Psychological Resilience and the Healing Mindset
Three Tenets of Psychological Resilience
Trauma researcher George Bonnano published excellent research that takes an exciting approach to understanding trauma. Bonnano’s research led him to the conclusion that humans are remarkably resilient in the face of potentially traumatic events, and he used these conclusions to work backward. Looking at individuals who have gone through horrific challenges and not gone on to develop PTSD and then measuring features of their mindset gives us clues as to what features we should cultivate to maximize our progress in and outside of the therapeutic space.
The most significant population Bonnano looked at was survivors of the 9/11 attacks. If you were going to invent a scenario that would have the highest potential for creating trauma responses, it would be those attacks. Something interesting happened as clinicians opened crisis centers and worked to spread awareness and increase access to psychological treatment. There was not a dramatic flood of people in need of treatment. Most of these crisis centers went largely unused, and the data showed that the symptoms of trauma did not last. Most people adjusted rather quickly.
So, what allowed these people to tolerate trauma and adjust? Bonnano found three traits that these individuals consistently possessed. These traits are optimism, confidence, and viewing recovery as a challenge rather than an intolerable experience that needs to be avoided. If we know the workings of trauma, it is easy to understand why these characteristics help prevent the development of PTSD, as these qualities help the individual confront and process trauma without falling into patterns of avoidance that fuel the symptoms of trauma, primarily avoidance.
Optimism is imperative for several reasons, but primarily for being pragmatic and taking steps to change the situation. Suppose a person does not believe that they can improve their situation. In that case, they will not take the initial steps to improve their symptoms, whether that is psychotherapy or utilizing their support systems. It is essential to understand that if you are suffering from traumatic reactions, recovery is the norm. The most likely outcome for you is that you will recover, especially if you engage in empirically supported trauma therapies.
The second trait we want to facilitate is confidence. This overlaps with optimism but focuses more on the individual’s belief that they can solve these problems if they apply themselves. Confidence enables a person to continue treatment even when it gets challenging (and it will) because they trust that they can gain the tools to progress. If a person enters therapy with low self-esteem, those negative beliefs can block progress. There are many ways to skin that cat, but these issues must be addressed for progress.
The final quality is viewing adversity as a challenge rather than an intolerable situation that is insurmountable. By embracing the challenge, we can use stress and anxiety as energy to solve these problems. Tackling avoidant patterns and aggressively pursuing treatment for these symptoms increases their likelihood of success. If you feel like you do not have these traits, do not fret. Good therapy will help cultivate these tools to maximize the chances of success. So, do not let yourself continue to struggle with feelings of trauma needlessly. Reach out today for support!