Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth

by Jim Rendon

In the tradition of Po Bronson and Paul Tough, journalist Jim Rendon delivers a deeply reported look at the life-changing implications of post-traumatic growth—an emerging field of psychological research that shows how the suffering caused by traumatic events can be harnessed as a force for self-improvement and success rather than destruction.

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is at the center of national conversation and a widely recognized psychological condition. But an equally valid, though lesser known outcome of trauma is post-traumatic growth. While many survivors suffer long-term emotional damage, over the last several decades psychologists have discovered that with the right circumstances and proper support, survivors can actually emerge from their trauma stronger, more focused, and with a new and clear vision for the future. In fact, as many as two-thirds of trauma survivors report positive changes—far more than suffer from PTSD.

But how can terrible events lead to remarkable and dramatic breakthroughs? Upside seeks to answer this question by taking a deep-dive look at this burgeoning new field of study. Comprised of interviews with leading researchers and dozens of trauma survivors, Rendon paints a vivid and comprehensive portrait of this groundbreaking field. With accessible language, prescriptive takeaways, and specific tools to promote positive responses to trauma, this book is perfect for anyone interested in the ways that traumatic events shape people. It is particularly useful for trauma survivors or their loved ones seeking a more hopeful and positive future.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Mental Health, Self Help, Health, Personal Development

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2015

Reviews

[Meredith Holley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm super into trauma research right now. But, the books about post traumatic growth I've read are largely anecdotal and the advice is like, "maybe go to church or paint a picture?" Not very helpful. It's still a growing field, but so far the most helpful resources I've seen have been Peter Levine, Judith Herman, and Bessel van der Kolk.

This one: meh.

[Green Heart Guidance · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I am reviewing an Advance Reader Copy of this book won through Goodreads’ First Reads program.)

I came to Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth by Jim Rendon as a woman who has endured PTSD caused by multiple sources: abuse, childbirth, health trauma, and if you believe in past lives, World War II. I have been able to achieve major healing with most of my wounds through alternative therapies; conventional therapy was only serving to retraumatize me. Yet as someone with a Ph.D., I have a great deal of respect for science and the advances it can help bring. Rendon's work questions why so many people who have endured traumas and PTSD are able to come to a place of positive growth through examining the influence of personal narratives, community support, honest communication, optimistic thinking, religion, creative outlets, physical exercise, fellow sufferers, and therapy. The studies and examples Rendon cites demonstrate that these factors can all contribute to a lifelong positive change.

Rendon’s work is firmly grounded in scientific studies which demonstrate how trauma can lead to growth. The book is well-researched, fluently integrated and easy to read. Rendon’s writing style makes academia accessible to the general public. Despite the heavy topic, I breezed through Upside much quicker than I read most nonfiction books. The stories Rendon relates about others who have suffered traumas are painful to read, but only one was horrifying to me because of the explicit violence it contains. (For those who are highly sensitive like me, I recommend skipping the details in the last chapter on Jake Harriman's trauma, an event that occurred in the war in Iraq.)

Rendon was drawn to the topic of post-traumatic growth because his father was a Holocaust survivor; he makes no indication of having endured major trauma in his own life either explicitly or implicitly. There were times where I felt his text would have benefited from an extra reading and feedback before publication by those who have lived through trauma themselves because Rendon’s perspective sometimes doesn’t quite grasp the full reality. However, for the most part, Rendon does an excellent job of vividly relating the pain and the growth that his subjects experienced. He also gives one of the best summaries I’ve read about how PTSD creates a hypersensitive response in individuals whose “fight or flight” response is perpetually in overdrive. The first few chapters of the book could be incredibly helpful to someone trying to understand their loved one’s new reactions to the world.

If one were to survey the trauma-inducing events that Rendon discusses in detail, one would conclude that trauma is caused by cancer, accidents, warfare, and natural disasters. I realize that Rendon had limited space in his book, but he chose to relate cancer patient after cancer patient’s experience. This is typical of our culture which actually creates additional trauma for those who aren’t enduring cancer: they are second class citizens in the world of medical trauma. This blog post discusses how Lyme patients like me are abandoned by friends and medical practitioners in their search for health while simultaneously being told, “At least it isn’t cancer.” By not addressing other illnesses beyond cancer and accidents, Rendon contributes to the cultural mythologies of what illnesses “should” look like.

My largest complaint about Upside is that it contains a blatant disregard for women’s traumas. It was not until chapter five that Rendon discussed a female case study; from there on, women were mentioned fairly regularly in the book. However, Rendon does not discuss a single case of rape, sexual harassment, or abuse in detail. These are major causes of trauma, but they are barely mentioned in passing and there are no specific examples of them in the text. Most frustrating to me was how Rendon described trauma from childbirth: “People can be traumatized from the happiest of situations: childbirth.” While on one level this is a true statement, on another level it shows a total lack of understanding for the epidemic proportioned reality of what most women still endure during childbirth in our nation. There are two primary times when no doesn’t mean no: when a woman is being raped or when she is in labor. Had Rendon taken the time to talk with women who have experienced what is known as “birth rape” in some circles or tbose who have lost their babies, he would not have made such a flippant comment about the joy of childbirth, and the trauma around childbirth would likely have merited more than a few brief paragraphs in this work.

I will definitely recommend Upside to many clients, primarily the family members and friends of those enduring traumas around war, cancer, or accidents. I will also recommend it to individuals who, as Rendon notes in the text, have already come to the recognition on their own that their traumas can serve for positive growth. The book would serve well in a college classroom of psychology, medical, nursing or social work students trying to begin to understand trauma. However, for those who are dealing with childbirth trauma, rape, or abuse, Upside is not necessarily the best place to find specific information about healing.

[H'Sien Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rendon's "Upside" isn't just a "goodread"; it is FANTASTIC! As a psychological scientist and practitioner, I hold a high bar for works that translate scientific constructs into popular press prose. This book not only meets that bar; it far exceeds it. He treats the case studies sensitively yet insightfully, and brings to life over a decades worth of research. I will recommend this book to my fellow researchers who would benefit from a more nuanced representation of trauma outcomes, as well as to my clients. Importantly though, as we will all brush against significant adversity in our lives, whether it be our own ordeals or those of family and friends, I will recommend this book to everyone.

[James Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Rendon's take on post-traumatic growth and his grasp of CPTSD and trauma studies in general. He is a journalist and so has a breezy and very accessible way of talking about trauma in ways that a newcomer to the field or friend of a traumatized person could read and gain alot of the basics.

His father is also a holocaust survivor. Which you would think, might figure into the writing with some personal anecdotes, but it doesn't. Too bad, this could have added a bit more depth to the early parts of the book.

Rendon focuses on why so many people who have endured significant trauma and the attendant PTSD are able to experience positive growth. He looks at numerous case studies and picks out some common threads: community support, honest communication, gratitude, creative outlets, physical exercise and bonding with fellow sufferers.

One thing that is interesting though. He does not explore cases of childhood trauma based on abusive home experiences. Most of his case stories are people who experience a catastrophe as adults. These are still helpful and illustrative of his thesis. But it weakens his overall argument when he does not take into account developmental trauma and the incredibly difficult process of surviving and healing from these early life experiences. He also ignores the realities of assault and discrimination that women and minorities experience. I can see that delving into these areas are probably not natural for journalists, who want stories that grab the readers attention. But his thesis suffers by not including these elements.

Overall though, i still found it helpful and his writing is very good.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unremarkable observations about how being positive and having community can help with post-traumatic growth.

[Veronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, an amazing book. The way Rendon achieves the delicate balance between scientific rigor and highly readable writing should be sought after by other authors. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

[A L e X a N D e R · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great deal of admiration for Jim Rendon's project here. The title, however, is a bit misleading, this is not a book written by a researcher or focused on the science of PT-Growth. It is, however, good if you're looking for this topic couched in human stories.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing....

[Nonfiction-- KCM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously, in psychology, the dominant paradigm was that stress and trauma always had negative effects on people. However, a handful of studies in the mid and late 20th century proved otherwise. William Sledge published a paper in 1980 on the experience of Vietnam War vets who were POWs, finding that many of them ended up thriving later in life. Doctors Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun later came up with the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (1996). Since then, many studies have shown that long-term growth is more common than PTSD in cases of severe trauma. An important foundation for this growth, as Rendon repeatedly emphasizes, is found in social connections and support networks that connect people who have endured similar struggles.

• In 1980, William Sledge, who is a psychiatrist and professor at Yale, published a paper that showed “61% of POWs indicted that they had undergone beneficial changes as a result of their captivity. Only 30% of the control group reported this” (13) . . . “Some in the field thought it would turn heads and cause researchers to rethink their emerging understanding of the onslaught of cases of PTSD plaguing Vietnam War veterans. Sledge remembers being paired with some of the country’s top trauma researchers for a panel discussion at a conference. The organizers had booked an auditorium that seated three hundred. When the discussion started, Sledge looked up to see about fifteen people in the cavernous room. About half of those were veterans” (15-16).
• Tedeschi and Calhoun’s “Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, first published in a journal in 1996, asks subjects to respond to statements linked to each of the five areas of growth. They rate each of the statements on a scale between zero (there was no change) and five (I underwent a lot of change because of the crisis) so the degree of change can be measured . . . As they conducted research and reviewed the research of others, they found to their surprise that experiencing growth in the wake of trauma is remarkably common. Half or more of all trauma survivors reported some positive changes. Growth, it turns out, is actually more common than the much better known and far better studied post-traumatic stress disorder, which researchers believe will affect about 8% of Americans in their lifetime and as much as 30% of certain groups like Vietnam War veterans” (17).
• “In Man’s Search for Meaning [published in 1946, Viktor] Frankl lays out a way of thinking about suffering, trauma, and the psychological aftereffects that is totally at odds with how modern psychology views pathology. For Frankl, the suffering that can result from trauma—depression, anxiety, and many other symptoms—are not always maladies to be cured, like a sore throat or a broken leg. Instead they can be important indicators of inner turmoil . . . Frankl when on to found an entire branch of psychotherapy focused on the idea of finding meaning in one’s life, and particularly in one’s suffering. He called this logotherapy, and he focused on meaning as the central driving force of a healthy life” (25).
• “Positive psychology is not necessarily concerned with post-traumatic growth, though some of its adherents have contributed to its study. But positive psychology reopened the door to the whole ideal of examining and promoting positive change. In a field steeped with pathology, those researching post-traumatic growth suddenly found themselves with positive allies who were looking for positive changes everywhere. ‘Positive psychology has been a tremendously successful vehicle,’ says [Stephen] Joseph. ‘Positive psychology and post-traumatic growth have helped to bring those humanistic ideas back to the fore, into contemporary psychology’” (30).
• “Paul Levitz, who wrote and edited for DC Comics for forty-two years and was its president from 2002 until 2009, had an outsized role in shaping the stories of American popular culture. And for him, the tale of post-traumatic growth was not only an engaging one that connected with readers; it was fundamentally grounded in the story of another well-known American: Teddy Roosevelt” (34).
• “The theme of post-traumatic growth can be found in Homer’s Odyssey, in the stories of the knights searching for the Holy Grail, in Dante’s Inferno, in the four-thousand-year-old myths of the Sumerians, and in modern-day shamanistic cultures, says Evans Lansing Smith, who traveled extensively with Campbell and is now the chair of the mythological studies program at Pacifica Graduate Institute, which is home to the Joseph Campbell Collection” (36).
• “In the thick of a life-threatening event the brain is in a state of high alert. And in those with PTSD, that state of high alert is easily triggered. Traumatic memories flood back, brought on by things that may seem only peripherally related to the event, forcing people to relive the trauma over and over. They don’t sleep well, and they overreact to even the slightest threat because their systems are still responding to a trauma that is months or even years old. The amygdala is overactive, while parts of the brain that should be overriding the amygdala’s red alert—the hippocampus and the frontal cortex—are not doing their jobs. Severe stress has even been shown to shrink parts of the hippocampus and prolonged stress can permanently impair it” (48).
• “According to [Ronnie] Janoff-Bulman, people develop a core sense of themselves based on the moral universe they think they live in. She calls it the assumptive self—the individual’s idea of themselves as good, of living in a safe world, of being rewarded for being a decent person. It’s an idea that Tedeschi and Calhoun, the researchers who pioneered the study of post-traumatic growth, adopted early on to explain how trauma can change identity. When bad things happen to someone good, it tears down that assumptive self. And much of the psychological anguish that people confront has to do with the loss of this worldview and the identity that they carried with them their entire lives” (71).
• Deliberate rumination can help survivors process and grow from traumatic events. “Deliberate rumination is a different kind of thought process, one driven by the individual, not the trauma. It is not wallowing or obsessing. When someone is deliberately ruminating on a problem, he is actively involved in thinking about how the event impacted him, what it means for him, and how he can live his life going forward given the challenges that the event has posed. When deliberately ruminating, the trauma survivor is actively tackling the challenges that the trauma has introduced to the assumptive world. Deliberate rumination is the way that people begin to rebuild themselves” (76).
• “Deliberate rumination is at the heart of growth. It’s an important process that allows trauma survivors to find new narratives for their lives, new ways of understanding their strengths and possibilities, and more meaningful ways to live” (83).
• “Social support has been shown time and time again to be a key factor in helping people recover from post-traumatic stress symptoms and even PTSD . . . But not just any kind of support will do. The most effective support comes from those who are willing to allow the trauma survivor to dictate their needs. The friend or family members shouldn’t to push to talk about things the person is not ready for, nor should they avoid potentially painful topics” (88, 91).
• “Gratitude is an important area of interest in positive psychology. Researchers have found it so tied up with well-being that Martin Seligman, the director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and a leading proponent of positive psychology, has developed elaborate exercises to foster gratitude” (99).
• James Pennebaker conducted a study in which some students wrote about a traumatic experience: “Those who wrote only about facts reported no changes in any area of their lives. Those who wrote about the meaning of the traumatic event and the emotions triggered reported significant changes. They had fewer visits to the doctors in the following months and used less aspirin than the other group” (114).
• “Studies have found that expressive writing reduced blood pressure during writing and that blood pressure stayed down for months afterward; that students who used expressive writing showed an improvement in their grades. It even helped job seekers get hired more quickly than those who did unrelated and superficial writing. Even expressive writing for two minutes two days in a row has been shown to have some benefit. One of the keys, Pennebaker says, is that this particular kind of writing is only for the subjects, not to be shared with anyone” (115).
• “Life-threatening events activate the amygdala, the brain’s fear center. Those memories are red hot with emotion but can lack language and context. Writing helps survivors to label the experience, attaching language to it that allows survivors to understand and process the event instead of leaving it as some alert adrift in our neural wiring. Once that’s done, people can assign it meaning, some level of coherence, and give the event a structure and place in their lives. Representing the experience with language is a necessary step toward understanding the experience, Pennebaker argues” (116).
• “The idea of using writing to help trauma survivors intrigued Joshua Smyth, a psychology professor at Pennsylvania State University. Often trauma survivors are overwhelmed by the memories of their experience. The memories remain deeply emotional and the event itself can seem too large, too powerful to engage with. But writing, he has found, offers a possible solution. ‘Writing forces you to break ideas and events into smaller units that you can write about. The whole traumatic event can be overwhelming, but in writing one must choose a place to start. Forcing people to write slows them down and provides an opportunity to clearly assess the event piece by small piece” (117).
• Pennebaker notes some interesting findings about expressive writing and the way in which the inclusion of both positive and negative expressions of emotions plays a role: “The group whose doctor visits dropped the most were those who used a moderate number of negative emotion words. Those people were expressing their struggles in addition to some sense of positivity, and that mixture, a realistic acceptance of their struggle and a hope for something better, turned out to be the most beneficial” (129).
• “This approach to life’s challenges—engaging with the issue at hand, accepting its limitations yet searching for practical solutions to those things that can be changed—is called problem-focused coping, and it is related to two personality traits, extroversion and positive emotion . . .” (136).
• “It is through suffering that Buddha is set on his path to enlightenment, perhaps the ultimate form of post-traumatic growth. / A transformation through suffering is also an important part of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata . . .” (143).
• “Adrian Hill is credited with first using art as a tool for helping those in physical and mental distress. He was a British government war artist on the Western Front in World War I and accompanied soldiers in battle to sketch and paint battlefield scenes. While recovering from tuberculosis, he realized how helpful art was in his own recovery process. He began teaching art to others at the facility, many of whom were fellow veterans suffering from physical injuries and shell shock” (161).
• “One of the personality traits often correlated with post-traumatic growth is openness to new experience. People who have this trait often have an interest in, and appreciations for, art. They are more emotional, adventurous, imaginative, and curious. They are willing to try new things. And openness to new experience is the personality trait most predictive of creativity” (165).
• “[Tobi] Zausner wrote a book about illness and creativity called When Walls Become Doorways: Creativity and the Transforming Illness, which chronicles not only her story but those of dozens of other artists and creative people who have found new meaning and new direction in their lives and in their art after calamities. For her and those she has written about, adversity, even the most severe kind—paralysis, terminal illness, and others—is a catalyst for new ways of seeing, understanding, and creating, pushing artists to reinvent themselves and their work . . . ‘We transmogrify the pain into creative output. In just doing that there is an enormous feeling of centering. It’s very calming, very focusing, very strengthening. Making the work become therapeutic’” (166-167)
• “A 2008 study of those using online support groups found that participants benefited from an improved sense of well-being, self-confidence, and control and that participation could lead to a sense of increased empowerment” (197).
• “[Trevor] Powell conducted a study, published in 2012, of traumatic brain injury survivors eleven and thirteen years after their injuries. He found significant post-traumatic growth in the group but also found that those who had the strongest social support reported the most growth, sometimes 50 percent more than others” (203).
• “Response to traumatic events is often so overwhelming that most people simply try to avoid it altogether. Some people try to block memories of the trauma entirely. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work. The memories remain and can easily be triggered with little warning by seemingly unrelated sights, sounds, or smells” (211).
• “Cognitive behavioral therapy [is] the most common approach to treating PTSD. It is designed to help clients confront the traumatic experience so they will be less overwhelmed by the event. At the same time it provides the survivors with tools to manage their fear reactions and understand the cues in the environment that may trigger them” (212).
• “Post-traumatic stress is part of the growth process—not a set of symptoms to be cured” (216).
• “[Richard] Tedeschi asks his clients to create a timeline of their lives, one that points out the good and bad things that have happened to them, including the traumatic event. This helps his clients begin to work on a narrative approach to their post-trauma recovery—telling the story of who they are and how the trauma changed them . . . Many psychologists say that growth needs to be handled carefully. Push it too soon or too aggressively and clients are easily alienated. Who wants to be told they should be growing when they are in so much pain they can’t function? Making clients believe that they should be strong, even when they are in mental agony, can cause them to reject the idea of growth entirely and may even thwart their desire to continue with therapy . . . Much of the approach that Tedeschi and others take is to be a good listener, to try to hear clues in the conversation indicating when clients are noticing changes in themselves and what kinds of changes those might be. Tedeschi lets growth come from the individual, helping the clients identify it on their own” (218-219).
• “[Stephanie] Nelson discusses the hero’s journey, telling soldiers that they must go thought the ‘dark forest’ to get to the other side, that they will find strength and wisdom from facing their fears and confirming their trauma” (222).
• “Psychologists have defined two types of happiness, both of which trace their origins to the ancient Greeks. Hedonic happiness is more closely associated with the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain . . . This kind of happiness may lead to a lot of fun, but it is often fleeting and lacks greater purpose” (243).
• “Trauma is not the debilitating experience that it seems to be. Those who survive traumatic experiences have, by definition, survived. And given that they came so close to death, that they lost so many things they once took for granted, they understand on a much deeper level, in a much more informed way, what it means to be alive. Like few others, they understand the gift and opportunity that exist in simply being alive” (245).

[Nathan Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've talked so much about trauma over the past 2 years, both at home and work. This book was a fascinating look at ways in which folks have found a way forward after devastating changes in their lives. A quick, easy, and impactful read; I highly recommend it.

[Liaken · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to find the research in the midst of the endless narrative. I got more from the table of contents than I did from looking through the book. It reads like a stream of anecdotes and the research is handled mostly in passing. I guess what I mean is that this book was not what I wanted. Maybe it works for others, but I was pretty disappointed. The title was so good and I thought I'd get a solid discussion of the current science on post-traumatic growth. Not so much.

[Aimee Barnes Pestano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post-traumatic stress disorder haunts my family of origin through several generations. Growing up, we used to call it "shell shock." I was attracted to "Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth" for its silver lining on a complicated diagnosis. Rendon provides hope for the millions who suffer, as well as for their loved ones, by emphasizing the radical positive changes many make on their route to healing, thereby altering the trajectories of their lives to a path more purposeful and substantial. While this outcome is still the exception, rather than the rule, Rendon presents it as a choice available to the majority.

Two things were missing from this book: specific examples of people diagnosed with complex PTSD, which presents a different set of challenges, and the impacts of intergenerational trauma on growth. It seemed like many of the people he interviewed had amazing support systems, financial stability and were intellectually gifted. I wondered about whether or not post-traumatic growth would apply to your average guy or gal stuck in the VA hospital. PTSD is a main driver of addiction- what's the difference between the person who picks up the bottle vs. the one who decides to go to an ivy league medical school after surviving catastrophic injury or war? What about that messy transitional period? I was left with a lot of questions at the end of this book.

All in all, it's still an inspiring read for anyone interested in growth mindset and the upside to illness, and the author certainly did his research.

[Riccardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over recent years there has been a focus on understanding the negative effects of trauma, especially PTSD. What has been forgotten is the positive effects that traumatic and difficult experiences can have on us- so called post traumatic growth. Jim Readon provides and entertaining and well written summary on the positive effects of challenge and trauma. The book tends to get bogged down near the end and some of the stories become long winded. Generally a good book, and well worth reading.

[Signe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not being an expert in the field of psychology, this is the first time I have heard of this branch of thought and practice with trauma. This may be a type of pop psychology, but it seems fairly realistic.

“Upside: The New Science of Post Traumatic Growth” is not a “think positive and life will all fall into line with you” type book. It’s a fairly in depth look at how some emerge from trauma with greater strength and appreciation for life.

The author, Jim Rendon, details the hallmarks of people who are able to integrate a traumatic experience and reform their sense of identity and the world around them into sometimes a happier, more satisfactory life than they lived before. They find deeper meaning in life, a greater sense of gratitude, and often are compelled to find worthwhile and meaningful ways to help others in life.

Shortly after finishing this book, I happened on a documentary “Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story”. Couldn’t have come across a better film for showcasing the theory of post-traumatic growth. He is pretty much a poster child for every point made in the book. Eduardo was hiking in the woods of Montana and saw a bear lying motionless. He touched the bear and received a high voltage shock of 2400V. Some type of electrical equipment had been left without safety guards, signs, cover, anything to protect wildlife and human beings. His injuries were massive, of course, and he lost part of his arm and suffered severe burns and blowouts on his body. While in ICU, he learned he had testicular cancer. How’s that for a one-two punch? Yet he grows in appreciation for life years beyond his injury and struggle with cancer. How does he really do it? This book details how and why some people come out of trauma stronger and better people than they were before the trauma.

One of the most prominent things that immensely helps trauma survivors is having social and family support.

The corollary to that is that the support does not try to push them one way or another in the process of healing.

Of course, sadly, not all people have that kind of support. I am not clear on whether good recovery is possibly without social and family support. The author comments that extroverts tend to get the support they need because they are willing to reach out and express themselves and what they need.

Another important aspect of recovering from trauma is that the person is able engage in “deliberate rumination” to rework their understanding of themselves and of the world around them, a long process and definitely not painless. It’s not the same as endlessly ruminating on one’s trauma to a negative to reinforce the trauma. Deliberate rumination is the review of the trauma that helps a survivor come to greater understanding and peace with what has happened and who they are now.

The author offers some modes of beneficial practices that have been found to be very helpful to assist people on the survivor’s journey.

Rendon does acknowledge the reality of PTSD which is a neurological difference in a person’s body and brain that causes them to ‘relive’ trauma repeatedly (amydala hijacking) instead of being able to move along in a more linear path of healing as a different person might. There is still hope for those significant numbers of people to make gains and grow from trauma.

Overall, this is a helpful, hopeful book with concrete suggestions and examples written in accessible language for a wide range of readers. It is not the be all and end all for a trauma survivor, as no book can be. However, this book may be helpful as a starting point to understand trauma for oneself or as one helping another to recover.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the pandemic, I witnessed so many of my clients with complex and developmental trauma histories stagnate or regress. Such witnessing impacts any mental health professional. For me, I'm trying to let it inspire a new course, one that approaches post-traumatic stress from a growth perspective rather than a permanent, apathologized one. Human beings are capable of such incredible healing. We know the brain is neuroplastic, able to generate new neurons and neural connections when the right ingredients are at play. This book and the stories of survivors within it serves as a guide to those ingredients. The only critique I have about the book is that the stories in it involved non-interpersonal trauma, i.e. natural disasters, medical trauma, war. Missing were the stories of interpersonal trauma, like partner violence, sexual assault, sexual abuse, which in my experience as a trauma therapist leave different and deeper wounds. I wonder if the same ingredients apply. Nevertheless, an important read for anyone helping survivors of any trauma.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rendon is not a scientist, not a doctor, not a therapist. He is a journalist, here reporting on something he's seen happening, a burgeoning movement within therapeutic communities for dealing with PTSD in a different, growth-encouraging way. Basically, the book explores the adage "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" with personal stories, testimonials, examples, research, and results from people involved in looking into why this works, when it works, and for whom. I personally engaged with the idea of 'deliberate rumination' in a post-traumatic time, because I know that works for me. I don't know that anything in a 5-year-old book about PTSD will be groundbreaking, but the perspective shift will be extremely valuable for many readers.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a super-interesting topic that felt repetitive. The format is as follows: Here's an example of trauma. There's no way this person could ever bounce back from it, right? Wrong! They end up thriving. The first 5 or 6 chapters were very compelling, until I realized that the next chapter would be very similar, just with a different trauma (brain tumor, cancer, horrible accident, etc.) and a different way to grow: positive thinking, gratitude, art/creative expression, community, religion, etc.

The common theme in people who grow is some sort of hopeful or positive mindset. If you think negatively, you'll be mired in a crap. Embrace one of the growth mindsets, and you've got a shot at growing after trauma!

[Rryshkebellsouth.Net · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart-warming journey into how tragedy can change lives.

Jim Rendon is a masterful storyteller who takes the compelling personal journeys that people experience and captures the reader’s heart and mind. He helps us understand how some people are able to take personal tragedy and make a new life out of the most difficult experiences imaginable. A wonderful read that will keep you hooked. When it’s over you know so much more about what post-traumatic growth can do to change a life.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A jounalist's very thorough look at post-traumatic growth & how to facilitate it. Lots of interviews with victims of military trauma, motor vehicle accidents & extreme sports mishaps.

The highlight of the book was the great synopsis of Viktor Frankl's work in chapter 2.

But for people truly going through trauma, I'm not sure the advice (Be creative! Be spiritual! Find a community!) is really all that helpful. Hard to dig a well when you're dying of thirst.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It got better with every chapter and all the way up to the last words;
"If I could go back twenty years and choose not to get in that car [accident]...." She pauses for just a beat, as if she's considering it again, thinking over what she lost that day and what she has gained since, "...I wouldn't change it, " she says, "I would still do it. "
It's frightening and empowering.

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work in the field of psychology so I’m somewhat in the know on this subject although it’s not my particular field of expertise. This book definitely brings up some points that make sense even from my personal experiences. I found this book to be really interesting even though it was a bit of a heavy read.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two and a half ish stars on this one. Less ‘science’ and more stories strung together for a self help feel. I could see this book being helpful if you or a love one are currently struggling with healing from a capital t trauma. If your looking for a deep dive on PTG - look elsewhere.

[Michael L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great examples of how perspective can change outlook.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the research and the way this book was written.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable review of the research and stories behind post-traumatic growth.

[Syazana Jeffry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The survivors are super inspiring! Major love for the delicate balance between scientific rigor & highly readable writing by the amazing Jim Rendon about PTSD

[Serafina Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting info, could be less wordy. Took notes to build concepts into my classes.

[Donna Sparks-Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not something you would just pick up and read, but as a person diagnosed with PTSD, this book is full of insight. It was a very positive learning experience!!!!

[Colorado Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

ptsd leads to growth

[are_see_em · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5