A review by readtome_sheri
Cul-De-Sac by Joy Fielding

5.0

This was definitely a riveting listen…probably a four-star thriller for me. But I’m adding an extra star for the accurate portrayal of PTSD. So often we hear that when the amygdala turns on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in response to a life-threatening trauma, it activates the “fight-or-flight” response. If you google anything about the SNS, “fight-or-flight” is how it is typically defined. In reality, it is actually the fight / flight / freeze response. My issue with leaving out the third F—the freeze—is that unless the victim of a violent crime is lucky enough to find a brilliant therapist that helps them understand that it’s not just fight or flight—it is also freeze, he or she will carry around even more shame throughout their life as they hear people referring to only “fight or flight.” Because then they can’t help but believe the assault was definitely their fault because they know that they did not fight or flee…they froze. No one needs any extra shame!