Post-traumatic growth

In psychology, post-traumatic growth (PTG) is positive psychological change experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging, highly stressful life circumstances. These circumstances represent significant challenges to the adaptive resources of the individual, and pose significant challenges to the individual's way of understanding the world and their place in it. Post-traumatic growth involves "life-changing" psychological shifts in thinking and relating to the world and the self, that contribute to a personal process of change, that is deeply meaningful. Individuals who experience post-traumatic growth often report changes across the following five areas: appreciation of life; relating to others; personal strength; new possibilities; and spiritual, existential or philosophical change. These changes allow these individuals to give meaning to their traumatic experience in order to better understand themselves, allowing them to appreciate all aspects of their lives, stronger relationships allow them to increase empathy while personal strength becomes resilience as well and spiritual experiences or philosophy help them incorporate new core beliefs. These five areas allow these individuals to grow and find meaning in different but interconnecting sources.