Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

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

27 reviews

sarahbeaman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

finishing this book felt like letting out a lifelong exhale. what a gorgeous, reflective and well-researched memoir about growing up and growing through complex ptsd, and about how love and family always find those who are brave enough to reach for them (despite despite despite).

i saw so much of myself in this book while also learning so much about the unique complexities of c-ptsd for people of colour or anyone from a marginalised group. one that will stay with me, i hope, for a long long time.

quotes that stuck out to me:

“Being healed isn't about fecling nothing. Being healed is about feeling the appropriate emotions at the appropriate times and still being able to come back to yourself.”

"Love is not a finite resource, something you have to mete out carefully like a package of Oreos. Instead, providing love begets more love, which begets more and more love.“

”I decide I'll get to washing up when I get to it. I'll get to everything when I get to it. The world will keep turning. The tacos are delicious, and I take my time eating them. And then I'm marveling: Oh, wow. Maybe this life I’ve got is going to be spectacular, after all.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, Mental illness, Child abuse, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

rubellaface's review against another edition

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

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

Very triggering. Sometimes in a good way.

kenrya's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Eating disorder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, and Cursing

kat_c_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

Although our traumas are significantly different, so much of Stephanies story resonates with me. Her avoidance of people due to her family trauma mirrors mine. Although this book is challenging to read, I am so grateful for this book. There is hope for healing trauma.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

mangomerle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Classism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

britbooth's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, and Mental illness

jshapiro12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Racism, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Bullying, Addiction, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Panic attacks/disorders

ruthmartinartist's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Addiction, Racial slurs, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Torture, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Body shaming

rhubarbpi3's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book was so well written. I feel like it’s hard to find people who are curious about themselves and the world in the same way as Foo, and I really appreciated her authorial voice and the content which she wrote about. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

jburkespraker's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Not sure what to add as a trigger warning because there a so many. I loved the short chapters and the way she pulls the audio recordings in at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Genocide, Violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Car accident, Physical abuse, Self harm, Grief, Racism, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent