Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

234 reviews

jayasilog's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

i cried and i cried and i cried, so grateful to the author for being able to share her story and perspective especially as a seasian woman under capitalism!!!! so good!!!! i read the body keeps the score but this was a book that i actually felt like i learned and loved bc i felt seen!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

bedroominarles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

felishacb's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

catandherbooks's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

I know what a lot of people say about rating memoirs, that you can't define a person's life and story with stars and numbers but as I was reading this I felt something. Not The Dread but something like dread, a heaviness on my heart and an ache on my stomach. I just want to (make sure I) remember that. 

Thank you Stephanie for writing this book. I wish you nothing but the best life has to offer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

madisongturner's review

3.75

I think this is a great alternative to some popular books on how PTSD can affect our bodies. It feels incredibly personal, but I'm thankful for the author letting us into their life through such an intimate retelling. I related to a lot as someone with chronic illness and trauma, but specifically this really helped me understand those I love who have C-PTSD. 

Definitely make sure you read content warnings before reading! While I know this is realistic because it is a retelling of the author's experiences, it can be a bit shocking to listen-especially if you resonate with some of the experiences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

wild_er_ness's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

4.75

‘There was a psychiatrist who tried to put me on Prozac. I quoted Brave New World. “I want to know what passion is! I want to feel something strongly!” The psychiatrist responded, “I think that passion might be a chemical imbalance.”’

‘I didn’t just understand the weight of my abuse logically. I felt it, like a blade through flesh, like a bone popping out of place. I felt it like a lover saying it’s not going to work: sharp, immediate, and terrifying. I actually felt, with searing clarity, the horror of what happened to me—maybe for the first time ever. I felt how tremendously sad it was that I was forced to make my parents feel loved at such a young age. I felt how courageous I must have been to endure that torture, day after day for so many years, by the people I trusted most in this world. I felt a sense of love and adoration for my childhood self that I’d never been able to summon before.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, and Grief

Minor: Racism and War

colleenmdavis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, and Abandonment

reenum's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

maddy4prezident's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

This was such a fast, informative book and it was so well written. So much so that I found myself recommending it to people before I even finished. Foo's narrative style is at once both rich with information and full of character and personality that makes it a fast, enjoyable read. Her willingness to be vulnerable and admit her own shortcomings while still focusing on a generally positive and hopeful arc made the book an excellent read. It invited reader to relate to Foo while also reflecting on their own experiences and applying the knowledge she imparts into the reader's own life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Grief, Alcohol, and Colonisation

martieliz's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Racism, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and War