Complex PTSD

From Surviving to Thriving

De: Pete Walker

Narrado por: Paul Brion

The causes of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder range from severe neglect to monstrous abuse. Many survivors grew up in houses that were not homes - in families that were as loveless as orphanages and sometimes as dangerous. If you felt unwanted, unliked, rejected, hated, and/or despised for a lengthy portion of your childhood, trauma may be deeply engrained in your mind, soul, and body.

This book is a practical guide to recovering from lingering childhood trauma. It is copiously illustrated with examples of the author's and his clients' journeys of recovering. It is a comprehensive self-help guide for working through the toxic legacy of the past and for achieving a rich and fulfilling life.

©2014 Pete Walker (P)2018 Tantor

A Quantum Leap to Healing

Damn. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought this would be just another book that may or may not offer some tidbits of advice. This is not that book. This book can heal the world. This book can heal generational trauma. This is THAT book. Self blame? Nope. Shame. I see you. Making myself small to make someone else comfortable. C’ya. 30+ years of therapy, Hoffman, more therapy. I’ve tried everything I could to get some traction away from the nightmare of those first years of my life. Maybe it all prepared me to meet this work with open arms, to welcome it fully into shaking those final, but hitherto intractable bits of pain that I thought would never shake loose. I was broken. Damaged. A loser. I wish I had found you sooner...but, I found you and for this I’m grateful. Thank you, Pete Walker, for sharing your story and your work. I’m released and I know the gifts of this will ripple out to those around me. This book can change the world. One life at a time. Let it change yours.

If you only read one book on C-PSTD- this is it.

I have listened to this book three times now and each time I have a several profound "Ah-ha" moments. I found the narrator's voice to be calming, factual, warm, and not having to be theatrical to keep my attention. I appreciate that this book not only talks about what C-PTSD is, but then spends great deal of time on how to process and heal from it. This book has helped me manage my daily internal life where I suffer from debilitating panic and anxiety, as well as helped me with handling relationships that are negatively impacted by C-PTSD.

This book has changed my life

Amazingly useful book. The best resource for learning about CPTSD. Clear and calm narration. I can't recommend it enough!

Very good but maybe a bit dated

I found the book overall very helpful. My therapist believes I have CPTSD and not BPD. But there is something troubling about this book to me: I did not agree with how the author views people with BPD as fundamentally narcissistic at their core. This does nothing but perpetuate a dangerous and tired old stigma. This is the actual quote:

“I have worked with several clients who were unfairly labelled borderline by themselves or others. I could however tell by the quality of their hearts, that they were not. This was evidenced by their essential kindness and goodwill to others, which they always return to when the flashback resolves. They also exhibit this in their ability to feel and show true remorse when they hurt another, as we are all destined to do from time to time. Unlike the true borderline who has a narcissistic core, they can sincerely apologise and make amends when appropriate.”

People with BPD - because even if I don’t have it, I know several others who genuinely do - are not fundamentally predatory or inherently narcissistic. These are some of the most empathetic and gentle souls I’ve had the privilege of meeting. They want so desperately to be understood too. Cluster B personalities can be very difficult to treat but BPD is the most treatable personality disorder by far.

Thank you for reading. I felt it was important that someone pointed this out in the reviews.

If you can only read one book on cPTSD

make it this one. It has changed my life. I will refer to it often.