There is a moment in our healing journey when our denial crumbles. We realize our experience and its continued effects on us will not just go away. That is our breakthrough moment.
There is a moment in our healing journey when our denial crumbles; we realize our experience and its continued effects on us will not just go away. That is our breakthrough moment. It is the sun coming out to warm the seeds of hope so they can grow our personal garden of empowerment.. Jeanne McElvaney
What Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is
Many of us are familiar with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The month of June was declared PTSD Awareness Month in 2014 to spread more awareness, education, and treatment for people struggling with it.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that some people develop after seeing or living through an event that caused or threatened serious harm or death. It may result in sleep problems, irritability, anger, recurrent dreams about the trauma, intense reactions to reminders of the trauma, disturbances in relationships, and isolation. Some people may recover a few months after the event, but for others it takes years. For some, PTSD begins long after the events occur. However, PTSD can be treated.
While PTSD affects roughly 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year, we can heal from our traumas. It is essential to recognize that there is potential for personal growth and resilience even in the face of adversity. While identifying triggers and old thought patterns that no longer serve us is essential, it is equally vital that we realize the growth and healing aspect.
PTSD is not the end of our story. We may have endured challenging things and experienced varying degrees of trauma, but we can grow, heal, and recover from our past. When we shift our mindset from PTSD to personal victory, that is post-traumatic growth (PTG).
What Post-Traumatic Growth is
Post-traumatic growth refers to the positive psychological changes a person experiences following traumatic events. Rather than being solely defined by the negative consequences of trauma, PTG focuses on the potential for growth, strength, and new perspective. It is a process of rebuilding one's life and finding meaning after the storm.
When we experience growth, we learn to accept our past, forgive those who may have hurt us, and begin the process of healing. It is not ignoring our past. It is reframing how it will shape our future. Many people turn to substances or addictive behaviors to cope with the distressing symptoms of PTSD. By reframing PTSD as a catalyst for change, people can harness their experiences to embark on a recovery and self-discovery journey.
As we address past traumas and work through the associated emotions, we can find strength and resilience we never knew existed. PTG fosters an empowerment mindset that supports the journey toward lasting sobriety.
Trauma and Substance Use, Treated Together
Our dual diagnosis program treats PTSD and addiction at the same time, not separately. Confidential, available 24/7.
Transforming trauma into strength
One of the most defining moments after unpacking trauma is when we can transform pain into strength. Through therapy, support groups, and holistic approaches, people can navigate the intricacies of their past traumas. By embracing resilience and self-compassion, they can tap into their inner potential and find a sense of purpose beyond their struggles.
An example of transforming trauma into strength is becoming a catalyst for others overcoming their own. Often, people who experience traumatic events like enduring abuse from a parent or partner go on to help others who have experienced similar circumstances. Many turn their painful experiences into lifelong careers in support of others. Some volunteer at local non-profit organizations.
Sometimes transforming trauma into strength shows up as recognizing negative patterns in others. If someone experienced a physically abusive relationship, they can spot those patterns in future partners. Taking nothing from your past but lessons that guide you forward shows how strong you are.
Learning the power of forgiveness
One of the most important lessons in post-traumatic growth is the power of forgiveness, of self and of others. PTSD often fills us with guilt and shame for past mistakes. It can lead us to believe we are unworthy of a better future. PTG releases that guilt and shame and guides us to grace, responsibility, and self-compassion. We may have made mistakes, but those mistakes do not define us. What we do with them defines who we are.
The same goes for those who may have wronged us. The shackles of PTSD keep us from working on past relationships. Through PTG, we learn to accept that although we cannot change the past, we can choose to forgive. Through forgiveness, our compassion for others helps strengthen previously broken relationships, or at the very least releases negative energy. We may not always be able to reconcile, but forgiveness is always on the table. If nothing else, it creates room for new, positive experiences.
Embracing new perspectives
Post-traumatic growth helps reframe traumatic experiences to find meaning within them. When we shift our perspective from victim of circumstance to survivor, we actively choose victory over adversity. By embracing new perspectives, we focus on transformational growth. What was once thought impossible creates room for opportunity.
When you feel trapped in PTSD, it is difficult to imagine a different future. But when you experience real growth, you can explore new depths. If there was loneliness and abandonment from childhood, PTSD says loved ones will always abandon you. Through PTG, you learn that just because someone made you feel lonely in your past does not mean everyone will walk away from your life.
Other times embracing new perspectives shows that had you not experienced challenging times, you would never have known how strong or resilient you are. PTG shows that there is always room for positivity, no matter how big or small.
In need of treatment?
If you are experiencing PTSD and feel trapped in the throes of addiction, you are not alone. What you are feeling is valid. At Positive Recovery Centers, we are here to help you find the treatment and healing you deserve. Our dual diagnosis program treats trauma and substance use together. Call us at 713-904-4699.
A new life in recovery may just be a phone call away.