Friedrich Nietzsche’s aphorism “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” may be widely believed. But in reality, something that does not kill you can leave you seriously traumatized. When you go through a life-shattering experience, a very scary or tragic event, it can leave you with serious depression or anxiety issues, or even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
When you go through a horrific experience, you don’t always come out of it fully intact. And I’m not talking about a trip to the dentist. What if you lost your job, ended a relationship, and had to move because you couldn’t afford your house anymore? Victims of violent crimes can have lingering trauma related to the original assault.
A serious accident may leave you mentally as well as physically challenged. The condition known as PTSD has gotten a lot of attention since 9/11 and the wars that followed in its aftermath. Mostly, this disorder is used to describe what happens to soldiers returning from the battlefield or to first responders who’ve had to deal with a tragic rescue operation, but the truth is that a bad divorce can cause similar symptoms, and so can the loss of a loved one.
A traumatic experience can change both your body chemistry and the way you look at life. You may not see people, places and things the way you did before. You may find it very difficult to take in anything positive and enjoy your life and family.
Healing from trauma takes time. You need to learn to be gentle with yo.