Having a heart condition, experiencing a heart attack, having heart surgery or going through a cardiac arrest is a life-changing event. There’s no denying that. It’s not a walk in the park and may feel like one of the worst things that have happened to you. Some people experience post-traumatic stress after their event.
Although, there is a theory that going through trauma can actually make you grow into a wiser, more positive, and more mindful person.
That theory doesn’t sound like it could be the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, does it?
So, how do you even think about this horrible event as being something that can change your life in a positive way? Even make you a better and wiser person?
Well, the first thing I should point out is that getting to that point will take time!
There is a very big difference between just coping and becoming resilient and actually growing from trauma. The belief that we have to be at rock bottom to learn a completely new way of life is what we are looking into. You can move from survivorship to thrivership!
This new way of life is not just limited to changing your diet or stopping smoking etc, it also means a new outlook and acceptance of what happened to you.
Growth comes from knowledge
Providing yourself with the tools to allow yourself to grieve for your old life before accepting what has happened to you and becoming stronger and looking at new possibilities in your new life post-diagnosis or post-cardiac event.
Wow. You are probably thinking this sounds like an alternate universe that you cannot access. Well, you can!
It has been said that almost 50% of Post-Traumatic Stress survivors gain post-traumatic growth. Which is a higher percentage than most would think!
What about the other 50%? Well, it does take a lot of determination, openness, willingness, and a good support system to achieve. Just like a few things in life some people will give in.
Like most studies though, the percentages can change. It is down to you which percentage of people you wish to be in. The fact that you are going through trauma in itself is the first positive step. You cannot grow into a wiser and more positive person without first having experienced the worst of times.
The first step
Start to look at your thoughts on dealing with your trauma. Starting out with my BLAST Cardiac Reprocessing technique sessions is a good way to start your journey to achieving Post Traumatic Growth. Learn how to manipulate your mind to think more positively and start to make sense of it and accept what happened to you.
There are also exercises you can do at home to keep you in the here and now. Journaling and making notes about how you feel and what you are doing when you feel them is a great way of growing. Read back over and look for patterns and triggers and learn how to get through them. You learn a lot about yourself this way.
Looking for the positives in life changes like diet, smoking, exercise, etc. You are fueling your body with good nutrition and finding foods you never knew you liked. Exercising with friends or going to a new class and making new friends. Feeling a new person when you finally quit smoking and realising how much more you can do. The outcomes of positive thinking are endless. You will find yourself looking at life in general in a different way than before.
Do this on a daily basis
And you will then find yourself wanting to educate more people on how you achieved this higher self.
A good support network of family, friends, groups or a charity can be vital to growth after trauma. We all have days when we feel like we are going backward, or just don’t have the energy to be positive. Days when we need to rely on other people to pick us back up again.
Moving from post-traumatic stress to growth
Help to achieve growth after trauma is out there. I run coaching sessions where I can help you to get to that point. I have felt exactly how you are feeling now. I felt there was no way I could ever get to a point of feeling positive about how my life would change. Or even get to a point where I could accept what happened to me.
There are numerous ways I can help you achieve growth. Through Hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Life Coaching I can get you to a place of acceptance and positivity.
If you are not yet at the point of trying to achieve Post Traumatic Growth and want to learn more about Post Traumatic Stress, I talk more about this in my previous blogs. As always, I am here to answer any questions, so feel free to contact me.
