To Hell and Back: Personal Experiences of Trauma and How We Can Recover and Move On

by John Marzillier

In this innovative and engaging book, Marzillier dovetails first-hand accounts from trauma sufferers with over 40 years of clinical practice to provide an honest, human description of how trauma affects us at the time and also after the event.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Aime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trauma. satu perkataan yang kerap dipandang serong — sebaris dengan terma seperti depresi, stress dan lain-lain. disalah anggap, diseleweng maksud, mereka yang berhadapan trauma berdepan stigma mempunyai fikiran yang rentan, jiwa yang tidak tabah.


melalui buku ni, John Marzillier berjaya mengangkat definisi sebenar trauma dengan lebih jelas. punca , proses, impak secara biologi/psikologi — semuanya diatur rapi dalam naskhah ini.

puluhan ribu soal jawab dengan mangsa trauma — dari kejadian letupan kereta api UK, saksi 9/11 , survivor 'massacre' hinggalah mangsa serangan seksual — John menyediakan ulasan teliti terhadap perbezaan situasi mereka. isu PSTD, rasa bersalah, merupakan sebahagian persamaan yang dapat disimpulkan dari semua mangsa.

susunan idea yang teratur, John menghuraikan kaedah terbaik agar mangsa dapat berhadapan dengan masalah ini. proses mengenal alur kejadian, EMDR, EFT — sebagai sebahagian jargon diterangkan terperinci oleh John, sesuai dengan autoritinya sebagai psikoanalisis psikologis

cuma, kalau ada yang rasa tertarik nak hadiahkan buku ni kepada mereka yang menghadapinya — saya ada satu cadangan lain.

korang sendiri baca, dan isinya disampaikan secara lisan/perbuatan kepada mereka.

asbabnya, bila mana yang membantu mereka tu ialah orang terdekat sendiri, bukan lembaran kertas— impaknya akan terasa lebih jelas. rasa disayangi, diberi perhatian, dan emosi mereka dihargai.

buku ini pula, diselitkan dengan dialog asli pengkisahan semula kejadian oleh mangsa trauma, yang cukup untuk saya kelaskan sebagai buku yang punya amaran cetus ( triggered warning ) .

ada sesetengah mangsa yang akan bertambah teruk keadaannya jika minda mereka dipaksa untuk membayangkan kejadian traumatik. apabila membaca, otak akan terus menukarkan input teks kepada visual, membuatkan kejadian itu terus meribut dalam kepala.lebih baik jika, kita yang memahamkan isi buku ini, dan menatijahkannya semasa berinteraksi.

tapi ini hanya saranan, dan tak semua mangsa akan bertindak seperti diatas. jadi terpulang kepada kita untuk menilai tahap mangsa apabila berkomunikasi dengan mereka

[Rafi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a joy to read, and an eye-opener. It offers a thorough exploration of trauma types as well as physical, psychological and personal factors that determine people's responses to extreme and unexpected negative situations. It also delves to exploring the different modern psychological methods to approach and help people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Relatively easy to read, with lots of personal stories and anecdotes, and the good use of various studies and references throughout made it an insightful and joyful experience.

You are guaranteed to see the human condition under new light and understand various aspects of our complex lives.

[Zu Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an eye opener, how trauma badly affected people. Different people have different reaction and having support and resilience is crucial.
I enjoyed reading the personal stories and struggles..

[Scoozer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of trauma and how to understand it and treat it. It focuses on non-combat trauma.

[Beverley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is really awesome that the year is 2015! Do you! I am not sure why i feel this way, but i do know that it feels like a year of change and like choices not all change is bad.

Here's to the first book of 2015.

To Hell and Back by John Marzillier, first printed in 2012 by Robinson.

John Marzillier is a registered psychologist with over 40 years of clinical practice. He worked alongside the London Metropolitan Police providing counselling to Police officers who had suffered significant trauma within their work for a number of years.

When Marzillier decided to write a book on the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how people recover from it, he turned to his colleagues to find patients/clients to interview as he wanted to base the book around personal experiences, which he does extremely well. What he wasn't prepared for and didn't expect were the number of people who came forward who had been involved in the 7 July 2005 London bombings and he shares, in part, a number of their stories, reactions and recovery. He also interviewed some of the families who had lost loved ones, in particular the family of the young women who having survived the bombing of a London tube train was then killed by boarding the ill fated bus, which was also decimated due to a bomb explosion.

Marzillier uses personal experience to show that although many people may experience the same trauma at the same time not all will then go on to suffer from PTSD, some through self help or support of family and friends will recover from the trauma on their own. He describes simply the symptoms of PTSD that lead to diagnosis; the symptoms must last for more than a month, withdrawing from family, friends and family, often unable to work, return to the scene of the trauma, e.g unable to board a train or even go to a train station, avoidance of the trauma, paranoia, anxiety and panic attacks, dreams and flash backs, but he shows that not all those who are diagnosed with PTSD will suffer from all of the symptoms. There are also those who will suffer one significant trauma and be negatively affected and also those who will suffer several smaller traumas, which then lead to the same diagnosis. Diagnosis is usually done through a Psychologist assessment.

This book reads well, if a little repetitive in places. Although it is written from a clinical psychologists point of view it is written in such a way that it is easily understood. The personal experiences shared are relevant to the book and Marzillier comes back to the same people time and time again and that creates cohesion throughout the book. In the end he points out that most people can recover from PTSD if they receive the correct care and support in a timely fashion.

[Ashutosh SHUKLA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent qualitative research presented in an easy to read and apply format.
The author has spent large amount of time interviewing people who have faced extreme physical and (therefore) mental traumas. By means of looking at his subjects, and sometimes even his family, the author throws light on how our bodies and minds handle trauma. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is impacting large number of people as some countries send their soldiers to other countries for killing the citizens, not sure who wants to be dangerous to the world. People on both sides get through this and this gives origination to the term "Shell shocked". Most of the book is focuses on HOW do overcome the mental trauma and would be a very helpful book for anyone and everyone.