Post Traumatic Growth: The tale of the little trees that could.

While on a bushwalk early one morning I noticed the most unusual circular clump of small trees growing beside the path. On closer inspection, I could see that it was actually a larger tree that had been felled at its base, and these small shoots had grown from the stump. What tenacity of life, to come back from what should have been a permanent end.

It got me thinking about the concept of post-traumatic growth.

"Trauma is hell on earth. Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods" - Peter A. Levine

Most of us are familiar with the concept of post-traumatic stress or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress is common, as is trauma itself, while PTSD is less common. Many people, after a traumatic life event will return to their ‘normal’ state of function/overall happiness, a small portion will experience PTSD, while around half will report an experience of positive personal changes as a result of a major life crisis or event (post-traumatic growth).

It’s a bit of a cliché, but like most clichés, that’s because of an underlying truth, but when I went through my breast cancer journey it was an opportunity to reflect, to connect back with myself and what I truly wanted in my life.  It’s the reason I trained to be a meditation teacher, to share the benefits I received from my own practice. While I wouldn’t say I’m glad I had cancer, there have been some positive changes that have come from this challenging experience.

The covid pandemic has been a traumatic event affecting the entire world and there has been a lot of research into collective trauma and the concept of post-traumatic stress and growth as a result. It appears that post-traumatic stress (not the disorder but the experience of distress) is crucial for triggering post-traumatic growth. It is the alchemy of the stress with our underlying psychology that leads to the experience of growth.

So, what is the key to post-traumatic growth? It seems that psychological flexibility – the ability to manage unwanted inner experiences (thoughts, memories, sensations) in the present, while also adjusting our behaviours to align with our personal values – within changing situational demands – is vital. Post-traumatic growth involves ‘working through’ the adverse event, reappraising the events and creating new positive life narratives. It’s about having your world view shattered and then going through a process of understanding the causes and making meaning to develop a new world view. To do this though we need to be able to regulate our distress – not to avoid or pretend it doesn’t exist – but to learn to ‘be with’ the thoughts/sensations/emotions without letting them overwhelm us. This isn’t a linear path and there is no timeframe here, each person’s journey of healing and growth is their own.

“There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn’t a formula that you can insert yourself into to get from horror to healed. Be patient. Take up space. Let your journey be the balm.” — Dawn Serra

Meditation practices can be so valuable for helping us to move out of our reactive flight/fight nervous system and to self-regulate. Meditation gives us the skills to sit with uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and sensations without being caught up in them. We can identify and name our experiences, without judgement, and without needing to suppress what we feel. It is vital though that if you have a history of significant trauma, that you are supported by a skilled teacher as you develop your practice, and it can even be necessary to work closely with a professional counsellor or psychologist.  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a common psychological approach to psychotherapy that focuses on helping people to stop trying to avoid/deny/struggle with their inner experience while they commit to making the required changes in their life.

Life can be hard, we will all experience our share of pain as we move through life, and usually we have no control over when and where difficulty will surface for us. The only thing we can control is our response to what life throws at us and how we learn and grow from the experiences we have. We can give up and let our pain overwhelm us, or we can take something from it, even if it’s just the knowledge that we survived, and we can build again from the rubble, just like those small shoots from an old stump.

I’d love to hear your experiences of post-traumatic growth and how it has impacted your life. Share your experiences in the comments below.

If you would like to develop your own meditation practice, please get in touch and I can discuss the best options for you. Or check out the events page for details of upcoming courses/events.

Thanks for reading,

Karen