Research on “post-traumatic growth” shows that most people report becoming stronger, or better in some way, after suffering through a traumatic experience.30 That doesn’t mean we should stop protecting young people from potential trauma, but it does mean that the culture of safetyism is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature and of the dynamics of trauma and recovery. It is vital that people who have survived violence become habituated to ordinary cues and reminders woven into the fabric of daily life.31 Avoiding triggers is a symptom of PTSD, not a treatment for it.
Yes, this seems right, and it's probably particularly unhelpful to try and 'remove the wind' on college campuses and the like. Life outside of controlled environments is unpredictable, so a good use of a controlled environment should be habituation to potentially distressing phenomena.
