The Negative Effects Of Adversity

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It was Friedrich Nietzsche who coined the phrase “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. While it has been repeated countlessly throughout the last hundred or so years is it true? People who have been the victim of serious traumas, including abuse, natural disasters, life changing accidents, and homelessness frequently suffer from long-term effects. The most common long-term negative effect, of course, being mental health issues. There has long been a belief amongst laymen that adversity leads to the triumph of being a more resilient, well-rounded person. Going through that difficult time has shaped individuals into stronger people who can face change and trauma with steel and determination. Right? It is important to understand that the …show more content…

Each participant was to fill out a survey regarding the lifetime adversity they had faced, including illness, assault, injury, natural disaster, losing a loved one, and financial difficulties. Those with more adversity were more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, feel less satisfied, and had more emotional problems. This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, but there was a surprising result on the cards. The people who had experienced some adversity (which was considered between two and four adverse traumas) had better life outcomes than the people who had experienced no lifetime adversity …show more content…

While it’s natural to try to protect people from negative experiences it can make it difficult for them to tackle life’s larger problems down the line. Everyone needs the opportunity to build their confidence as well as their psychological strength, both of these are necessary to succeed. By shielding someone from life’s realities we set them up for failure as they are more vulnerable. So, while you made it through your parent’s divorce, being bullied, or moving that wasn’t the same level of trauma or adversity as someone else may have faced. There is a stark difference between these situations and physical or sexual abuse, or losing a loved one at a young age. We see the effects of serious adversity in youth when we look at just how many abused children end up in care and go on to prison as a result of their inability to cope with life’s experiences