"I grew a philosophy that in amongst the exhaustion of a disaster experience like a bushfire, that you only got to spend your energy once… I would rather spend it making a difference than being angry.”

Abotomey funnelled her energy into writing prose, which was then turned into a series of poems. It was as though she had awoken to a newfound creative talent, that also acted as a "sheer trauma outlet".

"It was a way of managing the emotional strain of such an enormous experience."

So, when Abotomey heard the words 'post-traumatic growth', she suddenly realised it was exactly what she was experiencing.

"My instant reaction was, 'Why don't we tell more people about this?'"

Speaking toMamamia, the University of Melbourne's Lou Harms explains exactly what post-traumatic growth is.

"Some of the ways that this can be felt is people appreciate life a whole lot more, they take up new possibilities and opportunities, they recognise they have all sorts of personal strengths and often they recognise that they have stronger relationships with other people."

"I think the experiences of trauma are so shattering, that there is a need for expressing and finding a new normal and new sense of self."

Both Harms and Abotomey say it’s "critical" for more people to understand post-traumatic growth and to include it in conversations about the experiences of trauma.

Rhonda's story is featured on SBS's The Feed tonight, Tuesday August 4, at 9.30pm.

Feature Image: SBS.