Post-Traumatic Growth: Taking Back Power in a World That Needs Change
When people have been traumatized and subsequently suffer from PTSD, they often wonder if they’ll ever be the same again. From my perspective, the answer is sadly no. Because it’s physically impossible. We really can’t be the same because trauma actually rewires the brain. But for many people who have suffered from the often-unimaginable pain from trauma, there is another path—one that doesn’t just mean survival, but transformation. This phenomenon, known as post-traumatic growth (PTG) means reclaiming your story and then turning adversity into an unparalleled source of strength, not just for yourself, but also for others.
Understanding Post-Traumatic Growth
It’s important to understand that PTG doesn’t erase the trauma or replaces the pain. Instead, it is a profound shift, where you develop an even deeper personal strength, find new purpose, and an enhanced gratitude for life. In essence, you are rewiring your brain yourself. But it’s also crucial to realize that PTG is not a given after trauma. The trauma victim needs time to process the certain pain that comes from victimization and tragedy, and to absorb and their new reality. This process takes time to develop and can’t be willed into existence, but it can be cultivated through resilience, support, and rejection of shame.
Gisele Pelicot Shows the Way
The recent case of Gisele Pelicot in France has gained an international spotlight, not only for the horrific brutality she endured at the hands of her husband and dozens of anonymous men, but also for her courage in rejecting anonymity and holding not only her perpetrators responsible, but also the French judiciary. And doing so on behalf of so many other victims. Ms. Pelicot’s story reveals the massive chasms in the protections “supposedly” designed to safeguard women, but too often shield predators. This 71-year-old grandmother is single-handedly taking on the “system” and holding the French judicial system to account on behalf of all rape victims. She is demonstrating the compelling need for global structural change to genuinely prioritize victim safety and justice.
Gisele’s resilience stands as a powerful example of post-traumatic growth. While her case underscores the horrific trauma she is facing, it also serves as a call to action—highlighting that when institutions fail, it is the survivors’ voices that push for reforms and inspire change.
Mental Health Support: Backbone of Growth
For post-traumatic growth to occur, mental health support is paramount. Individuals (particularly women as our trauma is often minimized, overlooked and mocked) navigating the aftermath of trauma need accessible, empathetic care that prioritizes our well-being. This means trained trauma-informed professionals who not only understand the psychological impacts but also the practical realities of rebuilding after trauma. Supporting their journey with therapy, community resources, and peer networks creates the groundwork for PTG.
Rejecting Shame and Self-Blame
Perhaps most importantly, Gisèle Pelicot's stance of "I've decided not to be ashamed, I've done nothing wrong" is the powerful example we need of a woman holding her head high, trusting herself and rejecting societal inclinations to victim blame. Her attitude reinforces the importance of women trusting and honoring our own experiences and emotions, rather than internalizing shame or doubt imposed by others.
Systemic Change is Crucial
Empowering individual survivors is vital, but it is not enough. Gisèles story and others like hers must compel society to rethink the structures in place. Laws, protections, and judicial processes must evolve to reflect the lived realities of women who have survived violence. True progress only happens when survivor voices inform policy and change is driven by empathy and understanding.
Turning Pain into Advocacy
Women who experience post-traumatic growth often become advocates for change, channeling their hard-earned wisdom into movements that reshape societal attitudes and norms. They remind us that from the depths of pain, incredible power can rise—power that fuels reform, educates the next generation, and pushes for a world where fewer women face such trauma in the first place.
Post-traumatic growth isn’t about ignoring trauma—it’s about acknowledging its profound impact and making the choice to build from it, as Gisèle Pelicot is doing. It’s about empowering women to use our voices, support one another, and demand better from the systems meant to protect us. In a world desperately in need of change, turning pain into power isn’t just an act of resilience; it’s a revolutionary step toward collective healing, progress and power.
