Topic Tuesday // PTSD & Post Traumatic Growth // Tues 20 Feb, 7pm AEDT

PTG is not about what we 'lose' as a result of PTSD but what we gain - ie. insight, empathy, understanding etc.

I was diagnosed with CPTSD several years ago - from prolonged childhood abuse, which spanned 20 years (or more).

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I tend to agree with you @CheerBear

Before I get too far into individual replies, here are the areas where PTG is most often reported:

- A greater sense of strength and capabilities

- The opening up of new possibilities: over-time the trauma can change priorities which can lead to new values, goals and directions.

- Improved relationships: people report valuing their close relationships more highly and investing more time in them

- Greater appreciation for life: a sense of wonder and gratitude can be sharpened by the experience of trauma

- A new or stronger spirituality

There's a psychometric scale these days to measure it. I hadn't thought to see if it's publicly available but I'll check that out later and add a link if so.

@BlueBay I think your psychologist means you have C-PTSD due to the two events of the abuse and your mum. It's like I have C-PTSD (aka BPD) due to childhood abuse, a massive number of repeated losses, being in an abusive relationship with my psychologist for 16 years, and most recently, churning through 12 therapists in 2 years culminating in the great wrongness of the wrong. Lots of different events, only one C-PTSD. That is what the C stands for - complex!!!

I definitely highly value my close relationships, I always have.

Some of my friendships have been very long-term, although there is only a few of them.

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so @Former-Member i guess you need to have lots of therapy to get to this point of where you can turn your life into a positive.

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@Zoe7wrote:

I see PTG is so many members here every day - in the form of empathy!

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@Zoe7 But you would have needed to know the members pre-trauma to see if there had been PTG???