Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

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

10 reviews

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

dianewhitley's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Racism, and Toxic relationship

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.

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

daisy2050's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

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

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

pnwolivia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Incredible memoir and psycho education resource for cPTSD survivors and the folks who love them.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

beccarwolf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

Minor: Self harm

koyalites's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

i really said fuck it to my no star rating for non fiction books  rule 

Know My Bones is such a raw and detailed insight on the author’s experience and journey with complex PTSD and the abuse she experienced growing up. i highly recommend the audiobook as it had some recordings from her therapy sessions that were fascinating to listen to, especially due to how the two of them try to close read their conversations and analyse her immediate reactions and thoughts. so many revelations and self reflection came with this reading/listening experience. it helped that her writing is just beautiful, it captured so much of her pain and grief and joy and fear, it validated all of it, it made me feel those things with her.

stephanie foo, being a woman of color also brings about a new set of challenges when trying to navigate not just the world in its fucked state but also her trauma. there were sections that delve into how regular interactions with racism can literally change the shape of your brain cause you’re in a constant state of danger, it talks about inter generational trauma not just on a personal level but scientifically, how it can have a impact on the formation of your children’s brains, etc.
there’s also an interesting deeper dive on asian families and mental health, clearly a lot of research was put into this book to provide a nuanced take on this.

overall, this book was not only educational, it was also incredibly hopeful and relatable. so many of her struggles & fears when approaching relationships & life in general mirrored some of mine as well, and just listening to her journey (and she doesn’t shy away from anything), it just idk it made me sob a lot. highly, highly recommend, i really needed this one. 

”love begets love.”

tw: child abuse, suicide/suicide attempt, racism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Racism, and Suicide attempt