Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

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

10 reviews

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.

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

baileycowen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Grief, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

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

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Self harm, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Car accident, and Addiction

clarabooksit's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

I’m not good at reviewing books that wow me, but this blew me away. I love a book that both moves me and educates me, and this did both in spades.

Foo narrates her journey toward self-discovery and well-being with incredible candor and immersive storytelling. Her writing feels effortless and inclusive: it’s not just her story but an invitation to the reader to join her on her journey.

I loved it. Highly, highly recommend. A favorite of the year, for sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Addiction, Mental illness, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Suicide, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma

Minor: Death and War

hinatakaname's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Child abuse, Addiction, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Death of parent

wetdirtreads's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Racism, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Hate crime, and War

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Abandonment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Grief, Child abuse, Violence, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Death, Alcohol, Rape, Addiction, Police brutality, Bullying, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Hate crime, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, War, Excrement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, and Cancer

lilcoppertop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dysphoria, Grief, Alcoholism, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, and Violence