some way.
People who have been through similar severe trauma sometimes have more compassion for each other, as there is camaraderie and support in survival experiences.
One of the most popular researchers and authors on the subject of ptg is richard tedeschi, phd, joined by another leader in the field, bret a. Moore, to write “The Post-Traumatic Growth Workbook.”
is more than a book to be read and absorbed; is a practical and personalized workbook to help the student overcome the past in a step by step guide.
As a therapist or trauma survivor, I cannot stress enough the importance of physical reactivity as a key component in keeping you stuck in fight/flight/freeze mode or panic. the vagus nerve is a parasympathetic system of our autonomic nervous system. vagus is Latin for wandering, and this nervous system is huge, coming out of our brain stem, through our face, down our throat, and is attached to all of our vital organs.
The same thing that takes your breath away when you see the Grand Canyon is the same reaction you have when you feel like you’re suffocating when you have a panic attack. fear and excitement do the same to our bodies. the difference is that the first is related to a positive emotion and the second to a negative one.
It is possible to move beyond fearful responses to reframe them into exciting ways to achieve or find a larger purpose.
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There is a lot of neuroscience at the ptsd and ptg, and stephen porges, phd, is a pioneer in the field and has written many groundbreaking scientific papers in his career. for those of us who need a simple guide without being a neuroscientist, dr. Porges wrote “The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory; the transformative power of feeling safe.”
“Backwards: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth” by Jim Rendon is another ptg piece from a journalist who has first-hand experience with trauma and offers an encouraging guide for those seeking how to grow from their trauma. trauma instead of hiding in the shadows of them.
For those who like the clinical approach more, the gold standard work, “Post-Traumatic Growth: Theory, Research, and Applications” is a comprehensive book.
richard tedeschi, phd, and lawrence calhoun, phd are recognized by the term ptg and joined authors jane shakespeare-finch, phd, and kanako taku, phd to gain an experimental and empirical research-based understanding of the topic of ptg and how to help others achieve it.
arielle schwartz also offers a unique holistic resource titled “The Post-Traumatic Growth Guide: Practical Tools for the Mind and Body to Heal Trauma, Build Resilience, and Awaken Your Potential.”
everyone has potential despite the pain. the root of the word potential is “potent”, and you can become more powerful if you have help, and all these books will help you heal. pain is also there to teach us something.
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ptg is to the mind what breaking a bone is to the body. pain forces us to rest the brokenness in order to heal whole again, and it takes time. however, at the point of the fracture, the bone becomes stronger, tougher, and more protected. we can also do this with our post-traumatic stress.
no one has to live in the slavery of the past anymore. ptg is transitioning from survival mode to revival mode, and these books are a good place to start.
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