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Ghosts Within: Journeying Through PTSD
What are the long-term psychological costs of violence and war? Journalist Garry Leech draws from his experiences as a war correspondent, his ongoing personal struggle with PTSD and the latest research on this mental illness to provide a powerful and vivid answer to this question. For thirteen years, Leech worked in Colombia's rural conflict zones where he experienced combat, witnessed massacre sites and was held captive by armed groups. This raw account of his journey from war on the battlefield to an internal, psychological war at home illustrates how those who work with traumatized populations can themselves be impacted by trauma.
Leech removes some of the stigmas, fears and ignorance related to PTSD by shedding light on a largely invisible illness that mostly manifests itself behind the closed doors of our homes. Ultimately, the book uses a journalist's journey through PTSD to provide a message of hope for all those who suffer from this illness.
Leech removes some of the stigmas, fears and ignorance related to PTSD by shedding light on a largely invisible illness that mostly manifests itself behind the closed doors of our homes. Ultimately, the book uses a journalist's journey through PTSD to provide a message of hope for all those who suffer from this illness.
148 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2019
31 people want to read
About the author
Garry Leech
14 books14 followersGarry Leech is an independent journalist and author whose work is rooted in the global struggle for social justice. He also teaches international politics at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 31, 2019
I honestly cannot say I "really liked" this book (which means 4 stars) because the author comes across as a very self-centred person both before, during and after his PTSD diagnosis and treatment. Now, this could just be my interpretation of his memoirs in dealing with this disorder. However, it may have been helpful to have some input from his wife (and possible his ex whom he left for his present wife) and even his children, perhaps in sidebars. Also, there are no photos to break up the constant onslaught of his time as an activist and journalist in Columbia during the drug wars. I'm not sure if this book would be helpful to a person suffering from PTSD or not. To his credit, he describes the treatment that helped him the most, EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). For me, this was the most interesting part of the book.
NOTE: this review was based on an ARC that was supplied to me by Fernwood Publications.
NOTE: this review was based on an ARC that was supplied to me by Fernwood Publications.
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March 11, 2019This book makes a great introduction to PTSD and what it feels like to live with it on a daily basis. Leech honestly shares his experiences, including the triumph of breakthroughs and the pits of the worst. Vulnerably, he divulges how it hurts him and how that pain ends up extending to his family as well. He balances well the memoir aspect of it with his anecdotes with the research aspect. Next, I want to read the books he mentions in this book.
April 3, 2019
Thank you Fernwood Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my review.
This was a heartfelt, honest memoir of the author’s,Gary Leech, experience of PTSD following his career as a war correspondent. The book is as described, a journey through PTSD and the effects it has on Gary but also those around him. The content includes research and treatment strategies. This is not a light read but it is a helpful book to get a better understanding of PTSD and how it it is experienced.
This was a heartfelt, honest memoir of the author’s,Gary Leech, experience of PTSD following his career as a war correspondent. The book is as described, a journey through PTSD and the effects it has on Gary but also those around him. The content includes research and treatment strategies. This is not a light read but it is a helpful book to get a better understanding of PTSD and how it it is experienced.
January 23, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
The book begins with a warning about some of the things discussed in the book, you know yourself best. Read the warning and decide if it’s something you can handle or not.
Ghosts Within is the story of a war correspondent, Gary Leech, and how the things he saw affected him. PTSD is something that is still very commonly associated with just soldiers and while soldiers most certainly can be diagnosed with PTSD doing so ignores huge swaths of people that aren’t soldiers that are afflicted by PTSD. Gary does a fantastic drop of noting information about PTSD: statistics, background, history, etc. throughout the book. (I don’t know if it’s going to be included in the final copy but some of the books and people he sites throughout his story would be awesome to have at the end of a book in case someone is interested and wants to learn more about what he was talking about.)
Gary also does a great job of breaking down what he went through, noting that his case is not the only way for it to happen, and explains the whys and how’s of it: How does this affect you? Why do you react this way? How do these things connect? Etc.
He also does not shy away from how ugly it can get: he talks about suicidal ideation, self harm, self medication, anxiety, and depression. He does not ignore that it affected his family and how it affected his family.
There are anecdotes of the things he witnessed spread throughout the book, it is discussed in his therapy, the dreams that haunt him, and small blocks of information set throughout the book. This is not an easy book to read, but I think it’s an important book. PTSD is something more people need to understand, it’s an invisible illness and like all invisible illnesses awareness is key to make it better understood.
***
The book begins with a warning about some of the things discussed in the book, you know yourself best. Read the warning and decide if it’s something you can handle or not.
Ghosts Within is the story of a war correspondent, Gary Leech, and how the things he saw affected him. PTSD is something that is still very commonly associated with just soldiers and while soldiers most certainly can be diagnosed with PTSD doing so ignores huge swaths of people that aren’t soldiers that are afflicted by PTSD. Gary does a fantastic drop of noting information about PTSD: statistics, background, history, etc. throughout the book. (I don’t know if it’s going to be included in the final copy but some of the books and people he sites throughout his story would be awesome to have at the end of a book in case someone is interested and wants to learn more about what he was talking about.)
Gary also does a great job of breaking down what he went through, noting that his case is not the only way for it to happen, and explains the whys and how’s of it: How does this affect you? Why do you react this way? How do these things connect? Etc.
He also does not shy away from how ugly it can get: he talks about suicidal ideation, self harm, self medication, anxiety, and depression. He does not ignore that it affected his family and how it affected his family.
There are anecdotes of the things he witnessed spread throughout the book, it is discussed in his therapy, the dreams that haunt him, and small blocks of information set throughout the book. This is not an easy book to read, but I think it’s an important book. PTSD is something more people need to understand, it’s an invisible illness and like all invisible illnesses awareness is key to make it better understood.
December 28, 2019
This is a gripping exploration of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in plain language, exploding some of the myths about the illness as well as detailing one person's descent into its depths. Thankfully, it also shows that, with help, people can control the worst aspects of PTSD and come back out of those depths. It makes for painful but honest reading, and is an important contribution to the field. Anyone experiencing PTSD, whether directly or indirectly/secondarily, should consider reading it.
I can't comment on this book without saying the following: Garry is a dear old friend of mine, and I worked with him back then, reporting the war in Colombia. We traveled a few times together and I saw some of this first-hand (whether in the field, or catching up during and after his trips). As such, I can't separate myself entirely from the book. It reflects some experiences we had together and concerns I held around how this work might affect him eventually. We haven't been in touch for years now, as I came to understand that unfortunately I could be a form of trigger for him. But reading this book from afar gives me the impetus to reach out, and so I'm personally thankful to him he undertook the great challenge of writing this, and equally grateful to Terry for being there for Garry all that time.
I can't comment on this book without saying the following: Garry is a dear old friend of mine, and I worked with him back then, reporting the war in Colombia. We traveled a few times together and I saw some of this first-hand (whether in the field, or catching up during and after his trips). As such, I can't separate myself entirely from the book. It reflects some experiences we had together and concerns I held around how this work might affect him eventually. We haven't been in touch for years now, as I came to understand that unfortunately I could be a form of trigger for him. But reading this book from afar gives me the impetus to reach out, and so I'm personally thankful to him he undertook the great challenge of writing this, and equally grateful to Terry for being there for Garry all that time.
January 10, 2022
XXXXX
What are the long-term psychological costs of violence and war?
XXXXX
“In [November] 2016, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after exhibiting symptoms of the illness for the previous four years. My mental illness turned my world and that of my family upside down.
This book tells the story of how my family and I have learned to live with the disorder. It describes in detail the horror that life becomes when someone who has experienced war or other violence brings their trauma home.”
The above quote (in italics) comes from this powerful book by Garry Leech. He is an independent journalist and author whose work is rooted in the global struggle for social justice. Leech has worked as an investigative journalist and war correspondent in Columbia, Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine {West Bank). He teaches international politics at Cape Breton University (in Nova Scotia, Canada).
What exactly is PTSD? It is a psychological disorder associated with serious traumatic events. Classic symptoms include re-experiencing the trauma in dreams; recurrent images and thoughts; a general sense of numbness; and feelings of lack of involvement with the real world; guilt about having survived; sleep disturbances; and an exaggerated startle response. It is generally classified as one of the anxiety disorders.
The title of this book (“Ghosts Within”) refers the ghosts of Leech’s past that were coming back to haunt him.
In this book, Leech draws from his experiences as a war correspondent, his ongoing personal battle with PTSD, and the latest research on this mental illness to provide an answer to the question that titles this review.
His account of his journey from war on the battlefield to an internal, inner war at home clearly illuminates how those who work with traumatized populations can themselves be impacted by trauma.
Nearly all the descriptions of Leech’s traumatic experiences are easily identifiable because they are in gray-shaded boxes separated from the main narrative. This is done for readers of this book who have PTSD that may be concerned that they might be triggered by graphic accounts of traumatic events.
Finally, this book ends with an appendix (not labelled as such) entitled “Columbia Conflict Timeline.” I’m not sure why this was included but perhaps it is to show how unsettled the region was and thus, fertile grounds for the development of PTSD in susceptible individuals.
In conclusion, this is a gripping story of pure terror but also one of true compassion!!
(preface; 8 chapters; main narrative 135 pages; appendix)
XXXXX
What are the long-term psychological costs of violence and war?
XXXXX
“In [November] 2016, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after exhibiting symptoms of the illness for the previous four years. My mental illness turned my world and that of my family upside down.
This book tells the story of how my family and I have learned to live with the disorder. It describes in detail the horror that life becomes when someone who has experienced war or other violence brings their trauma home.”
The above quote (in italics) comes from this powerful book by Garry Leech. He is an independent journalist and author whose work is rooted in the global struggle for social justice. Leech has worked as an investigative journalist and war correspondent in Columbia, Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine {West Bank). He teaches international politics at Cape Breton University (in Nova Scotia, Canada).
What exactly is PTSD? It is a psychological disorder associated with serious traumatic events. Classic symptoms include re-experiencing the trauma in dreams; recurrent images and thoughts; a general sense of numbness; and feelings of lack of involvement with the real world; guilt about having survived; sleep disturbances; and an exaggerated startle response. It is generally classified as one of the anxiety disorders.
The title of this book (“Ghosts Within”) refers the ghosts of Leech’s past that were coming back to haunt him.
In this book, Leech draws from his experiences as a war correspondent, his ongoing personal battle with PTSD, and the latest research on this mental illness to provide an answer to the question that titles this review.
His account of his journey from war on the battlefield to an internal, inner war at home clearly illuminates how those who work with traumatized populations can themselves be impacted by trauma.
Nearly all the descriptions of Leech’s traumatic experiences are easily identifiable because they are in gray-shaded boxes separated from the main narrative. This is done for readers of this book who have PTSD that may be concerned that they might be triggered by graphic accounts of traumatic events.
Finally, this book ends with an appendix (not labelled as such) entitled “Columbia Conflict Timeline.” I’m not sure why this was included but perhaps it is to show how unsettled the region was and thus, fertile grounds for the development of PTSD in susceptible individuals.
In conclusion, this is a gripping story of pure terror but also one of true compassion!!
(preface; 8 chapters; main narrative 135 pages; appendix)
XXXXX
January 8, 2019
Ghosts Within: Journeying Through PTSD is written by former war zone journalist Garry Leech, who developed post-traumatic stress disorder in response to the horrors to which he'd been exposed through his work.
The book does describe some of the traumatic events the author experienced. This took a few forms: as descriptions of flashbacks, as part of his work with his therapist, and as short descriptive but emotionally detached clips interspersed throughout the book. The descriptions of violence are not gratuitous, but readers with a history of trauma should carefully consider whether these sorts of descriptions might be triggering. This is explained in the book's introduction.
The book opens with Leech experiencing intense suicidal ideation; he was able to stop himself from acting on this by thinking of his family. I thought this placement at the beginning was quite effective, as it sets the tone that this book is going to tackle difficult subjects head on.
Something that struck me as a bit odd was his explanation early on in the book of how he met and fell in love with his current wife, which happened while he was married to his now former wife. It doesn't add value to the story and may unnecessarily bias readers against him. It doesn't help that in the same part of the book he mentions that he found out he had a daughter when she contacted him as an adult. That becomes significant in the story much later on, but the way it was included at the beginning alongside with the way he met his wife was perhaps not the best choice.
Hyperarousal was the first symptom that became quite noticeable, and this manifested as frequent angry outbursts. He explains how challenging this was for his wife. As the illness progressed, he would regularly tell her to leave him. She was the one who first suggested he had PTSD, but he brushed it off at the time thinking it was something that only happened to soldiers. His own slow process of coming to understand his diagnosis underscores the importance of his stated intention to raise awareness about PTSD.
He wrote about changing his appearance so not just others but also he himself wouldn't be able to recognize him as the person he had been. He walks the reader through what it's like to experience flashbacks and panic attacks. He also shared the story of an intense flashback that led to him uncontrollably self-harming. As a result, police and ambulance attended, sedated him, and too him to hospital in restraints. It was after this incident that he agreed to start medication, something he had previously been opposed to.
He explains how he worked regularly with a therapist, which helped to control his symptoms to a point. In the hopes of being able to get his life back, he decided to try eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). As is so often the case, there was a long wait to get it through the public system, and his insurance would not cover the treatment. Luckily he was able to pay for it out of pocket.
He gives thorough descriptions of the work that was done during EMDR sessions, so even a reader unfamiliar with the therapy would get a good sense of it. With the therapy he was able to work through the shame and guilt related to the trauma. He also came to understand that the numbness he felt was dissociation. It was at this point he also came to realize that he had blocked out the memory of learning of his daughter's birth while she was an infant.
The EMDR treatment was very effective, and after seven weeks the intrusive memories stopped. While he has continued to have some ongoing symptoms, he was able to get to the point where he felt he could live a meaningful life again. He tried going off his medication, but the hypervigilance and anxiety returned, so he restarted it.
He explains that despite how challenging PTSD has been, the experience has put him more in touch with his feelings. He feels more vulnerable, which makes it harder to trust others, but he recognizes that there are also upsides. He found writing therapeutic, and advocacy around mental illness awareness has helped to give him a new sense of purpose.
I suspect that for those who are unfamiliar with PTSD this book may be very eye-opening. PTSD among journalists is not something that receives much attention, so this book can help to address that deficit in awareness. The only real downside for me was that I found some of the chapters a little long given the effects my own mental illness has on my concentration. Overall, though, this book makes a useful contribution in showing the journey from knowing very little about PTSD to being able to conquer it.
The book does describe some of the traumatic events the author experienced. This took a few forms: as descriptions of flashbacks, as part of his work with his therapist, and as short descriptive but emotionally detached clips interspersed throughout the book. The descriptions of violence are not gratuitous, but readers with a history of trauma should carefully consider whether these sorts of descriptions might be triggering. This is explained in the book's introduction.
The book opens with Leech experiencing intense suicidal ideation; he was able to stop himself from acting on this by thinking of his family. I thought this placement at the beginning was quite effective, as it sets the tone that this book is going to tackle difficult subjects head on.
Something that struck me as a bit odd was his explanation early on in the book of how he met and fell in love with his current wife, which happened while he was married to his now former wife. It doesn't add value to the story and may unnecessarily bias readers against him. It doesn't help that in the same part of the book he mentions that he found out he had a daughter when she contacted him as an adult. That becomes significant in the story much later on, but the way it was included at the beginning alongside with the way he met his wife was perhaps not the best choice.
Hyperarousal was the first symptom that became quite noticeable, and this manifested as frequent angry outbursts. He explains how challenging this was for his wife. As the illness progressed, he would regularly tell her to leave him. She was the one who first suggested he had PTSD, but he brushed it off at the time thinking it was something that only happened to soldiers. His own slow process of coming to understand his diagnosis underscores the importance of his stated intention to raise awareness about PTSD.
He wrote about changing his appearance so not just others but also he himself wouldn't be able to recognize him as the person he had been. He walks the reader through what it's like to experience flashbacks and panic attacks. He also shared the story of an intense flashback that led to him uncontrollably self-harming. As a result, police and ambulance attended, sedated him, and too him to hospital in restraints. It was after this incident that he agreed to start medication, something he had previously been opposed to.
He explains how he worked regularly with a therapist, which helped to control his symptoms to a point. In the hopes of being able to get his life back, he decided to try eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). As is so often the case, there was a long wait to get it through the public system, and his insurance would not cover the treatment. Luckily he was able to pay for it out of pocket.
He gives thorough descriptions of the work that was done during EMDR sessions, so even a reader unfamiliar with the therapy would get a good sense of it. With the therapy he was able to work through the shame and guilt related to the trauma. He also came to understand that the numbness he felt was dissociation. It was at this point he also came to realize that he had blocked out the memory of learning of his daughter's birth while she was an infant.
The EMDR treatment was very effective, and after seven weeks the intrusive memories stopped. While he has continued to have some ongoing symptoms, he was able to get to the point where he felt he could live a meaningful life again. He tried going off his medication, but the hypervigilance and anxiety returned, so he restarted it.
He explains that despite how challenging PTSD has been, the experience has put him more in touch with his feelings. He feels more vulnerable, which makes it harder to trust others, but he recognizes that there are also upsides. He found writing therapeutic, and advocacy around mental illness awareness has helped to give him a new sense of purpose.
I suspect that for those who are unfamiliar with PTSD this book may be very eye-opening. PTSD among journalists is not something that receives much attention, so this book can help to address that deficit in awareness. The only real downside for me was that I found some of the chapters a little long given the effects my own mental illness has on my concentration. Overall, though, this book makes a useful contribution in showing the journey from knowing very little about PTSD to being able to conquer it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews