LEARNING TO THRIVE: Begin by Recognizing Your Trauma

by Betsy Robinson

LEARNING TO THRIVE: Begin by Recognizing Your Trauma is a 9,000-word primer for those of us who were raised in trauma but may not know it. Perhaps we just think we are high-strung or neurotic and we get upset a lot. Or if we do know we've had trauma, we may not know what trauma really is or what to do about it. In addition to a detailed explanation of trauma and why you can’t heal it alone, there are exercises and further resources for healing, learning, and education.

29 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2021

About the author

I grew up in New York's Hudson Valley and have lived in New York City for more than 50 years. I was an actor for more than a decade and did an amazing array of ridiculous jobs to support that art. Then I became a magazine writer and editor. Now I am a book editor specializing in spiritual and psychological topics. But I write fiction--specifically, funny literary novels about flawed people. My novel The Last Will & Testament of Zelda McFigg won Black Lawrence Press's 2013 Big Moose Prize and was published in September 2014. My first novel, Plan Z by Leslie Kove, won Mid-List Press's First Novel Series award and was published in 2001.

Radio host Jonathan Schwartz tells an anecdote about Stephen Sondheim: When asked if he was happy about selling 25,000 copies of a book, Sondheim replied, "Yeah, but it's always the same 25,000 people who bought the last thing." Schwartz believes this is because Sondheim's work pokes people, throws light on their flaws, makes them squeal, "No, no, don't show that! Not that!" and this makes many folks uncomfortable. Feeling so exposed evokes a kind of existential hysteria, which people then attempt to explain through hysterical negative criticisms of Sondheim's work, rather than contemplating their own discomfort. But 25,000 people do like Sondheim--including me.

I like to be poked and my writing pokes. It pokes, makes you laugh, and sometimes cry.

My edit of my late mother, Edna Robinson's novel The Trouble with the Truth was published by Simon & Schuster/Infinite Words on Feb. 10, 2015.

Postscript
I am an active reader on Goodreads and cherish my friends here whose reviews enrich my reading choices in ways I never anticipated when I first joined the community.

That said, please do not send me a friend request if you aren't interested in reading and haven't articulated why you want to be my friend in the question answer box in the friend request option. Specifically, if you are a guy looking to seduce and/or pull a scam on some lady, I'm not your lady and I will ignore your request and block you.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m familiar with much that Betsy has written.
It’s good - ‘very good’ - a great resource for anyone who needs it (as she herself said)…
Thank you Betsy!!
Bless you for taking your time to write this.

This book is a great resource for humankind.

A few methods to healing that Betsy includes are:
….Therapy, eye-movement desensitization reprocessing
(EMDR),
….Emotional Freedom Techniques,
….Somatic Experiencing, …..
….Private counseling with a good therapist…
With the purpose to examine trauma (even hidden trauma from ourselves) —

I’m familiar with things Betsy wrote—
…ha— I’m 69– I became a student of life at age 17….
self help/ meditation, est, Landmark, traditional therapy, alternative therapies, body, mind, spirit, zen, self-help reading, guided meditation, spiritual reading, nutritional reading,….. and participated in a number of alternative therapies: 10 day silent retreats, (yeah, me a chatterbox), etc.

I only started reading ‘novels’ - stories - pleasure reading - about 15 years ago -
Before then most of my reading, and life practices were self-awareness oriented.
Lots of reading… healing workshops at the Esalen Institute, Gabriel Cousens M.D. (conscious and spiritual nutrition), Watsu water therapy training (I’m certified),
And a list of reading that goes on and on ( along with my involvement with healing -body- mind- spirit- and trauma healing - nutritional study (I’m a certified nutritional therapist),
Yoga (I’m a certified yoga instructor- and certified Aqua yoga instructor —-
And a lifetime of reading—
I still own a large Library on clean eating— mental illness healing- etc…
From Caroline Myss, Katie Byron, Warner Erhard, Lynn Grabhorn, Eckhart Tolle, Norman Doidge M. D., Gregg Piburn, Deepra Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz, David Hawkins M.D., Adyashanti, Ernest Holmes, Wayne Dyer, Jerry and Esther Hicks, Yoga for depression books, Nick Ortner, Mason Krueger, Mark Williams,
The mindful way through depression…etc —

I own the book by Peter A. Levine, “Waking The Tigar”….healing trauma —
it’s a valuable book- which Betsy mentions.

I volunteered with NAMI - organization for several years.
And…
… Paul and I took a 3 month workshop with NAMI years ‘before’ eating disorders were recognized as a mental illness. (our daughter suffered with anorexic and we took a class to learn more effective ways to be supportive).

So - from my own personal therapy- couples therapy, family therapy, group therapy and various workshops,
and our daughters challenges…
I’m ‘no’ expert by any means… but it’s right to say I’ve had ‘some’ experiences with the healing methods Betsy introduces in this book.
I’m simply one of those people who had an interest in well- being.
I worked for a transformational organization for 10 years—
Today… I’m kinda - just being’ …
I do speak to a woman therapist therapist monthly —over the phone-(not an urgent need - simply a gift for myself)…..
I’ve spent time exploring and healing trauma, sadness and grief…
And although I don’t feel as though today I’m extremely suffering — I acknowledge my feelings & thoughts -
I am not afraid to be vulnerable. I am no longer afraid to ask for help when I need it. I’m willing to solve issues with others - listen to learn.
I’m willing to offer support where I can, too (valuing giving and receiving: both).
I value life, our relationships, health, happiness, peacefulness, and self-expression.

This isn’t a review - I am just sharing— pulling thoughts from my hip—

One more thing I want to say:
It was interesting timing that I read this book today because yesterday I spent seven hours listening to Audible Original -
“Living Outside the Box”
with Deepak Chopra ….(while soaking - naked - privately in our warm water saline garden pool)….
I had not engaged in a self- ME- type book in awhile —-but yesterday I asked myself exactly the introspective type questions that Betsy talks about in THIS book-
I guess there are no coincidences….lol

Yesterday I had a magnificent experience—
I opened myself up to listen deeper - within - (guided by Deepak)….
I looked deeper than my
social self, my private self, intimate self (with Paul),
…..I took the day to look deeper….
I would gladly review the book -?except it’s not available on Goodreads.
Yet anyone who is an Audible member can listen to the podcast episodes for free.
It subtly opened me - now- freshly (not from past ‘knowing’ - rather real ‘being’.
It was a marvelous experience.

The old saying that sometimes a book comes in to our life at the perfect time— rings true for me.
It wasn’t that I directly learned anything new from reading Betsy‘s book but it was wonderful—it kept me engaged and reminded me to continue staying engaged in the conversation of what matters, the truth, and being the most authentic person that I can.

Thank you for this valuable book, Betsy!!!

[Betsy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I published this, inspired by Mary Trump's book The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal.

In my experience a lot of traumatized people do not really understand that they're traumatized or, if they do, that it is a physiological condition.

This is a 9,000-word primer on recognizing your own trauma, along with some resources. I wanted to give it away but amazon's lowest sale price is 99 cents. My hope is that anybody who is suffering chronic bouts of fear/fury (two sides of the same coin), anxiety, depression, or numbness will find it.

UPDATE: Free PDF on author's website