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Hope Is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things
A practicing neurosurgeon and award-winning author shares his roadmap to finding hope and even happiness when the worst happens—by placing trust in God—in this powerful memoir of personal tragedy, grief, and recovery.
“There are no empty platitudes in these pages. No helium-filled, empty promises. Look elsewhere for plastic smiles. But look here for genuine hope.”—Max Lucado
The question isn’t whether you will face the hardest thing. It’s what to do when it’s staring you in the face.
Because whether in your past, present, or future, trauma will reconfigure your life. And it will do so as your massive someone left, someone cheated, the biopsy was bad, the baby didn’t have a heartbeat, a loved one died, you suffered abuse, or your dreams ended abruptly. The devastation is both immediate and ongoing, leaving a wake of emotional, spiritual, and even physical pain.
Dr. Lee Warren, a neurosurgeon and former combat surgeon in Iraq, knows this firsthand. A medical doctor with more than twenty years’ experience wrestling with the tensions between faith and science, he faced unspeakable tragedy in losing his nineteen-year-old son.
In Hope Is the First Dose, Dr. Warren offers tender empathy and hard-won insights to give you tangible hope. No matter what you’re facing, it doesn’t have to be the end of you. Let Dr. Warren help you find your way back to a new season of hope, faith, peace—and even happiness.
The first dose is hope—and it comes in the form of grace from the skilled hands of the Great Physician.
“There are no empty platitudes in these pages. No helium-filled, empty promises. Look elsewhere for plastic smiles. But look here for genuine hope.”—Max Lucado
The question isn’t whether you will face the hardest thing. It’s what to do when it’s staring you in the face.
Because whether in your past, present, or future, trauma will reconfigure your life. And it will do so as your massive someone left, someone cheated, the biopsy was bad, the baby didn’t have a heartbeat, a loved one died, you suffered abuse, or your dreams ended abruptly. The devastation is both immediate and ongoing, leaving a wake of emotional, spiritual, and even physical pain.
Dr. Lee Warren, a neurosurgeon and former combat surgeon in Iraq, knows this firsthand. A medical doctor with more than twenty years’ experience wrestling with the tensions between faith and science, he faced unspeakable tragedy in losing his nineteen-year-old son.
In Hope Is the First Dose, Dr. Warren offers tender empathy and hard-won insights to give you tangible hope. No matter what you’re facing, it doesn’t have to be the end of you. Let Dr. Warren help you find your way back to a new season of hope, faith, peace—and even happiness.
The first dose is hope—and it comes in the form of grace from the skilled hands of the Great Physician.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published July 18, 2023
96 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
W. Lee Warren
8 books137 followersW. Lee Warren, MD, is a practicing neurosurgeon and award-winning author. His book, "I've Seen the End of You," won the Christian Book Award for Biography and Memoir in 2021.
His newest book ,"Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things," releases in July 2023 from Waterbrook.
Dr. Warren has appeared on The 700 Club and CBS Evening News and his writings have been featured in Guideposts magazine. His appearance on Focus on the Family was chosen as one of the “Best of 2021.”
He writes a weekly "Self-Brain Surgery" letter at drleewarren.substack.com
The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast, heard in more than 80+ countries around the world, explores the connections between faith and science and how to find hope even when life is hard.
Dr. Warren lives in Nebraska with his wife, Lisa.
His newest book ,"Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things," releases in July 2023 from Waterbrook.
Dr. Warren has appeared on The 700 Club and CBS Evening News and his writings have been featured in Guideposts magazine. His appearance on Focus on the Family was chosen as one of the “Best of 2021.”
He writes a weekly "Self-Brain Surgery" letter at drleewarren.substack.com
The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast, heard in more than 80+ countries around the world, explores the connections between faith and science and how to find hope even when life is hard.
Dr. Warren lives in Nebraska with his wife, Lisa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 21, 2023
When I tell you I ate up every word, I mean I left no crumbs - to the point of even reading the acknowledgements and about the author sections! I loved it. I cried a lot. I so appreciated these words.
Metaphors, analogies, stories… these things are helpful for me in learning things, and this book was full of them. I’ve found that for myself, when dealing with grief and sorrow I need stories and testimonies of those who have lived through it and evidence of how God brought them through that. That is exactly what this book was for me. I highly recommend it and will be buying two physical copies (as I read this on my Kindle) - one to highlight and note in and a second to give away when needed.
Metaphors, analogies, stories… these things are helpful for me in learning things, and this book was full of them. I’ve found that for myself, when dealing with grief and sorrow I need stories and testimonies of those who have lived through it and evidence of how God brought them through that. That is exactly what this book was for me. I highly recommend it and will be buying two physical copies (as I read this on my Kindle) - one to highlight and note in and a second to give away when needed.
Read
April 12, 2025I can see this book being helpful for those who have endured difficult trauma.
His writing is well done and empathetic- honest and raw.
At the same time I appreciated much of what he said, I found my self weary with stories. The lunch line is short- the set up is long.
Much more memoir than”treatment plan”, but I would recommend to most people.
His writing is well done and empathetic- honest and raw.
At the same time I appreciated much of what he said, I found my self weary with stories. The lunch line is short- the set up is long.
Much more memoir than”treatment plan”, but I would recommend to most people.
June 24, 2024
This book is a powerful testimony of God’s redemption and restoration when we take every thought captive.
July 28, 2023
This amazing book is Dr. Lee Warren. Is his story of trauma, tragedy, and grief and how he changed thru it. This book is not an instant solution to the pain, grief, and trauma, but it has helpful hints, regaining hope, and processes of growth thru it.
March 6, 2024
There is no greater love than that of our Father.
This book found me right when I needed it. Also a parent, who lost a child at the age of 19, and trying to find our happy and joy over the past 5 years.
W Lee Warren, I cried with you.
This book found me right when I needed it. Also a parent, who lost a child at the age of 19, and trying to find our happy and joy over the past 5 years.
W Lee Warren, I cried with you.
July 19, 2023
“Hope is the First Dose” written by Air Force veteran and neurosurgeon Dr. W. Lee Warren is a must-read-and-reread book. He picks up where he left off in his last book, “I’ve Seen the End of You.” Dr. Warren returns to the scene of his son’s Mitchell’s death and talks about what happened as he and his family spent time in the refining fire of the “furnace of suffering.” He lost more than his son that Aug. 20, 2013. He lost himself for awhile and life as he knew it. He said he needed to change his mind in order to change his life. He needed to help his family find a way to heal.
Dr. Warren served as a combat surgeon in the Iraq War and suffered from PTSD, which he talked about in his book, “No Place to Hide.” In “I’ve Seen the End of You,” he saw himself much like Cole in “The Sixth Sense”: he saw dead people in the faces of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Dr. Warren struggled with how to encourage his patients to pray and not give up, even though GBM told him their demise was fast approaching. He took readers on rounds as he met with patients. Medicine and surgery would not save them on this side of Heaven, but how his patients thought about their illness made a difference in the quality of the time they had left. If they allowed “stinkin’ thinkin’" into their minds, they would be part of the walking dead.
He wrote the last chapter in that book after he suffered The Massive Thing (TMT): the unexplainable death of his son Mitchell. The TMT enrolled him and his family as unwilling students in a graduate course on human suffering. “Hope is the First Dose” is a memoir and companion to “I’ve Seen the End of You.” Dr. Warren tells the story of his family’s unholy week after the death of Mitchell. He shares the raw truth with a mix of anger, dark humor, and heart-bursting gratitude for his family and all the people who circled the wagons. He uses the creation story in Genesis to talk about those dark days. Mitchell’s death and burial marked two new beginnings, one devastatingly brutal and one abiding in hope. They buried their son while their oldest Caitlyn was in labor with their first grandchild, Scarlett. Dr. Warren writes about the emotional overload of darkness and light. He ended the four days after Mitch died with “and there was evening, and there was morning,” in keeping with the structure of their family’s new unimaginable recreation story.
Dr. Warren likened the time of his TMT to pulling the yellow handle in the cockpit of a T-37. The pilot who gave him initial training before a flight told him not to pull that yellow handle until the plane is at a safe altitude. But here’s the thing: TMTs don’t care about altitude or safety. In His grace, God ensures safe landing for the Christian, he said, and we can’t change our minds about our trauma on our own. Hope comes in a syringe of grace given by the Great Physician, he said, as memories of God’s faithfulness in the past, His provision, and His promises motivate us to move forward in faith after our TMT.
Dr. Warren studied and took notes as he watched how his patients, friends and family responded when their Weltanschauung, or worldview, fell apart. Each of us will have our personal TMTs, he said, that will bring devastatingly painful, life-altering changes. How we think about our TMT is going to decide our quality of life. He said we will need to learn how to do “self-brain surgery”: changing our minds to change our lives. He worked to reconcile these two truths in Scriptures that Jesus Christ promised:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33), also “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10)
Jesus wants us to have an abundant life, AND He also knows we will have trials and sorrows. Dr. Warren learned a “reliable, repeatable method” to help him and us recover and rehabilitate after our TMT. Warren collected data on people’s response after TMTs. He saw people fall in one of four camps. Crashers are those whose TMT becomes the single thing that defines their lives. They crash emotionally, never to recover, like the walking dead. Dippers start high on the chart and then dip low with the TMT. They stay low for a while, but then they end up high on the chart regardless of the outcome of their circumstances. Untouchables are bulletproof, Dr. Warren said. They do not experience significant changes to their emotions or faith, even in the face of death. Climbers surprised him the most, he said. Usually, this group lived a life of hardship with many traumas, such as abuse, past illnesses, or addiction. Climbers would tell him their best year had been the last one before they passed.
Dr. Warren referred to 2 Cor. 10:5 when talking about how to be a self-brain surgeon. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” He said we need to do a biopsy on intrusive thoughts as those come into our minds. Ask whether what we are thinking is a true or a false statement? Thoughts on their own are not dangerous and life-threatening initially, but if we allow malignant ones to stay, then we will die before our body is in the grave. You can teach yourself to “take every thought captive in Christ.” If a thought is a true, but painful one, he shows how we can treat the malignant thought even then. While we acknowledge the sad truth, we can connect that statement with an equally true one that fits the apostle Pauls’ definition in that it is “honorable,” “right,” and “worthy of praise” in Phil. 4:8-9.
I will say I noticed his feedback on what not to do when someone has lost a loved one, especially a child. People are not ready to hear, “God will work all things for good,” “God has a purpose for this,” “God must have needed your loved one up there.” Some are true statements, but the timing is very bad. In that raw moment, those words become insensitive, empty Christian platitudes, he said. During the first few weeks after Mitch died, people also dropped off books for him to read. He’s a reader, so he said he’s not knocking how helpful books can be, but again, it’s the timing.
Finally, “Hope is the First Dose” is a love story. Dr. Warren talked about how God came through for him and all the ways He equipped him over the course of his life in medicine. God continues to lead the Warren family and bless them abundantly you’ll learn as you read. Dr. Warren has a wonderful blended family and his relationship with his wife is, well, swoon-worthy really. He worked hard on this treatment plan not just for himself, but because he needed to do something that would benefit his family and strengthen their faith in the process.
Dr. Warren served as a combat surgeon in the Iraq War and suffered from PTSD, which he talked about in his book, “No Place to Hide.” In “I’ve Seen the End of You,” he saw himself much like Cole in “The Sixth Sense”: he saw dead people in the faces of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Dr. Warren struggled with how to encourage his patients to pray and not give up, even though GBM told him their demise was fast approaching. He took readers on rounds as he met with patients. Medicine and surgery would not save them on this side of Heaven, but how his patients thought about their illness made a difference in the quality of the time they had left. If they allowed “stinkin’ thinkin’" into their minds, they would be part of the walking dead.
He wrote the last chapter in that book after he suffered The Massive Thing (TMT): the unexplainable death of his son Mitchell. The TMT enrolled him and his family as unwilling students in a graduate course on human suffering. “Hope is the First Dose” is a memoir and companion to “I’ve Seen the End of You.” Dr. Warren tells the story of his family’s unholy week after the death of Mitchell. He shares the raw truth with a mix of anger, dark humor, and heart-bursting gratitude for his family and all the people who circled the wagons. He uses the creation story in Genesis to talk about those dark days. Mitchell’s death and burial marked two new beginnings, one devastatingly brutal and one abiding in hope. They buried their son while their oldest Caitlyn was in labor with their first grandchild, Scarlett. Dr. Warren writes about the emotional overload of darkness and light. He ended the four days after Mitch died with “and there was evening, and there was morning,” in keeping with the structure of their family’s new unimaginable recreation story.
Dr. Warren likened the time of his TMT to pulling the yellow handle in the cockpit of a T-37. The pilot who gave him initial training before a flight told him not to pull that yellow handle until the plane is at a safe altitude. But here’s the thing: TMTs don’t care about altitude or safety. In His grace, God ensures safe landing for the Christian, he said, and we can’t change our minds about our trauma on our own. Hope comes in a syringe of grace given by the Great Physician, he said, as memories of God’s faithfulness in the past, His provision, and His promises motivate us to move forward in faith after our TMT.
Dr. Warren studied and took notes as he watched how his patients, friends and family responded when their Weltanschauung, or worldview, fell apart. Each of us will have our personal TMTs, he said, that will bring devastatingly painful, life-altering changes. How we think about our TMT is going to decide our quality of life. He said we will need to learn how to do “self-brain surgery”: changing our minds to change our lives. He worked to reconcile these two truths in Scriptures that Jesus Christ promised:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33), also “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10)
Jesus wants us to have an abundant life, AND He also knows we will have trials and sorrows. Dr. Warren learned a “reliable, repeatable method” to help him and us recover and rehabilitate after our TMT. Warren collected data on people’s response after TMTs. He saw people fall in one of four camps. Crashers are those whose TMT becomes the single thing that defines their lives. They crash emotionally, never to recover, like the walking dead. Dippers start high on the chart and then dip low with the TMT. They stay low for a while, but then they end up high on the chart regardless of the outcome of their circumstances. Untouchables are bulletproof, Dr. Warren said. They do not experience significant changes to their emotions or faith, even in the face of death. Climbers surprised him the most, he said. Usually, this group lived a life of hardship with many traumas, such as abuse, past illnesses, or addiction. Climbers would tell him their best year had been the last one before they passed.
Dr. Warren referred to 2 Cor. 10:5 when talking about how to be a self-brain surgeon. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” He said we need to do a biopsy on intrusive thoughts as those come into our minds. Ask whether what we are thinking is a true or a false statement? Thoughts on their own are not dangerous and life-threatening initially, but if we allow malignant ones to stay, then we will die before our body is in the grave. You can teach yourself to “take every thought captive in Christ.” If a thought is a true, but painful one, he shows how we can treat the malignant thought even then. While we acknowledge the sad truth, we can connect that statement with an equally true one that fits the apostle Pauls’ definition in that it is “honorable,” “right,” and “worthy of praise” in Phil. 4:8-9.
I will say I noticed his feedback on what not to do when someone has lost a loved one, especially a child. People are not ready to hear, “God will work all things for good,” “God has a purpose for this,” “God must have needed your loved one up there.” Some are true statements, but the timing is very bad. In that raw moment, those words become insensitive, empty Christian platitudes, he said. During the first few weeks after Mitch died, people also dropped off books for him to read. He’s a reader, so he said he’s not knocking how helpful books can be, but again, it’s the timing.
Finally, “Hope is the First Dose” is a love story. Dr. Warren talked about how God came through for him and all the ways He equipped him over the course of his life in medicine. God continues to lead the Warren family and bless them abundantly you’ll learn as you read. Dr. Warren has a wonderful blended family and his relationship with his wife is, well, swoon-worthy really. He worked hard on this treatment plan not just for himself, but because he needed to do something that would benefit his family and strengthen their faith in the process.
September 29, 2025
Strange review as I DNF but I give it 4 stars bc if you lost a child- this book is for you.
I find it hard to relate to my situation of hardship bc it’s so so so very specific to this tragedy and his story. I cannot fathom the grief of losing a child and all this would entail but he does a great job describing his journey and feelings.
I turned to this book looking for the hope of Jesus in a hard and desperate time. I hate this but selfishly, I can’t take anymore trauma stories or sadness as I am searching for hope and not more reasons to grieve. Due to this very specific viewpoint, I found this book to not quite be what I expected but I blame my expectations and not the author.
Beautiful writing but heavy and hard to listen to at times. But that’s the way trauma works and I find him so brave for sharing his story. Must read for grieving parents (I would assume).
I find it hard to relate to my situation of hardship bc it’s so so so very specific to this tragedy and his story. I cannot fathom the grief of losing a child and all this would entail but he does a great job describing his journey and feelings.
I turned to this book looking for the hope of Jesus in a hard and desperate time. I hate this but selfishly, I can’t take anymore trauma stories or sadness as I am searching for hope and not more reasons to grieve. Due to this very specific viewpoint, I found this book to not quite be what I expected but I blame my expectations and not the author.
Beautiful writing but heavy and hard to listen to at times. But that’s the way trauma works and I find him so brave for sharing his story. Must read for grieving parents (I would assume).
June 27, 2024
Necessary Encouragement
After having listened to Dr. Warren’s podcasts for over a year I decided to get the kindle version of his book. I love his raw honesty of the range of emotions one goes through after the loss of a loved one. Having experienced many traumatic events in my life from early childhood abandonment, being warehoused in a system that still shows the inability to care for children having trauma, and loss of my son to suicide and subsequent battle to try and provide stability for my only grandson, this has been a crucial addition to my healing journey.
After having listened to Dr. Warren’s podcasts for over a year I decided to get the kindle version of his book. I love his raw honesty of the range of emotions one goes through after the loss of a loved one. Having experienced many traumatic events in my life from early childhood abandonment, being warehoused in a system that still shows the inability to care for children having trauma, and loss of my son to suicide and subsequent battle to try and provide stability for my only grandson, this has been a crucial addition to my healing journey.
February 24, 2025
Very interesting book. I like the way dr lee words the correlation between the thought and the way the brain works. I thought it was very helpful to think of any thought to be able to dwell or cut it out. I think it might be helpful when talking with my kids about loss and just anxieties.
September 11, 2024
The best book I’ve read this year.
August 18, 2023
One of the best books I have ever read on processing grief/trauma. A neurosurgeon wrote his own treatment plan after losing his 19 year old son. Brilliant.
January 29, 2023
The author is a practicing neurosurgeon who lost his son Mitch at the age of 19. This is the story of how he came to realize that while grief can be crippling at first, it can be smoothed over (never totally gone) by putting into action what you know about God. Not filled with platitudes but rather told with a raw honesty that will draw readers in. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate this book but the Bible is the cornerstone for Dr. Warren's advice.
I lost a son in 2019 and this book was enlightening and would definitely recommend to others who have experienced this heavy burden.
* I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
I lost a son in 2019 and this book was enlightening and would definitely recommend to others who have experienced this heavy burden.
* I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
February 13, 2024
What is hope? It is our need to have something to look forward to. In this book, “Hope is the first dose: a treatment plan for trauma, tragedy, and other massive things,” Dr. Warren, a practicing neurosurgeon, shares a roadmap for achieving hope when it seems as if everything is lost. Dr. Warren has first-hand knowledge of tragedy and trauma not only in his professional life, but his personal life. In this book, Dr. Warren gives you a game plan for recovering hope when it appears as if hope is impossible. Dr. Warren provides insight on how to perform “self-brain surgery” in order to create a life changing mental shift. He knows and acknowledges that performing “self-brain surgery” is much more difficult than engaging in bad habits, and negative self-soothing behaviors such as: addictions, distractions, and pushing away of feelings. However, he provides tangible evidence as to why it is important to change our minds so that we can get past the traumas that we’ve suffered and gain that feeling of hope and happiness. This book is a valuable read for anyone that is seeking hope, has suffered trauma, and is ready to make a lasting change. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 30, 2023
Excellent book! Dr. Warren is a neurosurgeon, Iraqi war vet, weathered a divorce and buried a young adult son through a mysterious death. He understands trauma, emotional and physical pain through so many levels. His writing is intellectual, understandable, raw and heartfelt. The stories of his patients in there will also deeply move you and inspire you.
He also has a daily podcast that delves deeply into neuroscience, faith and trauma. He goes even more deeply into how you can do "self brain surgery" and get out of the trauma, despair pit. He steers you to the Lord, who is Your ultimate Healer and Physician.
I love how he signs off in his book and emails: Dum Spiro Spero. That is Latin for, "While I breathe, I hope."
Definitely worth a read!!!
He also has a daily podcast that delves deeply into neuroscience, faith and trauma. He goes even more deeply into how you can do "self brain surgery" and get out of the trauma, despair pit. He steers you to the Lord, who is Your ultimate Healer and Physician.
I love how he signs off in his book and emails: Dum Spiro Spero. That is Latin for, "While I breathe, I hope."
Definitely worth a read!!!
March 19, 2025
In "Hope is the First Dose," Dr. W. Lee Warren presents a compelling mix of professional expertise, personal narrative, and spiritual insight centering on healing from trauma. As a neurosurgeon and Air Force veteran who has faced significant personal tragedies, including PTSD, divorce, and the murder of his son, Warren's authenticity enhances this crucial discussion on recovery.
What sets this book apart is its seamless integration of clinical knowledge with personal narrative. Warren openly shares his journey of pain and healing, enabling readers to develop a close connection with his experiences. The book is organized into five sections and offers a structured roadmap for those confronting their "Massive Things"—Warren's term for life's significant challenges.
Warren's methodology is notably effective in synthesizing diverse sources of wisdom. He combines Scripture, insights from pastoral care, psychological research, and principles of resilience training to formulate a comprehensive framework for healing. This multifaceted approach acknowledges the necessity of addressing both spiritual and psychological dimensions of recovery.
A key element of the book is the "Self-Brain Surgery School," which provides practical strategies for reshaping distorted thoughts and cultivating healthier habits. Grounded in his medical background and personal experiences, this approach empowers readers with concrete tools for transformation, accessible even to those without clinical training.
Though occasionally startling in its revelations, Warren's direct and honest writing style is intentional. His openness demonstrates that even individuals with professional expertise in trauma must face their emotional challenges. This vulnerability creates a sense of companionship, reassuring readers they are not alone in their struggles.
The exploration of choice in healing is particularly compelling. Warren urges readers to reflect on their relationship with pain and ponder whether they have permitted their suffering to shape their identity. This shift in perspective is articulated beautifully, recognizing the reality of trauma while highlighting the power of choice in response.
Warren skillfully intertwines principles of positive psychology with biblical wisdom, forming a robust foundation for healing that appeals to Christian readers and individuals from various faith backgrounds. This combination highlights that trauma recovery frequently necessitates multiple tools and perspectives.
While the book's raw honesty about trauma may be intimidating for some, it is an essential resource for those seeking genuine healing rather than superficial comfort. Warren's hope is hard-earned and authentic, reflecting the challenging nature of recovery.
"Hope is the First Dose" is vital to any healing resource library. It is invaluable for trauma survivors, their families, and professionals seeking to understand the recovery journey. Warren's expert combination of professional insight, personal experience, and spiritual guidance provides a unique and powerful roadmap for navigating life's toughest challenges.
This book offers hope and outlines a practical, well-researched, and spiritually grounded path to healing. It acknowledges the challenges of the journey while emphasizing the potential for growth through adversity.
What sets this book apart is its seamless integration of clinical knowledge with personal narrative. Warren openly shares his journey of pain and healing, enabling readers to develop a close connection with his experiences. The book is organized into five sections and offers a structured roadmap for those confronting their "Massive Things"—Warren's term for life's significant challenges.
Warren's methodology is notably effective in synthesizing diverse sources of wisdom. He combines Scripture, insights from pastoral care, psychological research, and principles of resilience training to formulate a comprehensive framework for healing. This multifaceted approach acknowledges the necessity of addressing both spiritual and psychological dimensions of recovery.
A key element of the book is the "Self-Brain Surgery School," which provides practical strategies for reshaping distorted thoughts and cultivating healthier habits. Grounded in his medical background and personal experiences, this approach empowers readers with concrete tools for transformation, accessible even to those without clinical training.
Though occasionally startling in its revelations, Warren's direct and honest writing style is intentional. His openness demonstrates that even individuals with professional expertise in trauma must face their emotional challenges. This vulnerability creates a sense of companionship, reassuring readers they are not alone in their struggles.
The exploration of choice in healing is particularly compelling. Warren urges readers to reflect on their relationship with pain and ponder whether they have permitted their suffering to shape their identity. This shift in perspective is articulated beautifully, recognizing the reality of trauma while highlighting the power of choice in response.
Warren skillfully intertwines principles of positive psychology with biblical wisdom, forming a robust foundation for healing that appeals to Christian readers and individuals from various faith backgrounds. This combination highlights that trauma recovery frequently necessitates multiple tools and perspectives.
While the book's raw honesty about trauma may be intimidating for some, it is an essential resource for those seeking genuine healing rather than superficial comfort. Warren's hope is hard-earned and authentic, reflecting the challenging nature of recovery.
"Hope is the First Dose" is vital to any healing resource library. It is invaluable for trauma survivors, their families, and professionals seeking to understand the recovery journey. Warren's expert combination of professional insight, personal experience, and spiritual guidance provides a unique and powerful roadmap for navigating life's toughest challenges.
This book offers hope and outlines a practical, well-researched, and spiritually grounded path to healing. It acknowledges the challenges of the journey while emphasizing the potential for growth through adversity.
February 15, 2024
(4.5 stars)
I guess this is the third book by W. Lee Warren and naturally I got to this one first. Apparently, his first book is about his time as a neurosurgeon working with the Army in Iraq; his second book is about the tragic death of his nineteen year-old son in suspicious circumstances; this third book no doubt takes off from where the second left off with the aim of presenting a treatment plan for recovering from trauma (as the title says). I liked the book very much.
I won't bother explaining the treatment plan, which is presented simply, but obviously is going to take some time and effort to implement if you've experienced trauma, you can read the book for that. The value in the book is that Mr. Warren lays out the plan, which he himself has practiced. The author is very open and honest about his own struggles with grief, the crazy, negative thoughts, the "might-have-beens" etc. Exactly what you'd expect from someone going through grief. It's perhaps the most honest grief book I've read.
The only slight issue I noticed was Mr. Warren explains the death of King David's son from the framework of trauma and he has an interesting (if wrong) take on King David's reaction to his son's death. I won't bother explaining, but the king's reaction to his son's death is explained by the text itself and it doesn't have to do with David's trauma, it has to do with God's plan in light of David's sin with Bathsheba (from whence the child came).
At any rate, this is a very good book and well worth reading for we are all going to experience grief in this life.
I guess this is the third book by W. Lee Warren and naturally I got to this one first. Apparently, his first book is about his time as a neurosurgeon working with the Army in Iraq; his second book is about the tragic death of his nineteen year-old son in suspicious circumstances; this third book no doubt takes off from where the second left off with the aim of presenting a treatment plan for recovering from trauma (as the title says). I liked the book very much.
I won't bother explaining the treatment plan, which is presented simply, but obviously is going to take some time and effort to implement if you've experienced trauma, you can read the book for that. The value in the book is that Mr. Warren lays out the plan, which he himself has practiced. The author is very open and honest about his own struggles with grief, the crazy, negative thoughts, the "might-have-beens" etc. Exactly what you'd expect from someone going through grief. It's perhaps the most honest grief book I've read.
The only slight issue I noticed was Mr. Warren explains the death of King David's son from the framework of trauma and he has an interesting (if wrong) take on King David's reaction to his son's death. I won't bother explaining, but the king's reaction to his son's death is explained by the text itself and it doesn't have to do with David's trauma, it has to do with God's plan in light of David's sin with Bathsheba (from whence the child came).
At any rate, this is a very good book and well worth reading for we are all going to experience grief in this life.
September 4, 2024
This book has much to commend it. Dr. Warren's family went through a devastating loss, and his recovery from that loss (though it will always be a part of him) so that he can keep from being consumed by it, is inspiring. He also bases parts of it on Scripture, particularly the lessons from Lamentations. And his charts on how various people react to crises are particularly good resources. Some people crash; some people dip and then recover, and two other forms of reactions are presented in graph form and are really good.
I just wish that good authors like Dr. Warren could absorb one truth: that it's possible to talk about yourself, and write about yourself, without it coming across as self-absorbed. While in a book that includes memoir information an author obviously has to refer to himself, it can be minimized. It's not necessary to name your "treatment plan" after yourself. It's not necessary to constantly be referring to your past books and things the reader already knows. And please get rid of some of the references to I, me, and my. It's just too much of yourself in a book that can be very useful to struggling people.
I just wish that good authors like Dr. Warren could absorb one truth: that it's possible to talk about yourself, and write about yourself, without it coming across as self-absorbed. While in a book that includes memoir information an author obviously has to refer to himself, it can be minimized. It's not necessary to name your "treatment plan" after yourself. It's not necessary to constantly be referring to your past books and things the reader already knows. And please get rid of some of the references to I, me, and my. It's just too much of yourself in a book that can be very useful to struggling people.
July 18, 2025
For anyone who has experienced trauma of any kind, and especially for those that feel stuck, this book provides guidance on how to find that first dose of hope, and then how to continue the treatment of what Dr. Warren describes as self-brain surgery (no cutting required!) and rehab. The stories and analogies he shares as a neurosurgeon add interest and enhance understanding, and are clearly written even for someone outside the medical field. You’ll find that he doesn’t begin to describe the treatment plan until part 4 of the book — more than half way through — but the details shared earlier are critical to understanding his personal journey and learning which enabled him to develop the plan, so don’t give up.
August 24, 2025
I've read the book written before this ("I've seen the end of you") and while it was excellent, it left me with many questions. This book answered many questions about Dr. Warren's story but also was full of wisdom about how you recover from tragedy. The first book felt like something was missing because it was - they were still wrestling through their own grief and weren't on the other side. This book was written when they found peace. That makes it more practical because he tells you what to do when you go through your own TMT (that massive thing) that blows up your life. I really enjoyed this book but also see it as a reference that I will go back to in difficult seasons or when those I love are going through trials.
August 26, 2025
This is the second book I have read from this author. He is very open and honest about his struggles and the conversations he has with others that move him along in his recovery from TMT. He calls it 'The Massive Thing' or 'TMT'. Everyone goes through a life trauma that causes tremendous pain and invokes in us a sense of being lost or out of control. They trigger emotional and even physical problems that reach into every area of our lives and are, in every way, massive things. There is so much good information in here that I'm considering reading the book a second time!
He also has a podcast The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast and a website www.wleewarrenmd.com
He also has a podcast The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast and a website www.wleewarrenmd.com
September 9, 2023
SO GOOD. Just so good. I read this whole book in less than 24 hours — maybe because it felt like a much-needed lifeline.
In the past few years, I experienced a few of what the author calls “TMTs,” or significant traumatic events, and am approaching the anniversary of another. Unfortunately, I’ve been “sucked into the black hole of hopelessness” more often than I care to admit, to the point lately where it has almost become a comfy place to move in and hang out.
Some of the writing style is corny, but the message is spot on. Grateful.
In the past few years, I experienced a few of what the author calls “TMTs,” or significant traumatic events, and am approaching the anniversary of another. Unfortunately, I’ve been “sucked into the black hole of hopelessness” more often than I care to admit, to the point lately where it has almost become a comfy place to move in and hang out.
Some of the writing style is corny, but the message is spot on. Grateful.
November 13, 2024
I found this book after I finished, I’ve Seen the End of You. The author tackles questions that have no good answer. He is raw and honest with his journey. It is beautiful how he weaves patients stories with his own grief journey and also biblical references he can turn to that helps him navigate his own struggles. I’ve listened to both books on audio and highly suggest it. It’s like having a friend walk through it with you with his narration. I hope he has more books to come, because they leave you feeling filled with hope and peace in the parts of life we can’t make sense of.
September 10, 2023
I really needed this book right now. Written by W Lee Warren MD, it takes us through how a traumatic event does not become THE traumatic event. He writes from personal experience walking through an overwhelming loss of his son and also professional experience of walking with patients through life altering diseases. He writes about how faith and hope will shape our experience and how we can hold on to hope to bring us through, changed, maybe even scared, but transformed, not destroyed.
October 21, 2023
Encouraging Book
I really felt comfort from Dr. Warrens book during a challenging time in my life. It had not occured to me that I was depressed until I started reading Hope is the First Dose. I felt comforted and have been encouraged with the understanding we all have challenges. Healing comes from going forward not backward and looking for hope renewed each day. Praise God!
I really felt comfort from Dr. Warrens book during a challenging time in my life. It had not occured to me that I was depressed until I started reading Hope is the First Dose. I felt comforted and have been encouraged with the understanding we all have challenges. Healing comes from going forward not backward and looking for hope renewed each day. Praise God!
December 29, 2023
I have read all three of Dr. Warrens books. They are all really good. This one I found exceptional. I have so many take aways and insights that I am learning from this book, that I had to purchase it because I can’t remember them all. So much insight about the power of hope. His true feelings of dealing with the trauma he has suffered with the loss of his son. Much appreciation for his sharing of his path through all of his emotions.
January 23, 2024
I have an entire bookshelf devoted to books on loss, grief, and trauma, so it was a surprise to find a book that is markedly different than any I've read to this point. Most books I've read are written from a pastoral or personal view. Still, while this one is undoubtedly personal, it's from the perspective of a neurosurgeon and former combat surgeon (in Iraq)... and grieving father. Powerful and highly readable. I took notes and intend to read again and again.
February 21, 2024
I have read Dr Warren’s last 3 books and each have resonated personally and professionally as I work in healthcare as an ICU RN. You don’t have to be a religious person (like myself) to connect to Dr Warren’s story, experiences and how-to-guide on becoming a better human and getting back on track after suffering TMT. Highly recommend if you’ve suffered loss of any kind and needing help on overcoming.
January 10, 2025
Overall it was a lot of story and really not a lot of help. The "help" ended up being about 3 pages or so, but i did underline some things throughout the book. Some of the stories that he told did tell a story in itself, so there were many lessons in the book if you are looking for them. I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the big "reveal" of this brain surgery, and it ended up being some things i already knew to do.
May 7, 2025
loss of a child….
I have never buried a child, but I have an absurd number of friends who have….one who is likely to do it for the second time. I suppose it reveals an area where I struggle to trust God….a belief that ‘people shouldnt have to bury their children.’ This book has brought healing to me, given me understanding for my grieving friends, and been applicable to my life and the small t traumas I’ve experienced. HIGHLY recommend.
I have never buried a child, but I have an absurd number of friends who have….one who is likely to do it for the second time. I suppose it reveals an area where I struggle to trust God….a belief that ‘people shouldnt have to bury their children.’ This book has brought healing to me, given me understanding for my grieving friends, and been applicable to my life and the small t traumas I’ve experienced. HIGHLY recommend.
August 4, 2023
Dr. Warren is a military Veteran and Neurosurgeon. This book is about his TBT (That Massive Thing) and how you get to decide whether this event will leave you bitter or better. These tragedies happen to all of us. I highly recommend that this book be on your bookshelf before your own personal TBT enters your life!
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