Growth After Adversity

There may be several well-known instances of personal growth after a period of adversity or trauma. Flannery O'Connor wrote from her life at home following a diagnosis of lupus, which limited her from pursuing some of her dreams in those booming urban areas. Frida Kahlo experienced deep traumas from suffering through childhood polio, several miscarriages, and other adversities, which found expression through her artwork.

Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun came up with the term post-traumatic growth to describe what happened to individuals who experienced deep personal transformation after their encounters with notable instances of adversity. Approximately seventy percent of trauma survivors report some degree of personal growth after a traumatic incident.



Some of this personal growth comes in the form of such changes as a greater appreciation for life, more satisfying relationships, the opening up of life possibilities not previously considered, a richer spiritual connection with a force greater than one's self, and increased personal strength. In addition, increased empathy and altruism, and a sense of motivation to act to benefit others, have also been found.

Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire have discussed some of the aftermath of going through hardship in their book, WIRED TO CREATE: UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERIES OF THE CREATIVE MIND. First of all, Mr. Tedeschi and Mr. Calhoun postulate that human beings "naturally develop and rely on a set of beliefs and assumptions that they've formed about the world, and in order for growth to occur after a trauma, the traumatic event must deeply challenge those beliefs." Accordingly, according to these two psychologists "'A psychologically seismic event can severely shake, threaten, or reduce to rubble many of the schematic structures that have guided understanding, decision-making, and meaningfulness.'"

Of course, change doesn't just happen. It's a process that happens over time. Generally, most people take time to process the events that have just occurred, along with the many emotions that arise. Rebuilding isn't easy; it's a process of seeing the challenge to the old thought and belief framework and then restructuring a new one to account for the trauma just experienced. It's hard work that encompasses the entire personality, but it can lead to a new way of living. The resulting new strength and wisdom causes a restructuring of self that feels truer and more authentic, leading to that new life path.

Trauma, of course, is not something that one should go seeking out. When it does occur, it can be devastating and shattering. But if it does occur, it doesn't have to lead to dead ends and losses. "Because adverse events force us to reexamine our beliefs and priorities, they can help us break out of habitual ways of thinking and thereby boost creativity,' explains Marie Forgeard, a psychologist at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School."

So, when you examine the lives of Flannery O'Connor and Frida Kahlo, you might consider their creativity to be a coping mechanism after they experienced severe adversity. What they did strengthened them personally and also gave the world some very creative works to appreciate. While it may not happen that way for the average person, it can create profound changes in the lives of those who experience trauma/adversity, bringing with it a more fulfilling and deeply experienced life.

Even plants grow stronger after surviving difficult conditions.

Thanks to this article by Carolyn Gregoire and appearing on Daily Good: http://www.dailygood.org/story/1209/the-surprising-benefit-of-going-through-hard-times-carolyn-gregoire/; and the above link.

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