Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) is the ability to come out on the other side after trauma. If you’ve lived through trauma, you know how hard it can be to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the aftermath. After your traumatic experience, part of you might have felt like you would never truly heal. You may have wondered if you would ever feel whole again. Sometimes, you may have doubted your ability to move forward – you might have even wondered if your trauma would essentially stunt your progress as an individual for the rest of your life. 

Many people who suffer from trauma experience post-traumatic stress disorder, and even those who don’t receive this diagnosis can struggle afterward. But when you’ve had the chance to process your trauma in a healthy environment, you can move forward and embrace post-traumatic growth. Here are a few ways you can actually grow as a person after living through trauma.

Forgiving Yourself

The key to moving into the post-traumatic growth period is forgiving yourself. If you still blame yourself for your trauma, you may not be able to see the brighter possibilities on the horizon. Of course, this is a process that takes time – it’s not something you can necessarily achieve overnight. But it’s important to remember that a trauma survivor is never responsible for the pain that someone else inflicted. 

Learning From Your Experiences

Pushing a trauma survivor to “look on the bright side” is unhelpful and can even be damaging. But in time, many people who have lived through trauma can glean certain important life lessons from their experiences. They may come to understand the true depth of their strength and resilience. In some cases, they might learn how to set healthier boundaries that serve them well. Learning from trauma often takes time and distance, but it is possible. At the end of the day, there is no avoiding the fact that throughout life, we often have to learn crucial lessons by going through tough experiences.

Creative Expression

Many people end up channeling their traumatic experiences into different forms of creative expression. Art can also allow you to process what happened and get your feelings out of your system. It’s an opportunity for self-reflection and emotional exploration. Furthermore, some people choose to share the art that reflects their trauma. Doing so can help you connect with other people who have walked in your shoes before and allows you to see that you aren’t alone.

Greater Appreciation for Life

Difficult experiences can often help us to appreciate the sweeter moments and the little things in life. Again, this is not necessarily a conclusion that trauma survivors will come to shortly after their experience. But with time to heal, many people who have lived through trauma will develop a deeper appreciation for positive moments. Going through dark times can help you see just how precious the good times are. 

Seek Therapy

While post-traumatic growth is entirely possible, it isn’t easy to reach this point, especially if you lack a strong support system. If you want to learn and grow after experiencing trauma, you may want to connect with a therapist. A therapist can help you process your feelings, start setting new goals, and take realistic steps to reach them. They will not push you to heal overnight. But they can also help you see just how strong you are, and how you can channel your strength into new endeavors. Through therapy, you can realize just how much you’re capable of.

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Are you trying to find ways to grow after living through trauma? Therapy can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session.