Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal by Belleruth Naparstek

by Belleruth Naparstek

If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic event, you know the devastating impact it can have on your life and your spirit. Life-threatening accidents, illnesses, assaults, abusive relationships—or a tragedy like 9/11—all can leave deep emotional wounds that persist long after physical scars have healed. Survivors become “invisible heroes,” courageously struggling to lead normal lives in spite of symptoms so baffling and disturbing that they sometimes doubt their own sanity.Now there is new hope for the millions affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Drawing on more than thirty years’ experience as a therapist and on the most recent cutting-edge research, Belleruth Naparstek presents a clinically proven program for recovery using the potent tool of guided imagery. She reveals how guided imagery goes straight to the right side of the brain, where it impacts the nonverbal wiring of the nervous system itself, the key to alleviating suffering.Filled with the voices of real trauma survivors and therapists whose lives and work have been changed by this approach, Invisible Heroes New understanding of the physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects of PTSD, who is most susceptible, and why symptoms can get worse rather than better with time Important insights into how the brain and body respond to trauma, why conventional talk therapy can actually impede recovery, and why the nonverbal, image-based right brain is crucial to healing A step-by-step program with more than twenty scripts for guided-imagery exercises tailored to the three stages of recovery, from immediate relief of anxiety attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia, to freedom from depression and isolation, to renewed engagement with life A helpful guide to the best of the new imagery-based therapies, and how to incorporate them into an overall recovery planBelleruth Naparstek concludes with the inspiring words of survivors who have found their way back to peace, purpose, anda deep joy in living. Her compassionate, groundbreaking book can lead you andthose in your care to the same renewal and healing.

Genres: Psychology, Self Help, Nonfiction, School, Medicine, Social Work, Health

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book in the past, but it's amazing how much information you look passed, when you're not ready to see it. I started reading this book last night and finished it this afternoon, highlighting what felt like the entire book. This book is an incredible resource for those suffering from PTSD or have a loved one suffering. From the biological components of how the brain is impacted, to the healing possibilities available, each page helps you get one step closer to knowing where your path needs to take you in order to heal. This is a book I'm sure I'll reference many times over and over through the years. Belleruth also has amazing guided imagery recordings available as well that have been a huge help. Love her; she's fantastic.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

PTSD a is a difficult monster to deal with. It's excellent that we can hack the brain well enough to survive it. Help and hope are not only there, but healing PTSD in our decade is incredibly achievable. The book explains the what and the how well.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best, most comprehensive & user-friendly guides to understanding and treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Appropriate for clinicians and clients and everyone in between. Her descriptions of what happens in the brain and body during a traumatic event are captivatingly poetic. Her suggestions for how best to heal and reclaim your life are practical, prescriptive and clear. The spine on my copy will be creased for sure as I use it to help others.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to listen to one of her guided imageries on cd and it was a really cool experience. I'd recommend it if you have the chance!

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally read this, a couple years after it was recommended to me. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, mostly because some of it is... uhh, outdated in certain ways, certainly not very culturally sensitive. The author tends to focus on "traditional PTSD" - single incident (like an accident or disaster) and also the type of PTSD you'd get from being in war - but doesn't really acknowledge Complex PTSD or trauma you'd experience over a lifetime due to your gender, race, etc. or due to emotional/psychological abuse or neglect or manipulation. I think I laughed out loud when she mentions that men experience trauma at much higher rates than women, lol. BUT, if you can skim over the hokeyness and insensitivity (it's very white, middle-class, sorta woo woo, fatphobic, gender binary-y... what else? Oh lotssss of sorta silly/extraneous anecdotes, that's a big chunk of the book) it has some good points about what PTSD looks like and various ways of healing from it. The author's area of expertise is guided imagery and her main point is that imagery (and therapies that use imagery) can engage the "right brain" or the more feeling/emotional part of the brain and help process and re-integrate and "heal" (or help move on from) trauma and resultant PTSD and its symptoms. Without re-traumatizing the survivor! Which is important. The idea is that it's gentle, easy, intuitive, and effective.

I'm definitely willing to give imagery a try and I've listened to some of the author's guided imagery audio recordings and really liked them (thus far!) despite a LOT of initial skepticism. My favorite part of this book is the 10-pronged approach to dealing with trauma at the end of the book. There's a list of 10 different things to do to sort of attack the issue from different angles. This list is the reason someone recommended this book to me in the first place and I remember in the depths of the worst of my PTSD I was soooo overwhelmed by thinking about trying to do even a couple of the things on the list. But more and more I'm seeing that one DOES need to do all (or most of the things) on the list to heal (or manage) PTSD... therapy, exercise, mindfulness/meditation, bodywork, ritual/routine, support groups, self-soothing/emotional regulation skills, imagery, journaling. The more, the better!

[Diana Nagy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I am finding this book absolutely amazing and quite eye opening. It details so much on PTSD and on what traumatic events can do to an individual before, during, and after the traumatic event itself.
This book will benefit not only a survivor of a trauma but a family member or a friend of someone who has experienced trauma in their lives. It details a child’s up bringing and the impact on the child depending on the time that was spent with him or her, the time that was paid to them and particularly what type of attention is paid and even how they are raised and the way they are treated.
I would highly recommend this book to a survivor or someone who cares for or loves a survivor and wants to try to help and possibly begin to understand (if that’s possible) what those children and adults are feeling and/or are going through.
While this book doesn’t discuss the subject, I suggest that any diagnosis should be taken with a grain of salt as despite many individuals natural trust in a doctor (so called experts in much of the public eye) not all of them are right about their diagnoses every time . An incorrect diagnosis can cause a lot of troubles with someone who believes they have something that they in fact do not. So if you have any hesitation whatsoever about whether your parent, child, l friend or other family member or cared for individual may not in fact have what they have been diagnosed as, encourage them and possibly assist them in getting a second diagnosis before they take on the qualities and symptoms of the diagnosis they most likely do not have.

[Vero BP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good material and hypnosis sessions to work with trauma survivors, yourself or others <3

[Moonstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the book is well written and explains the process and recovery of PTSD it perhaps was not the right time for me to be reading it. I found myself skipping sections that I could see were dreadful experiences from trauma survivors. The guided imagery techniques in the last sections could be useful but I prefer to listen to CD`s, I could not imagine recording myself reading these to play back and listen to.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally began this book because I was using it to work with some clients who had had various trauma. With some clients it was useful, with other clients it was far too triggering. This is interesting where it goes back and forth the first half of the book with clients discussing their trauma and reactions and how getting help changed them. The second half of the book is more scientific based, research and recovery options, nonetheless still interesting and important.

[Victoria Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a difficult book to read because there are triggers. So I took my time. Belleruth Naperstak has done amazing work with PTSD and child abuse that later causes problems in adulthood. I use her guided imagery which i how I became aware of this book.

Ultimately, it is very helpful to Adult Children or survivors. It also helps explain to significant others how it feels at times when you don't feel "safe"

[Laura Vanhook · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you've ever encountered PTSD either personally or from a family member or friend this is the book to read it'll help you in ways that no Counseling can and tell you where and places to get help should you need. it has a companion CD specifically for PTSD individuals.

[Karen Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful stories, eye-opening research into the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

very insightful

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good. definite insights into various aspects of PTSD and its alleviation. Written by someone who clearly is an outstanding therapist.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel badly giving this book such a low rating. Perhaps I'm just not "in tune" with the idea of guided imagery just yet.

[Robert Bogue]

Trauma survivors aren’t heroes in the same sense that a first responder is. We see the first responder at the scene of an accident, like a house fire, and see how their actions are protecting all of us. We don’t get to see the hard work that trauma survivors do, because their work is internal. That’s why the title Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal makes so much sense. The work is invisible on the outside – until the trauma victim reemerges transformed by the trauma. (See Transformed by Trauma for examples.)

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[Aaron Horton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. There were some points in the book that were slow to me.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource, well written.

[Andrea]

Helpful.

[Jennifer Worrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great detailed stories in here from survivors.

[Becks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for those who are beginning their trauma recovery work.