No Visible Injuries

by Sylvia Clare

A profound love story, a story of spiritual transformation and guidance, a story of turning a challenging early life into one full of life and joy. Narcissistic personality disorder is tragic and often unrecognised mental illness with devastating consequences on those caught up in this cycle of abuse. This book is my story of living through just such a childhood and finding love - a true soulmate and being healed later in life. It is about compassion, a personal spiritual path away from the main religions, and learning that what really matters in life more than anything is kindness - to yourself and to others.
We are mostly all damaged in some way - that is part of the wonder of the individual human and this book speaks to anyone who has struggled or is struggling to get out from under the burden of a difficult periond of their life. My way might not be your way but it was a way out and it offers hope to anybody else out there- how to find the signposts out of the darkness and travel back into the light.

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Writing chose me. But I had to go through quite a bit of life before I knew what to write about, to learn the truths about life and death and choices, to learn the deep and true meaning of love, and thus what it is not. To learn that the journey is the point of life, not the goal, not the destination. To learn that life is only real in this moment, all else is fiction. To learn how to value this present moment so the gift of life can be fully appreciated. Words and inspiration still come to me from somewhere beyond myself, they are not mine, yet they are based on my lived experience, my way of looking at the world, of being in it and loving it for what that brings with it.

Reviews

[Glenna Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever connected to a book as much as No Visible Injuries. Sylvia could have been talking about my mother as she describes her. My heart went out to her for the way she was treated both as a kid and an adult. Children worship their parents, and if a parent tells you horrible things about yourself, as a child you grow up believing it. That's the hardest spot to overcome.

I was also very impressed by the information in the last part of the book about NPD, ADHD, and family dynamics. I learned a lot about what it means to be the black sheep. We are the truth-tellers in our families, and many people can't handle that. I'm so grateful to Sylvia for writing this book as a guidepath to bring us all back to ourselves again.

[Phyllis Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells about the author's personal experience with child abuse. A painfully honest, first-hand study of the long term effects of child abuse, the author recounts some of her experiences, her heroic efforts to understand the reasons why the abuse happened and how she could use her analysis to eventually overcome the negative effects to create a happy life. A powerful story.

[Mark Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a raw, cathartic story of the writer's journey to find relative peace after suffering years of prolonged physical and psychological abuse in her family of origin. I was deeply moved by Sylvia's poems that are interspersed, as well as her unvarnished desire to face and conquer her demons with the constant support of David, her loving life partner, by her side.

Throughout the book, she shares her personal, stream-of-consciousness insights about PTSD and ADHD and offers her story (and additional resources near the end) as a guide for how to face and ultimately overcome trauma, narcissism, and escape the shadows of parental abuse that can last a lifetime.

As a fellow memoir writer, I fully understand and endorse her position: that writing and publishing one's pain and heartache is not only freeing, but a wonderful human gift to offer those who are looking for a glimmer of light in a long, dark tunnel.

[Nutan Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story about trauma and recovery that spans decades. I love the way the author is able to detail the abuse she suffers but still is able to give a more complete story about the situation she was in. No one is completely evil or good, everyone is simply human dealing with their own issues. The author tells the story from the point of view of the child she was and combines it with the perspective of the psychologist she becomes, which I found to be fascinating.

[Kathy Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gut wrenching story

On display is the amazing resilience of the human spirit amongst severe trauma inflicted on a child as a result of mental health issues. Sylvia writes honestly as she unravels the traumatic mysteries of her childhood and how her upbringing affects every part of her life decades later.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down, loved the author's style of writing, felt like being told a story by a lifelong friend. Her kindness and strength are inspiring.

[Sylvia Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.amazon.com/No-Visible-Inj...
great story, challenging read in places but also fascinating account of survival both emotionally and spiritually, and all the life lessons that were part of the process. finally it is a huge love story, about how love overcomes everything, heals everything, is all that truly matters and the only thing that is real. I wrote it about my own life and yet I think it is an astonishing life - I can hardly believe it was real, but I lived very moment of it and more besides. I had to re read it to remember what I put in and what I left out and it shocked me once more - interesting phenomenon.