What is Posttraumatic Growth?

What is Posttraumatic Growth?

Gain insights from experts and survivors on how struggle can actually become a turning point. This conversation on the Struggle Well Podcast sets out a clear, down‑to-earth explanation of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) and why it matters if you’ve been through trauma, loss, addiction, or long-term stress. Hosts Britt Myers and Josh Goldberg chat through what trauma really is, moving beyond textbook labels to describe it as “earthquakes to our belief system”.

They talk about how events like divorce, leaving the military, serious injury, bereavement, or combat can shatter core beliefs about ourselves, other people, and the future. From there, they introduce PTG as the idea that you don’t just go back to baseline after hardship – you can rebuild something stronger and more meaningful. Josh shares the story of Vietnam prisoners of war who, against all expectations, reported they were better off for what they had been through.

He links this with the research of psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun, whose work with widows, paralysed adults, and bereaved parents shaped the PTG concept.

As Josh puts it, “people learn how to live with things because what they find is they find some measure of meaning… that makes it a little bit easier to carry.” The episode also touches on how PTG underpins Boulder Crest’s Warrior PATHH and Struggle Well programmes for veterans, first responders, and their families, highlighting peer-led support and the importance of hope over a life of “better enduring your suffering”.

You’ll get a mix of research, real stories, and a bit of humour (yes, including Disney films and The Cleveland Browns) that keeps a heavy topic surprisingly human and relatable. If you’ve ever wondered whether anything good could come from what broke you, this conversation might give you a fresh way to look at it. So, what meaning might you find in your own hardest moments?