The Power of Redemption: Understanding Post–traumatic Growth Syndrome

Recently I watched Jane McGonigal’s latest TED video (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jane_mcgonigal_the_game_that_can_give_you_10_extra_years_of_life.html). In her talk she referred to something that I’ve seen but never heard defined before—“post-traumautic growth.” We have become increasingly aware of those suffering from PTSD—“post traumatic stress disorder. Experienced most commonly by our returning soldiers, PTSD can be debilitating and paralyzing. But there is another possible outcome of stress–post-traumatic growth. From Wikipedia:

“Post-traumatic growth refers to positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances. These sets of circumstances represent significant challenges to the adaptive resources of the individual, and pose significant challenges to individuals’ way of understanding the world and their place in it. Posttraumatic growth is not simply a return to baseline from a period of suffering; instead it is an experience of improvement that for some persons is deeply meaningful.

Results seen in people that have experienced posttraumatic growth include some of the following:

· Greater appreciation of life

· Changed sense of priorities

· Warmer, more intimate relationships

· Greater sense of personal strength, and

· Recognition of new possibilities or paths for one’s life and spiritual development

Spirituality has been shown to highly correlate with post-traumatic growth and in fact. Many of the most deeply spiritual beliefs are a result of trauma exposure.

What can we learn from this phenomenon?

God can use pain, loss & hurt redemptively to transform us through genuine growth. (c.f. Kelly Clarkson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEZDP_NVklc). Isn’t post-traumatic growth the message of Romans 8:28 and Romans 5:1-5? We have a redemptive God that is working behind the scenes in the sub-plot and back story to build a greater story…as he did with Joseph (Genesis 50:0). In the end redemption is a more powerful story than prevention or intervention. Some conflicts will never be resolved but they can be fully redeemed. Experiencing hurt and loss bestows the potential to weep with those who weep. We can identify, not just with the circumstances but with the emotion of loss. We move from moralizers to comforters. And that’s a good thing.