Reviews tagging 'War'

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

36 reviews

lexi_ag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is one of those books that completely reframes the way you think about other books. Every piece of this was heartbreaking inspiring and amazing. The audiobook is so phenomenal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Sexual assault

eliya's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

heartbreakingly raw and hard to listen to at points. stephanie foo shares some truly horrifying memories.

fascinating approaches to CPTSD

• some approaches i’m familiar with, some i’ve only day-dreamed about haha. 
• would love to approach conversation in a Nathan Fielder’s “the rehearsal” way lol. gave me some sold things to bring to my therapist when i have one. made me reconsider the way i interact in conversations. 

very informative, kept coming back to the body and physiological responses to trauma, as the title suggests.

• lots of information regarding generational trauma and how it effects people of color. 
• i was particularly intrigued by the
  rat study about generational trauma

cringy / cheesy at some points, as is the nature with healing books. some eyeroll moments where the author acknowledges very briefly but very obviously obligatorily her class privileges to be able to access this type of care. ultimately helpful for me as a reader, though, to see what type of healing is possible (?) even though it definitely feels out of reach rn. 

truly moving and hopeful.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, War, Body shaming, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Fatphobia, and Medical trauma

cheechica's review against another edition

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

5.0

The first third is definitely super triggering for anyone who has experienced abuse. But the lady third is hopeful and enlightening. Felt like reading SparkNotes on cPTSD. The audio recordings of therapy were my favorite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and War

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

hades_hotline's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

this book broke me apart and pieced me back together. it is so raw and so full of anguish and yet at the same time it’s hopeful in the most beautiful way.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Self harm and War

marta_gaspar's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gaslighting and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and War

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

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

meganriner's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

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

samcsmith's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders

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

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Chronic illness

Minor: War and Racism

martieliz's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

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

Minor: War and Suicidal thoughts