Post-Traumatic Depreciation

Post Traumatic Depreciation and Post Traumatic Growth are concepts that describe different outcomes that people experience following traumatic events .

We don't talk about post traumatic depreciation as a term nearly as much because there's a lot more literature present for post traumatic growth , and that's interesting because I think keeping the contrast in mind can help you avoid one over the other .

Post Traumatic Depreciation , while it's not a generally acceptable psychological term , I found it for the first time in a recent JAMA article when I was doing my own medical journal review , and this was a study on post traumatic depreciation in HIV patients .

This depreciation can be loosely defined as a process where individuals experience a decline in their sense of self-worth , self-esteem or general functioning after a traumatic event , mostly characterized by feelings of hopelessness , loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities and , overall , a pessimistic outlook on life .

If you are in such a phase , or ever have been through one , where you feel less capable or valuable than you did before the trauma , then you're looking at post traumatic depreciation . What I mentioned were just some overall monitorable signs for you to gauge if you're in a depreciation phase after a difficult event in your life or not .

This , again is in stark contrast to post traumatic growth , which is a more widely accepted psychological term .

Post traumatic growth , as a result of a struggle with a highly challenging life circumstance , has the characteristics of you developing an understanding of yourself and the world around you , results in future , improvements in your relationships , greater capacity to hold further challenges , developing a greater appreciation of life and finding out your personal strengths , what is

unique to you At its core . Post traumatic depreciation represents a downturn in psychological health , while post traumatic growth represents an upturn . Both of them are transformative processes , but they are two completely different outcomes .

Both of these outcomes can manifest in the context of life challenges which , in Islamic belief , are preordained by Allah swt , but they differ significantly in how they reshape your life . While I am referring to these frameworks as binary outcomes , either negative or positive , again the reality is far more nuanced and a lot of gray in the middle .

People's responses to trauma are diverse and complex . It's not simply a matter of good or bad outcomes . There's a wide spectrum of experiences and reactions individuals go through . Just as a superficial gauge whether you've experienced post-traumatic growth or depreciation , consider the mechanisms you've developed in response to this challenging event .

If these mechanisms have enhanced your life , create a positive shift compared to how you were living before the traumatic event , or if your life feels diminished compared to before , with a decreased sense of well-being and fulfillment .

I'm highlighting the importance of this reflection because , if you're in a state of post-traumatic depreciation , you might unknowingly be treating it as a permanent situation .

Understanding whether your life is experiencing depreciation is a significant first step , and you might have noticed the effects of this downward turn in one or many areas of your life , like money , intimate relationships or parenting style . Usually , this depreciation affects one area of your life more than others .

Once you have this awareness , it opens the door to change . Your current state isn't fixed by re-evaluating how you view and think about your situation any given moment . You hold the capacity to actively alter your trajectory by choosing how you think about the situation . This realization is powerful .

It means that as soon as you decide to shift your perspective , acknowledging where you are and then making a conscious decision to be somewhere else , choice to steer your life in any given direction is yours , because the default subconscious mind will keep you in depreciation and it will keep showing you that it's not escapable .

Now consider a law of physics If an object is at rest , it will not spontaneously come into motion unless there is an external force applied on it . Or if an object is in motion , it cannot stop by itself unless there is an external force applied to stop it , like gravity .

This quality of inertia , as it relates to physical objects , is also true with emotional inertia a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged , a state of emotional constancy unless an external force is applied . And this is not a good emotional constancy .

If you don't apply an external force of consciousness to decide to change your life , your emotional inertia will continue to deepen your depreciation Because , as laws of physics would have it , same applies to neurobiology .

Emotional inertia is an actual force that is acting on you , state of habitual , memorized emotions when it comes to you living in a loveless marriage or parenting a challenging child , or finding it hard to make the monthly mortgage . Any of these situations call for a change in emotional inertia . Make a choice and make an effort .

How deeply you heal is your responsibility . That is the journey from post traumatic depreciation into a more constructive growth state . It involves an active choice on your part , active effort .

If you remain passive , not seeking out ways to understand how this challenge can be used to help you grow , to help you cope , to help you become a better person , then you will continue to stay in depreciation . And I'm not asking you to find the positive outcome in a traumatic event . Right now , especially , it was a significant event .

Chances are , the more intense the trauma , the longer it will take for your intelligence to reveal the positive intention to you . But you have to start with asking the question , otherwise the answer will forever remain hidden and that risks you forever staying in a state of depreciation and calling it fate .

Understanding whether one has passed a test given by Allah swt , especially in the context of traumatic experiences and their aftermath , it is a deeply personal and spiritual matter . The concepts of post-traumatic growth and depreciation provide a deep insight into this . As always , it is my full intention to approach this topic with sensitivity and understanding .

I don't want to paint a big picture of trauma and your ability or inability to cope and make it sound generic and impersonal , but since you are listening to this podcast , this is my only tool to reach you . I use words and examples .

My hope and request here is that you genuinely and safely apply these concepts to your life , with all of the nuances and depth and gravity of situation , if you are able to create lessons out of this podcast as it applies to your unique life .

But no matter how specific of an example I can give you , I can never call out every human being's individual experience , especially for those living a life in the Middle East or being directly affected by it .

I will never take the claim of fully understanding all of your nuanced difficulties , but I will say that , if you give me the opportunity , you can see how the test you have gone through or might be going through can be turned into an opportunity through an understanding of these psychological and spiritual experiences .

In general , consider a post-traumatic growth state as a sign of passing the test that Allah swt ordained for you in this life , and consider a post-depreciation to be a dip . This is why , in Islamic teachings , trial and tribulations are often seen as tests of faith and character .

Post-traumatic growth is where individuals emerge stronger , more resilient , with a deeper understanding of life and faith . This growth isn't about feeling better . It's about a profound transformation that often involves a renewed sense of purpose , a deeper appreciation of life and a stronger connection with Allah .

This is a sign of passing a lost test , by not only enduring the trial but also finding meaning and growth behind it .

And with this linear type of explanation , it might seem like having a post-traumatic depreciation means that you will fail the test and all is lost , even if you are in a low faith state and you are struggling to find your footing in your life , like your relationships or your spirituality or your wealth , even if there is a dip in your perceived value in the

world , meaning you do see yourself going through post-traumatic depreciation . This failing of this test is not the same as failing the final , because we always have a choice to improve on where we are and gain , no matter how low we think life has taken us .

I am making this comparison that , while post-traumatic growth strongly signifies your success , post-traumatic depreciation does not have to hold the same linear correlation , thanks to your ability to uplift yourself at any given moment .

If , at any point , you decide to go from passive experiences of your life to active participants experiences , that depreciation will immediately start to take an upturn , just by the effect of asking the right questions . What has the situation taught me about my strengths ? What are the possible benefits of this situation that I am not yet seeing ?

How has this experience reshaped my understanding in what truly matters in my life ? In what ways can I use this challenge to fuel my growth ? How can I use this to help others ? Do I even want to help others ? What new opportunities for personal development has this situation opened up for me ?

How has my perspective about my coping skills evolved through this experience ? These questions are grounded in action , focusing on immediate as well as future outcomes .

There is an importance in these questions of consistent efforts to have a transformative potential through your difficult , life-changing experience , which can lead you to a more profound understanding of what truly is important and what strength you've gained . And just like that , by asking these questions , you turn your post-traumatic depreciation into growth .

Even if you don't have the answers to any of these questions , just asking is the most magical part . You just have to start asking what this means , that post-traumatic depreciation doesn't necessarily mean that you have failed the test from Allah . Everyone's journey and capacity to handle trauma is different .

Struggling with negative emotions and a sense of depreciation after trauma is a human response and it does not have to reflect your permanent state of faith or your worth in eyes of Allah . Experiencing difficulty in coping with trauma may be a part of your specific journey , which might be a longer journey than others , or it might be shorter .

It might take you more time towards healing and understanding , but also consider that it might take you less time . What makes anybody else more special than you in creating a blessing out of a challenge ? The answer to that question is only the way you choose to think about it .

If you believe that it will take you longer , if you believe that your test is harder for you than anyone else that challenge for you was more difficult , your trauma was more devastating than anybody else's then that's exactly how long it will take you to see your post-traumatic growth .

If you can choose to believe that you are not specifically broken and you have just as many resources as anybody else to create success from these difficulties , then you will considerably shorten your time to start seeing post-traumatic growth , and in this case I don't mean external resources , I mean resources of your mind .

Allah swt has equipped everyone with the right resources to find growth from these tests and trials and , as it relates to deepening of the faith , you have all of the opportunities of success of the world and success of the afterlife . Life's trials are not just about the outcomes , but also about the process and effort you put into facing them .

Consider that the real test that might be in your continuous effort to heal , grow and maintain faith among hardship . The real test might not even be whatever is unfolding outside of you , but what you make of it with your internal resources , no matter how challenging it seems . Maybe the real test is how you respond to it and how you think about it .

Focus in Islam is towards the effort , the patience , the continuous turning towards Allah for support and the journey of healing , rather than solely on the outcome and calling it growth versus depreciation . If you think your outcome is finalized , you are wrong . The finality is only known to Allah . All we can do is focus on the process .

The concept of post-traumatic depreciation , as understood in the context of psychological aftermath of trauma , indeed is not a final or irreversible stage . It is a state that might reflect the initial impact of trauma on your individual mental and emotional health . It has characteristic feelings of diminished self-worth and hopelessness and negative outlook on life .

But this state by no means is static and definitely not final . It is subject to change based on your choice of response , and you can make that choice in any moment . No matter how long you think you've been living in the state of depreciation Minutes , days or decades the choice is always made in one moment .

Breaking free from depreciation is always just a decision , and I mean , what's the harm in trying what's the worst that can happen if you decide to be curious about your depreciation state ? There's only benefits In short term . Actively working towards growth will lead you to see improvements in your mental health , relationships and overall quality of your life .

This might be the immediate outcome , and then there are always long-term benefits . This can also mean that you have better coping mechanisms in the long run , improved emotional regulation throughout your life and a renewed sense of purpose and motivation . In the long run , maybe you will become the source of inspiration and support for others .

Maybe you will guide others of how to renew themselves and come back from baking points , and all of these long term benefits might not be immediately visible . But again , what's the harm in starting just to be curious , just to decide to become stronger ?

The insights that you might gain from this journey have the potential to influence a future generation , which is why the life changing decision you make today might not even materialize 80 years from now , when somebody inspired from your work becomes a leader and changes the whole political arena .

Maybe they reverse climate change , maybe they dramatically change the foreign policy , who knows ? Or maybe none of that happens .

But when you decide to change your depreciation to an upward curve of growth just by the virtue of curiosity , asking deep , meaningful questions , maybe none of the best case scenarios I described to you ever materialize , but still you haven't lost anything . What's the harm in trying ?

There is impact of this work beyond your lifetime , which you are unable to see when you're in a state of depreciation . But if you decide that factually participating in this work with curiosity is not going to bring any benefit of the world , then you're also forgetting one of the most beneficial spiritual outcomes , which is one of the afterlife .

The struggles you go through , the efforts you make to overcome them , have immense significance . The concept of being rewarded in the afterlife for your perseverance , resilience and positive actions puts all of the benefits of this world to shame .

From this perspective , the journey towards post-traumatic growth is not just about worldly benefits , but also about spiritual fulfillment and the pursuit of the reward in the afterlife . There is an eternal dimension to this work and you have your faith to thank for that .

And it comes with the recognition that it is only with Allah's permission that we can ever recognize our faith and we steadfast in it . It is only through Allah's grace that we find the strength to persevere and we find the wisdom to understand the significance of our experiences .

Our struggles , no matter how profound they look to our human mind , are a constant reminder of a divine support that surrounds us and a glimpse into what our life would look like if mercy of Allah was to be lifted even for a second . May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala keep all of us and the Muslim Ummah within His mercy .

With that I pray to Allah . O Allah , the most merciful , the most compassionate , we turn to you in gratitude for your blessings , your endless mercy . You are the guiding light . Guide us through the journey of trials and tribulations . We acknowledge that without your divine permission , we would be lost in the struggles of the mundane , the outcomes of the world .

We seek your help , o Allah , to break free from the emotional inertia of the ordinary and mediocre mindset . We ask your help to see beyond our immediate trials and to understand the significance of our experiences . O Allah , make us among the successful in this world and the next . Please keep me in your Daraas . I will talk to you guys next time .