Post-traumatic Growth Syndrome

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Friday, October 3. 2014

Post-traumatic Growth Syndrome

I am very much convinced of this effect, and would like to see the idea enter the lexicon. It's from this: Why ’6 Reasons I’m Happier Because I Went to War’ went viral

It's always been my view that difficult experiences can eventually result in painful psychological growth as often as they can result in lasting damage. It used to be called the School of Hard Knocks but I call it "Reality Therapy," and it's all the therapy most people ever get.

Psychotherapy, in it's most penetrating and exploratory forms, is nothing more than controlled psychological trauma, just as surgery is controlled physical trauma.

Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Our Essays, Psychology, and Dr. Bliss at 15:12 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)

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Dear Dr. Bliss:

So glad to see you are back. Would love to have your thoughts on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenography

I posted it under today's items and asked for input from any of the MF folks who have done graduate degrees. Psychological research must be included in some considerations of valid research, but how does it interface with phenomenography?

Thank you for today's posting-it's a good one ! :-)

#1 faculty wife on 2014-10-03 15:16 (Reply)

Interesting article. I didn't see any lessons that were specific to combat, most adults learn these in a myriad of ways. I'm glad he made it through.

But I was curious about other opinions. So I asked my uncle, who was killed in action in 1942, if he thought his brief wartime service led to any of the six benefits. The conversation was one-sided, so I'm guessing he'd disagree with the author. As it was with my father, who is still alive and won't talk about his four years of service during WW2 because it didn't impart any life lessons and, moreover, it sucked.

#2 Eric the Red on 2014-10-03 15:53 (Reply)

"the same fire that melts the butter hardens the egg"

I have known a lot of combat veterans and my observation was that most came out of it with few if any psychological problems and those with problems they attributed to their combat experience were for the most part not too mentally healthy to begin with. Is shell shock or PTSD real? I am sure it is but I doubt that everyone diagnosed with it or claiming to have it is a real case.

#3 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-10-03 17:15 (Reply)

Carrying a rifle for 18 months in the Central Highlands of VN certainly effected me. I returned home with a touch of PTSD ... or maybe I was just a little crazy for a while. Looking back now at my life as husband, father, grandfather and what most folks would probably call a solid guy, thinking about what I could have and should have done differently, how I've lived my life, one question scares the hell out of me and that's what I would've been like if I hadn't gone to war. It was a test on many levels and I'm satisfied that I passed, the lessons learned stuck with me. I think I'm a stronger, better person because of it all.

#4 tljhound on 2014-10-03 17:51 (Reply)

Long time to hump the boonies, glad you made it alright.

#4.1 James on 2014-10-03 18:09 (Reply)

My year there gave me some mild symptoms, like going for cover when lightning hit close, which I consider it nothing more than a heighten survival reaction.

#4.2 Augetter on 2014-10-03 21:36 (Reply)

I have a simplistic view of life's difficulties - having a few is actually good for you, but when they multiply, they can overwhelm even a solid psyche. I haven't seen many lives that contradicted this theory.

#5 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2014-10-03 19:14 (Reply)

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Friday, October 3. 2014

Post-traumatic Growth Syndrome