PTSD vs Post Traumatic Growth


PTSD Sucks! plan & simple lol. Insomnia, Nightmares, Anxiety, the triggers, the stressors, & plus the emotional rollercoaster of everyday life was my norm.


I’ve gone through this struggle, life starts fading away little by little, and the internal noise just gets louder and louder.

I had to ask the question, How can I help myself & stop playing the victim of my own life? I was tired of starting over and over. Trying to keep up with the lies out there, and inside here (pointing towards my head).

I had to change how I thought about the rest of my life.


What is the difference between PTSD & PTG?


“Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is where someone has been affected by PTSD and finds a way to take new meaning from their experiences in order to live their lives in a different way than prior to the trauma,” explains Dr. Marianne Trent, a clinical psychologist and owner of Good Thinking Psychological Services.


  • Appreciation for life

    • I started by reflecting on my life. The good, the bad, and everything in between. The title of my book is “Your past doesn’t define you, but everything up-till now is your fault.

    • Week 1 we work on two of my favorite exercises - (The Sorry Exercise & The 5 why’s) This focuses on Gratitude and understanding that life could always be worse than our current reality.

    • Become a service to someone - Get your mind off of you and your situational awareness by volunteering your time somewhere, where ever you feel most comfortable, there is always a place for everyone.


How to make the switch?


Few ways to reduce PTSD—>PTG

  1. Cope more easily with setbacks.

  2. Have control over anxiety and use it productively.

  3. Have higher self-confidence.

  4. Use more positive self-talk.

  5. Have a positive outlook on the future.

  6. Set specific goals and visualize accomplishing goals.

  7. Have a support network.

 
  • Appreciation of life.

  • Relationships with others.

  • New possibilities in life.

  • Personal strength.

  • Spiritual change.