WARNING!
This is an older article that may not reflect Dr. Mercola’s current view on this topic. Use our search engine to find Dr. Mercola’s latest position on any health topic.
The movie SoulSurfer tells the story of Bethany Hamilton, a teenage Hawaiian girl whose left arm was bitten off by a tiger shark. It is an inspirational story -- Bethany returned to surfing and eventually won a world championship.
Although traumatic events are painful and difficult, going through such an experience may induce psychological maturity and a new appreciation of life. Research has shown that people report psychological growth and positive changes following even highly stressful events.