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Recovery from Complex PTSD: From Trauma to Regaining Self Through Mindfulness & Emotional Regulation Exercises
Are you suffering from chronic anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, or uncontrollable emotions?
Although PTSD affects 7-8% of people in the world, it remains a relatively taboo subject. When people do talk about it, it's usually restricted to war veterans and victims of child abuse.
The truth is, PTSD can manifest in response to any kind of trauma -- but what does this mean for people who have been repeatedly subjected to traumatic events?
Recent research has shown that it is possible to recover from nightmarish experiences and live a life that feels happy and secure.
You don't have to resign yourself to jumping at shadows and enduring intrusive, negative thoughts that wear you down mentally and physically.
By taking the steps to understand why you're experiencing these things, you can begin to unlock the strength you have within you.
Instead of struggling to find a sense of worth, you can rewrite the script and engage with yourself compassionately. It can be so easy to judge yourself harshly, but you have to remember this:
When you are cruel to yourself, you are inadvertently cruel to the innocent child within you.
You may have spent years seeking compassion and validation from others and finding only frustration and despair.
However, that doesn't mean you're beyond help. Recovery from complex trauma is a long journey, but the rewards you'll reap along the way will keep you moving forward.
In Recovery from Complex PTSD, you will discover:
What Complex PTSD is and how it differs from the more commonly known PTSD
How to rewrite the narrative of your life to overcome negative self-concept and regain control over your life
The Loop of Traumatization: how your brain creates a survival-based narrative that dictates your thoughts and behaviors
How understanding the causes of complex trauma can allow you to overcome the fear and pain that accompany distressing experiences
What it means when you consistently experience disturbed interpersonal relationships
The avoidance techniques you are unconsciously employing in your daily life that protect you but are also keeping you stagnant
How you can build an accurate sense of self that isn't formed by the events from your past
And much more.
You know what helplessness feels like. The paralysis of panic, the loss of control. What it's time for you to learn, is that these feelings aren't forever.
You are capable of transforming the way you experience life and in turn, change the lives of the people who care about you most.
Although PTSD affects 7-8% of people in the world, it remains a relatively taboo subject. When people do talk about it, it's usually restricted to war veterans and victims of child abuse.
The truth is, PTSD can manifest in response to any kind of trauma -- but what does this mean for people who have been repeatedly subjected to traumatic events?
Recent research has shown that it is possible to recover from nightmarish experiences and live a life that feels happy and secure.
You don't have to resign yourself to jumping at shadows and enduring intrusive, negative thoughts that wear you down mentally and physically.
By taking the steps to understand why you're experiencing these things, you can begin to unlock the strength you have within you.
Instead of struggling to find a sense of worth, you can rewrite the script and engage with yourself compassionately. It can be so easy to judge yourself harshly, but you have to remember this:
When you are cruel to yourself, you are inadvertently cruel to the innocent child within you.
You may have spent years seeking compassion and validation from others and finding only frustration and despair.
However, that doesn't mean you're beyond help. Recovery from complex trauma is a long journey, but the rewards you'll reap along the way will keep you moving forward.
In Recovery from Complex PTSD, you will discover:
What Complex PTSD is and how it differs from the more commonly known PTSD
How to rewrite the narrative of your life to overcome negative self-concept and regain control over your life
The Loop of Traumatization: how your brain creates a survival-based narrative that dictates your thoughts and behaviors
How understanding the causes of complex trauma can allow you to overcome the fear and pain that accompany distressing experiences
What it means when you consistently experience disturbed interpersonal relationships
The avoidance techniques you are unconsciously employing in your daily life that protect you but are also keeping you stagnant
How you can build an accurate sense of self that isn't formed by the events from your past
And much more.
You know what helplessness feels like. The paralysis of panic, the loss of control. What it's time for you to learn, is that these feelings aren't forever.
You are capable of transforming the way you experience life and in turn, change the lives of the people who care about you most.
- GenresMental HealthPsychology
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2021
58 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 14, 2021
This book just isn’t helpful. The information it provides is so basic it won’t be of use to anyone who already has basic knowledge of PTSD or C-PTSD. There’s nothing here you can’t learn from a web search.
In fact many of its sources are blog posts or web pages written by unknown authors or laymen; though a handful are articles from publications like psychology today or government websites. This book is neither well researched nor based on the personal experience of a trauma survivor.
It’s also just not well written. Simple things like how to write a list are painfully over explained while important and difficult topics like suicide are mentioned and then dropped quickly. The author mostly just regurgitates facts but what little advice there is here is odd and unhelpful.
For example, advising people who feel ashamed after making a mistake to just stop feeling shame and to tell people what they want to hear to avoid being shamed by others.
There’s very little information here about treatment methods or self help techniques. What there is amounts to, essentially, a glossary of terms.
There’s just not a lot here. It reads like a first year psychology paper artificially lengthened with large typeset, wide spacing, long explanations, tangents, and constant repetition of the same basic facts.
It seems to be self published by a laymen and while I appreciate the ambition in the attempt it just isn’t very good.
If you want in-depth information about PTSD and trauma recovery look elsewhere.
In fact many of its sources are blog posts or web pages written by unknown authors or laymen; though a handful are articles from publications like psychology today or government websites. This book is neither well researched nor based on the personal experience of a trauma survivor.
It’s also just not well written. Simple things like how to write a list are painfully over explained while important and difficult topics like suicide are mentioned and then dropped quickly. The author mostly just regurgitates facts but what little advice there is here is odd and unhelpful.
For example, advising people who feel ashamed after making a mistake to just stop feeling shame and to tell people what they want to hear to avoid being shamed by others.
There’s very little information here about treatment methods or self help techniques. What there is amounts to, essentially, a glossary of terms.
There’s just not a lot here. It reads like a first year psychology paper artificially lengthened with large typeset, wide spacing, long explanations, tangents, and constant repetition of the same basic facts.
It seems to be self published by a laymen and while I appreciate the ambition in the attempt it just isn’t very good.
If you want in-depth information about PTSD and trauma recovery look elsewhere.
September 20, 2021
This is a wonderful book that provides an overview of what Complex-PTSD is as compared to PTSD. It also covers causes and symptoms as well as who might be either prone to developing it or already suffers from it. Written in a frank manner that feels safe and supportive, Barlow's very well-written and well-researched book gives hope to those who may have been living with this beyond-PTSD diagnosis. It also provides a list on ways to address issues with coping, self-esteem, and relationships that are dysfunctional and guides the reader to what can help them to get on the road to a healthier way of life.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has received a diagnosis of PTSD or Complex-PTSD and is seeking basic information and guidance toward addressing their issues. It can also be a great guide for therapists who may be familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder behavior, but need an extra bit of information in working with clients challenged by such issues as chronic negativity and low self-worth, numerous emotional and psychological triggers, and dysfunctional coping habits.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has received a diagnosis of PTSD or Complex-PTSD and is seeking basic information and guidance toward addressing their issues. It can also be a great guide for therapists who may be familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder behavior, but need an extra bit of information in working with clients challenged by such issues as chronic negativity and low self-worth, numerous emotional and psychological triggers, and dysfunctional coping habits.
April 19, 2021
Packed with information
If you or someone you know suffers from PTSD then you know that there are different forms/degrees of PTSD, just as there are many different people in the world. This book deals with Complex PTSD which the author describes a "...the inability to regulate or control your emotions." So you could be on the spectrum of one side being unable to control your emotions or on the other side being so in control that you basically don't feel anything, or you are somewhere between the two. As it can be very hard and complex to figure out what may work for you to help either ease the symptoms or heal from what caused it this book attempts to help you do that. This book is packed with information which is nicely laid out into different sections which make sense. I also liked the fact that there is really good basic information about defining what Complex PTSD is, where it may come from, different symptoms, how it may impact your life and then how to recover from it.
I have skimmed a lot of this book and will need to do a deeper read of certain areas as it is dense with information. But it is a good denseness and it is something which a lot of people want and helps immensely.
If you or someone you know suffers from PTSD then you know that there are different forms/degrees of PTSD, just as there are many different people in the world. This book deals with Complex PTSD which the author describes a "...the inability to regulate or control your emotions." So you could be on the spectrum of one side being unable to control your emotions or on the other side being so in control that you basically don't feel anything, or you are somewhere between the two. As it can be very hard and complex to figure out what may work for you to help either ease the symptoms or heal from what caused it this book attempts to help you do that. This book is packed with information which is nicely laid out into different sections which make sense. I also liked the fact that there is really good basic information about defining what Complex PTSD is, where it may come from, different symptoms, how it may impact your life and then how to recover from it.
I have skimmed a lot of this book and will need to do a deeper read of certain areas as it is dense with information. But it is a good denseness and it is something which a lot of people want and helps immensely.
June 17, 2021
All over the world, millions of people experience feelings of hopeless ness and chronic anxiety. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not just limited to war veterans and survivors of child abuse.
Whether "it" was a one-time event, or a frequent event, it is possible, according to this book, to re-write your life's script. A place to start is by understanding the causes of your trauma.
Having occasional stress in your life is normal, and can be good for you. Constant stress is caused your brain re-running the video of "it," over and over again. That will lead to constant production of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which is bad for you. Your "fight or flight" response will be stuck in the On position, which will lead to inflammation and fibromyalgia, along with many other health problems. This is very bad for you, physically.
For anyone suffering from PTSD, if this book can help just a little bit, it is worth it. Much of this book may be common knowledge, but it is still good to have it in one place. This is well worth reading.
Whether "it" was a one-time event, or a frequent event, it is possible, according to this book, to re-write your life's script. A place to start is by understanding the causes of your trauma.
Having occasional stress in your life is normal, and can be good for you. Constant stress is caused your brain re-running the video of "it," over and over again. That will lead to constant production of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which is bad for you. Your "fight or flight" response will be stuck in the On position, which will lead to inflammation and fibromyalgia, along with many other health problems. This is very bad for you, physically.
For anyone suffering from PTSD, if this book can help just a little bit, it is worth it. Much of this book may be common knowledge, but it is still good to have it in one place. This is well worth reading.
June 25, 2021
Exceptional book for personal healing and/or to better understand someone you love
We, as well as people all around us, may be suffering from the after-effects of trauma. This book is a great introduction to PTSD for those who may have it and for those who love people who have it.
The author explores the functioning of the brain. Long ago, the human mind developed a unique way to handle trauma, and in this day, even when we are well beyond the traumatic situation, the millennia-old coping mechanisms might not work and may even hinder us. There are ways to train the brain anew, however. He also discusses the many physical maladies that result from PTSD and how we can help ourselves heal from those as well.
This exceptional book is well-written with substantial research to help people better deal with and heal from PTSD and for those around them to understand them much more.
We, as well as people all around us, may be suffering from the after-effects of trauma. This book is a great introduction to PTSD for those who may have it and for those who love people who have it.
The author explores the functioning of the brain. Long ago, the human mind developed a unique way to handle trauma, and in this day, even when we are well beyond the traumatic situation, the millennia-old coping mechanisms might not work and may even hinder us. There are ways to train the brain anew, however. He also discusses the many physical maladies that result from PTSD and how we can help ourselves heal from those as well.
This exceptional book is well-written with substantial research to help people better deal with and heal from PTSD and for those around them to understand them much more.
December 20, 2021
A very basic introduction to PTSD and complex PTSD, written by a chap who appears to be a lay person. It's broadly accurate and not particularly confronting. The fact it so clearly lays things out, blog post style, may be of assistance to those starting to understand their diagnosis (or that of somebody close to them). This book would be only a starting point, though - they'd need to go to more authoritative sources later on. This book also will NOT take the place of treatment, and in fact, it has little to do with the 'recovery' indicated by the title. It will though give a general understanding of what CPTSD is and some of the ways in which it may present.
April 30, 2021
This book offers clear, grounded and empathetic explanations for those who have experienced severe trauma. Understanding and accepting your own condition is the first step. Having the knowledge and tools to overcome it is the second step, and this reading is an excellent option for it.
________
Este libro ofrece explicaciones claras, fundamentadas y llenas de empatía para quien ha pasado un trauma fuerte. Comprender y aceptar la propia condición es el primer paso. Tener el conocimiento y las herramientas para superarla, es el segundo paso, y esta lectura es una excelente opción para ello.
________
Este libro ofrece explicaciones claras, fundamentadas y llenas de empatía para quien ha pasado un trauma fuerte. Comprender y aceptar la propia condición es el primer paso. Tener el conocimiento y las herramientas para superarla, es el segundo paso, y esta lectura es una excelente opción para ello.
August 12, 2021
This is a pretty good primer on Complex PTSD, but I didn't love it. It seemed disorganized and cold.
I also took issue with the section in the book where the author talks about establishing good health habits. He had sort of a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" attitude about diet and exercise, dismissing just about everything else he said in the book about the complexity of CPTSD and the vulnerability of those trying to function with its very real limitations. As a woman who has struggled from both C-PTSD and eating disorders for most of my life, this section was offensive and infuriating.
The audiobook is not great. The narrator said "all-timers" or "old-timers" instead of "Ahlzheimer's" every single time. Drove me crazy.
***It's worth a read, but if you struggle with eating disorders, you might be triggered by his disregard.
I also took issue with the section in the book where the author talks about establishing good health habits. He had sort of a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" attitude about diet and exercise, dismissing just about everything else he said in the book about the complexity of CPTSD and the vulnerability of those trying to function with its very real limitations. As a woman who has struggled from both C-PTSD and eating disorders for most of my life, this section was offensive and infuriating.
The audiobook is not great. The narrator said "all-timers" or "old-timers" instead of "Ahlzheimer's" every single time. Drove me crazy.
***It's worth a read, but if you struggle with eating disorders, you might be triggered by his disregard.
March 6, 2024
Barely a 2. Information all very basic/better covered in other, more engaging books
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews