Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

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

29 reviews

epiphyte's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Colonisation

rubellaface's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Quick caveat: I do not have C-PTSD. I am a second-generation Filipino American who grew up to have high-functioning anxiety & depression due to tiger parenting, growing up Asian American, and being forced to become an alpha daughter. 

Reading this book triggered me and had me questioning my reality and how I’ve often laughed-off or disassociated my personal trauma in order to succeed in life (and therefore be perceived as being okay). Her coping mechanisms were/are my coping mechanisms, and funnily enough, I didn’t even realize they were coping mechanisms. So as Stephanie went down the rabbit hole of finding out what her bones know and how to fix it, I was right beside her– transfixed and checking my own bones for fissures and trauma from similar situations in my family life. 

Cause Stephanie Foo does not pull her punches when recounting her childhood. Every abusive situation is described in a way that is almost clinical and ripe for analyzing. Her book is basically an emotional autopsy of her trauma, and the way she uses her journalism background to thoroughly vet every single c-ptsd-related therapy is both thrilling and heartbreaking. As a reader, you want Stephanie to find a therapy that works for her and that can “cure” her, and I just wanted to hug her each time a practice or therapist failed her. 

Needless to say, I was emotionally invested in Stephanie’s book. I cried towards the end as she found stable ground and the tools to fight for her peace of mind. And I cried again at the similarities in how we approached our weddings and wedding guests. Her healing journey echoed and reaffirmed my own, and I will recommend this book to all my AAPI friends who I know have gone through sh*t and are trying their best.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Very triggering. Sometimes in a good way.

birbmcbirb's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is THE book I now recommend about C-PTSD. To both those with it, and those trying to understand it. I wasnt left drained and triggered like so many other CPTSD books, and Ms. Foo is a wonderful writer. I powdered through this book in 3 days, and it only took that long because I was busy each day. Any other mental health book would have left me triggered and burnt out, this book amazingly did not, but not because it pulled punches in talking about abuse and recovery. Im going to be so annoying about suggesting everyone reads this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Grief, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

edeanreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation

meganriner's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

courtney_scott1025's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Wow. Never have I felt so seen and connected to someone's journey. I was diagnosed with CPTSD due to neglect/emotional abuse by my mother. Stephanie's life is much more traumatic than I will ever know, but it was so powerful. I couldn't stop listening. Her resilience, her story, her words were just so inspiring. If you think you have CPTSD, pick up this book. You will not regret it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

izarah's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

how does one speak about this book? i need to gather my thoughts. it’s definitely a lot better than the body keeps the score. 

“it’s not the fights that matter. it’s the repairs” i love this way of reframing conflict. 

there’s so many parts i’ve had to sit back and reflect on but for now i’ll just give that line. 

so vulnerable and informative yet heartbreaking in less than 300 pages 
i just wish i had a physical copy (which i will be purchasing) so i could add in my notes. very validating. love the tools she mentioned to help people in similar positions or on their own healing journey. love that she got the help she needed! i might be biased for giving it 5 stars given it’s my area of interest but it was so good! i’d recommend to anyone and everyone just to see a refreshing yet blunt perspective 

full review may be written once i have a copy of my own 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lestatsoul's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Colonisation

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

madeleinebay's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Deportation

Minor: Confinement, Genocide, Rape, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Deportation