Post-Traumatic Growth Might Be the Silver Lining of Trauma — Here’s How to Harness It
Some people experience growth after hardships
Though the term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) wasn’t officially added to the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-3) until 1980, psychologists have known about the very tangible negative physical and psychological consequences of trauma for centuries.
Accounts of trauma date back to the Civil War and earlier, and current events such as the coronavirus pandemic continue to give rise to traumatic times. About half of Americans say the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health, per a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, and experts say that issues like getting kids back to school, paying rent, or taking care of parents can extend the trauma people feel from the pandemic, upping the likelihood of mental illness.
“I think for most Americans, Covid-19 is likely a major life event stressor, increasing our anxiety and depression due to fear of catching the virus, upheaval of routines, loss of pleasurable activities and social connections, uncertainty about when this will end, loss of jobs and housing, and general economic impact,” explains Joan Cook, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. “Some…
