I always thought you had to be in the military to get PTSD. Clearly, I didn’t understand what trauma really is…
The definition of Trauma
How to break down and understand what is happening during a “traumatic event”
Understanding the difference between trauma and “normal growth”
How trauma can stoke and accelerate the maturation process
What is Post Traumatic Growth?
Can you stoke the process by exposing yourself to “trauma”?
How context affects how you process trauma
The definition of Rumination
The different types of rumination
Understanding how rumination is neither good nor bad, the experience is dictated by the content…
And she hits me with a surprise question that makes me stammer a bit, touche my friend.
A conversation with Taryn Greene
Imagine living your life as a ping-pong ball, bouncing from bumper to bumper, life event to life event; as if you’re at the mercy of every watt of stimulation that crosses your path. And when the input goes too high, too fast (and/or for too long), that is what is called a stressor or a traumatic event.
I’ve often wondered about PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I first learned of it in a military context, how it was used to describe the condition of veterans and soldiers coming back from war. My Pepe (maternal grandfather) was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. He survived but then passed long before I had the chance to talk to him about it, but I heard stories of his psychology as a result.
But PTSD, or trauma, is much more than being exposed to war. I’ve often wondered about the idea of “micro-trauma”; almost getting hit by a car, losing a job, being betrayed by a loved one… anything that causes us to question our reality instantly. How do these events change our lives, how does our behavior change, and our outlook on ideals like trust, family, and hard work? If you’re just as curious as I am, give this episode a chance.
I sit down with my friend Taryn Greene, currently seeking her Ph.D. in Health Psychology from UNC with a focus on Post Traumatic Growth. This is a very candid interview with some surprises.
I hope you enjoy it – Steven
Resources Mentioned
In this podcast episode Eckhart Tolle discusses his journey with emotional pain, his journey toward mindfulness, and how to cultivate a practice of “alert attention to what is” (see: how to break ruminative thought cycles)
Tedeschi and Moore (2016) have created a workbook for Post Traumatic Growth intervention that can be used as an adjunct to therapy or as a self-help approach.
On Being Podcast, Krista Trippet
DSM-5, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5
Connect with Guests & Host
Taryn Greene
Doctoral Candidate, Health Psychology, UNC, May 2021
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Taryn is a former Air Force Officer and Combat Veteran. A passionate mental health advocate, she used her own journey with posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth to fuel a dramatic career shift towards becoming a Psychologist. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she focuses on Posttraumatic Growth and Resilience interventions.
