“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

It means that when life becomes difficult, resilient people respond by taking action rather than giving up.

In trauma recovery, that can mean something quieter than “pushing harder.” It might mean:

• asking for help,
• resting when your body needs it,
• setting a boundary,
• walking away from what harms you,
• choosing yourself again and again.

Being “tough” isn’t always about endurance.
Sometimes it’s about courage—the courage to heal.

A recovery version of that quote might be:

“When the healing gets hard, the brave keep going.”