Finding Resilience in Tough Times |
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Can experiences of adversity be a benefit?
How can we stay positive when the world is on fire?
How do we find strength when we feel hope is lost?
Five years ago, I adopted a rescue dog. In the months that followed, I discovered he had a debilitating anxiety disorder. The constant sound of sirens and the sudden whizz of scooters in the chaotic city in which we lived overloaded his nervous system, as if tripping a breaker, only instead of shutting him down, the environment triggered my dog to leap in the air and vehemently bark: DANGER! DANGER! Going outside felt like stepping into a minefield.
Inside my one-bedroom condo, my dog rendered me housebound; in the beginning, leaving him for just a few seconds led to extreme stress: hyperventilation, barking, crying, and self-destructive behaviors. Medication helped but didn’t resolve the problem. Training was slow—not weeks or months, but years—and expensive. At one point, things were so difficult that I was on the verge of having to choose between keeping my job or keeping my dog.
As someone coping with complex PTSD, I empathized with my dog’s anxiety. At the same time, I wasn’t sure if I could live with such a challenge. My world shrank. His anxiety triggered my own, and vice versa.
I was determined to overcome our adversity, though on our worst days I wasn’t sure if I was dogged or simply in denial. I refused to let go of the possibility that things could work out. Ultimately, my dog and I not only survived, but we learned to thrive.
While stressful events can prompt strong emotions, real hardship, and pain, such experiences are an opportunity........