PTSD Books

I received the book quickly and it was in good condition but the book is strange and very long, but I'm getting through it.

I just finished your book I loved it so much that I just didn't want it to end.
I related to just about everything you went through. My parents also went through the war as Partisans in the woods of Poland and White Russia and then came to Montreal.
Thank you so much for writing this book. I must confess that
I laughed and cried but the last 100 pages of your book brought back so many memories for example singing to my father on his death bed \"OYFIN PRIPITCHEK BRENT A FAYERL, UN IN SHTUB IS HEYS. UN DER REBELY LERNT KLEYNE KINDERLEKH DEM ALDF-BEZ.\"
I saw you at Lynn University when you were in Boca Raton and had the
pleasure of meeting you and Fabrizio,gee I hope I remembered his name, but you know who I mean the cute Italian. You signed my book and I will cherish it forever.
Again, thank you so very much this book really made a difference to me.
Lots of Luck, from one survivor to another Sarah Johnson.

Great book! The stories you related, made me laugh and cry with you.It was truly a walk down memory lane. You have successfully memorialized Cote St Luc, forever.Sheila

Hanala Stadner writes an amazing narative of her life, beginning with a childhood of loneliness and need. Her parents, survivors of the Holocaust, do not seem to be able to understand her travails which include normal childhood growing pains. She bitterly leaves home and is able to work as a semi-employed actor. Her pain follows her as she stumbles into drug and alcohol abuse. Just when the reader is totally disgusted with her, she begins a long road to recovery and self discovery. This well written book will make you laugh and make you cry. I would heartily recommend it.

Stadner's book is well written and fun. She tells her stories in writing even better than she delivers them in person, and this book is loaded with all kinds of memories, each one tugging at a different heart string. She hits home over and over, and that familiarity makes it even more entertaining. At times, I found myself agreeing with her out loud, or calling my sister to remind her of something I hadn't thought of in years. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Rothschild does a great job of explaining the relationship between trauma and its impact on the body/mind and how listening to the body can play an important role in recovering from traumatic experiences.

It's quite technical and not the type of book I enjoy reading in sequence. I found it much more interesting to read different sections on a "need to know" basis. I was sometimes amazed at how well it applied to my own experiences.

Shipped quickly and in wonderful condition. A perfect book for anyone studying about trauma.

This book gives a very good explanation of trauma and some excellent examples of how to work with it. The information may not be new to those working in the field, but it is the clearest description of brain functioning and trauma that I have read and the treatments she offers are very usable. I highly recommend this book especially for those just learning about trauma or new to working with the clients body.

I read this book cover to cover. I found it extremely easy to read. I have recommended this book to several of my colleagues that assist patients with trauma. I feel like this book could be also given to patients. I felt it contained enough biological data to assist persons to understand the basis for the trauma response.

This book is wonderful. It is the best of many books I have read on trauma's effects and the treatment of trauma survivors. As a survivor myself, I found the book immensely calming. It illuminated many things I did not notice and explained so many parts of myself that I have lost touch with or no longer understand. Most importantly, it gave truly effective ways of communicating with myself and my body in order to calm myself and learn effective coping mechanisms.

Aside from all that, the book is just plain interesting. The mind-body connection is a fascinating thing. Wow!

Being the wife of a combat Marine I really learned alot from Doc's book. I read the book all the way through and this is a book that is alive. Our heroes sacrifice so much for us and if it wasn't for them we would not have our freedom. Doc, thank you for helping me understand more about PTSD and what y'all went through. I don't give this book a 5 star rating , I give it a 10 star rating.

I was to young to actually know the impact that this war had on our men and women. This book by Mr McFall gets right to his heart and his feelings. It is so powerful! I believe that this book should be used in many ways to help communicate the effects that war has on an individual. God bless our men and women who have served our great country!
Thank you Mr McFall and may God continue to bless you and your family!

A combat medic lives war at its worst, and remembers every terrified scream of it.

There are the memories of those who were treated and made it home; of those whose wounds were beyond treatment despite heroic efforts.

Those memories are as fresh today as the emotions were at the time of treatment; memories of soldiers and civilians gushing blood; memories of soldiers and civilians having body parts torn and cascading into all the wrong places.

For E. Everett McFall, there are the memories of jumbled body parts and attempts to put them together to form the remains of what were once men - individual men with loved ones, hopes, talents, and dreams that dripped into the red soil or into the floor of the jungle.

There are no fancy words here. His words are direct, his pain drips off the pages and into the heart of the reader.

McFall writes from the heart. He writes from a soul splintered and haunted by 365 days that have been lived over and over and over again for the last 40 years.

We measure war in terms of dollar costs; in counts of the dead; in counts of the wounded.
But we have yet to learn to measure war in terms of lives ruined by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We have yet to learn to measure the losses of those who love those who come home with PTSD.

We have yet to learn the true face of war. E. Ernest McFall provides the reader with a vivid and heart tearing word portrait of the hideous face of war; of the plague of PTSD; of the rending of soul by survivor's guilt and questions of why am I still here when so very many others are not.

Pfc Jay E. Keck contributes his poetry to I Can Still Hear Their Cries. May I ask you to direct your attention to the last lines of his Sand Soldiers and pay heed to his admonition, as there are all kinds, as he points out in another poem, all kinds of Bogeymen contributing to PTSD - even those who should have, and in truth did, know better.


I Can Still Hear Their Cries is a story of the long, long road home. It is a tale that will speak to other Veterans who suffer PTSD. It is a tale needed by those who love those with PTSD to help them understand.

McFall tells you, loud and clear, that drugs and alcohol only bury the pain deeper, rather than excavating it and getting help to go through it to healing.

McFall notes that he is still in the process of finding his way home. It is a long road.

But I Can Still Hear Their Cries may open your eyes to the possibility that there is, in fact, a road home for you too - should you choose to come up from the dark to the Light.

Take the first step - there are many, many around to help you - just reach out - someone is there waiting to walk point for you.

Mr. McFall uses a combination of stories and poems to pull the reader into the pain and turmoil of living with PTSD. This book is a MUST READ for veterans and their families and friends who struggle to understand the scars left from battle.

We have been told the Vietnam veterans' story many times before. We've seen it in the movies, in books, on TV, and on the corners of our streets. Yet, in an intimate way, in E. Everett McFall's book, `I Can Still Hear Their Cries, Even in My Sleep,' the inner struggle of the Vietnam Vet comes home yet again. This time the reflections come from within. Having read `Born on the Fourth of July,' and seen 'Platoon,' I feel that McFall properly takes us to a new dimension, focusing on the inner torment that won't shut off.

Consisting of reflections, resources, and nearly thirty poems, he focuses on the pride, bitterness, and fragility of his service as a US Marine Hospital Corpsman in The Vietnam War from 1966-67. Whether in prose or in poetry, he won't ever let us forget their sacrifices. Noting that some have forgotten the Vets of the War, the Vets of the War have taken it home with them and can't ever forget. In detail, sometimes graphic at others subdued, he shares images of the grim reality in battle that haunt him--and probably will haunt him until death.

The title is a bare-bones description of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD). In his introduction McFall concisely states that "It's an instant video play-back in my mind, with cranial surround sound." That playback is given a stark treatment in poems such as "Death Angel" and "Flashback". Whether drawing from elements of traditional poetry or relying on rap-like structure, the subject matter changes with the rhythm. In "Patrol on Ambush" and "The Ooorah Warrior" the repetition reflects the routine of a marine waiting for the next development in "combat hell." At other times the rhythm is more irregular to reflect the chaos and death that surround him. To round out his repertoire, "Heavenly Star" and "Brotherhood" add much needed hope to the experience.

But the main focus is on the indelible memories of trauma and death. "Tic Tic Tic" and "Undying Memories" are each aptly titled for their flashback resonance in waking moments that rush into consciousness. Flanking McFall's work are sample poems by fellow veteran Pfc. Jay E. Keck and anonymous poems (which is entirely appropriate given the unknown soldier element of every war). The guide ends with a short, poignant reflection and a resource guide for the veteran suffering from PTSD, including a handy guideline for filling out forms for VA claims.

Whether approached as a cathartic guide for fellow veterans or a route to vicarious appreciation from uninitiated civilians, 'I Can Still Hear Their Cries,...' is an essential portal to understanding the trauma of selfless veterans of a tragic War. Clearly by McFall's writings, the repercussions are still being fought today. If you were at the front lines of the War or at the front of the picket lines--or even too young to remember--Ernest McFall's little book will have a big impact on how you feel about those who served their country at such a fragile time in our history.

After 35 years, finally something that starts to put together some of the pieces. Dean has hit the nail on the head for me, although only about 30% of the book really relates to my experiences. I still need some answers, but now have a better idea of how to find them.

This is a great book to enable soldiers to come to terms with the effects of PTSD. It is the best book around on the subject.

This is one of the finest books written for Vietnam veterans and their families, and I've read many. As a former wife of a Vietnam vet, I know too well the emotional devastation that was visited on those of us who were ill prepared for the return of our loved ones, suffering from psychic war wounds.
This book spells out what PTSD is, in clear, understandable language. How I wish I'd had this book years ago, but I am eternally grateful for Chuck Dean's courage and insight into this subject. He is helping so many of us find a way to put our trauma in perspective, and find meaning in our experience. Thank you, Chuck, for writing this book!!

I am a social worker with the Dept of Veterans Affairs and work closely with many Vietnam vets. This book put their experience in perspective for me. My father is also a Vietnam Vet and I have urged him to read this book. I have read many books on treating PTSD and about the Vietnam War, but this, by far, is the finest book I own regarding both of those topics.

Since 1975, nearly three times as many Vietnam veterans have committed suicide than were killed in the war, the divorce rate among Vietnam veterans is above 90 percent, and between 40 and 60 percent of Vietnam combatants have persistent problems related to the war. What is the cause of these terrible statistics, and how can Vietnam veterans cope with flashbacks, depression, fits of rage and worse? Written by a Vietnam veteran, and now in a newly revised and expanded edition, Nam Vet: Making Peace with Your Past is a self-help guide that helps survivors identify the origins of self-destructive behavior with roots in the war, and make lasting peace with the past. Chapters address how to deal with recurring nightmares, survival guilt, PTSD, the dangers of "self-medication" and much more. A profound, earnest and helpful book grounded in realistic appraisal of lasting personal problems relating to the war, strongly recommended for the families of veterans as well as veterans themselves.

Two Wars, by former Army Captain Nate Self is a hard hitting book on the battle of Takur Ghar aka Rescue on Roberts Ridge, and his fight against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

As the wife of a career military man, I lost the battle to tears while reading this book. Many scenes, graphic in nature during the battle, had me so choked up I could barely keep reading. Knowing how Julie Self felt on her end made it all that real for me.

The book is also a huge look into the effects of PTSD on soldiers who have experienced combat where fellow soldiers and friends have died. But this time you get a look into the mind of the officer who commanded those men. A word of caution, language used in normal everyday military life was used in this book. Tyndale was kind enough to let the reader know beforehand.

If you've never understood, been in the midst of it, or never had someone tell you what it's like, then I recommend this book for you. As my husband has said before, Veterans will not open up to civilians because we don't understand, but they will open up to other Veterans because they've been there. Once you get them to talk, they won't stop, this is their life, their horrors. Nate Self has opened the door for one and all to glimpse this inside track, and I commend him for standing up and giving all Vets and Military men and women a voice.

This is a wonderful book of a true solider being transparent with his feelings and emotions from war. It was a book I did not want to put down! I think we often times forget how much emotional trauma soliders go through and this is a great reminder to be praying for them as they fight for our freedom and to also pray for their emotional health when they return home. Thank you Nate for bearing your soul and I know helping so many others out there who have read your book!

Nate,

Thank you for sharing. You have truly honored the Soldiers with whom you served. I am sure that they are proud of you and have been impacted significantly by your story, example, and leadership -- just as each person who reads this book will be. You have truly been through a challenging and heroic time. You are an example for others to follow.

Your words in Two Wars are more than a combination of letters and your book is more than the pages, binding, and cover that comprise it -- it is a story of rescuing and being rescued. I was truly challenged to think about the parallel actions of terrorists throughout your development as a cadet and junior officer. So many different events are vital to shaping how we think, act, and live each day. The historical representations throughout the book are fresh and exciting - thank you for making the effort to incorporate history and research into an already amazing story.

Thank you for sharing and being open to help others. This story is real and it spoke volumes to me. Your story is vivid and clear but shows the complexity of combat - the desire to go, fight, and win wars but the pain and lasting mark that it leaves on our heroes.

This is a well written and interesting book. I enjoyed reading it, and getting to know the perspective of a war hero. It gives the reader a whole new light to look at these events in and makes you stop and realize that the people fighting are real people with emotions, families and internal struggles. It was reaffirming to see the integrity of this military hero.

Of the three books written about the so-called battle of Roberts Ridge, this one has the greatest sensitivity. It's personal! Ranger Capt. Nate Self got caught between the miscalculations of the Navy SEALS, and a fundamental flaw in senior command leadership. Sent on a mission to rescue the SEALS from a snowy 10,000-foot Afghanistan battleground, he lacked basic mission information. He was the uncertain leader on the ground and entering a desperate fight. But he made do. Despite the crash of his helicopter and the vulnerability of his small force, he led his Rangers smartly and with amazing courage and ingenuity Self's story details the circumstances of personal and professional truth and the equal courage and commitment of his Rangers. Destroying an enemy bunker and saving the lives of as many of his own men as he could, incluiding the SEALS, he nonethless became a victim of his circumstances--fear, death, responsibility for others and disregard for his own wounds--overtaken as he would subsequently become by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Honored by the President for his valor, he had to leave the Army to struggle with PTSD and the nation lost one its best young officers. Thus he writes a compelling story of his challenges as a soldier and the challenges of the debilitating stress of a bloody war, all underscored by his faith in himself, his troopers, and his God. A fabulous read.

CopShock hits the nail on the head, going beyond the trauma associated with "a single event," the battle cry of militant mental health professionals who refuse to recognize the long-term soul battering to which so many police officers are subjected. Instead, Kates dares to suggest that, while one traumatic incident is sufficient to set PTSD in motion, "sometimes a history of unresolved trauma will affect" the final diagnosis ('cumulative PTSD,' though he avoids the term). Officers are trained to repress their trauma and shove it away, drink it away, abuse it away for years, incident after incident. They can only do this so long before the scaffolding collapses. The lack of effective prevention programs only makes this worse.

I applaud Kates for coming right out and saying that "police officers cannot manage PTSD on there own," that they should consult a mental health professional for a diagnosis, and that "therapy is essential and medication, at least for a while, may be necessary." This is the direct kind of talk that agencies need to pay attention to as they enhance their programs.

CopShock reveals, however, that there is still dispute among the medical community on how to read the Diagnostic Manual's "official" definition of PTSD. Some take a restrictive, "sentence diagramming" approach, while others read it in light of modern learning, observation and realistic case observation. Personally, one might consider this when selecting between a departmental therapist and a personal one.

Bottom line--some gripping case studies that make clear the potent, life-threatening dangers of posttraumatic stress in law enforcement.

Andy O'Hara, Badge of Life program

For a time, Post-traumatic stress disorder was big news in the recovery of Vietnam veterans; it is becoming news again in the situations involving Iraq and Afghanistan conflict veterans. What has never been common in the news, but has been an ongoing situation, is the kind of post-traumatic stress that lingers with people who are in a sense on the front lines every day - policemen, firefighters, emergency responders, medical workers and others in helping professions. This kind of stress can even be present for victims of crime.

This book is a great resource for these people. It involves personal stories, recounted sometimes by those suffering from PTSD, and sometimes by those around the suffering people in relationships of family or profession. Different elements of the syndrome are presented here - flashbacks and nightmares (both of real and anticipated events), drug-taking (everything from steroids to gain strength, ostensibly to fight better and be more secure, to opiate/narcotic and other types of drugs to mask the pain and insecurity), broken relationships and more.

One aspect of the job of many civilian (i.e., non-military) workers is that they have had military training, and may be carrying PTSD baggage with them that somehow becomes reactivated. In a very moving story, the account of one Vietnam-veteran-turned-policeman is recounted with the difficulties that resurfaced over a victim similar to one of his own victims in Vietnam. While military veterans often make good police officers, they can also be walking powder-kegs of a sort.

About half this book recounts stories and tales from different angles of PTSD. The other half is one of useful resources - there are extensive notes, bibliographies, support services organised alphabetically, indexes (both subject and support services) and an epilogue. Author Allen R. Kates is a journalist with extensive experience covering police matters, and is particularly interested in the issues of trauma and stress. Assisting him in this book (providing a foreword as well as other information) is LAPD detective William Martin, whose retirement work includes serving as a counselor.

This is an important book for anyone who is in the emergency responder or law enforcement fields. It is also worthwhile for those who wish to have a greater insight into the kinds of situations people in these professions endure.

CopShock is a stunning book. Although it is focused on police officers, it helps anybody suffering from PTSD symptoms to cope--crime victims, victims of disasters, cancer, loss of a loved one, and all other emergency people like firefighters, emergency room nurses, doctors, and so on.
The book is filled with excellent firsthand accounts, is based on hundreds of interviews of cops with PTSD, and is easy to read. The second chapter in particular clearly lays out the symptoms of PTSD as does the Appendix. The last chapter tells you what do do about trauma and PTSD, how to cope, manage the symptoms or to prevent PTSD. And the 6 years of research is amazing. This author did his homework. Many police officers complain that they have few or no resources to help them with their PTSD symptoms, making the hundreds of resources the author provides invaluable. This is the best book I've read on the subject.

I have been working with police officers and their families for over 20 years and have debriefed over 800 officers who have been involved in critical incidents. COPSHOCK is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and helpful books for police officers. I like the way Mr. Kates breaks down the stressors and topics. For example, there is one chapter just on "flashbacks." The book is written in such a way that officers can immediately identify items that have personal meaning for them. However, what impressed me most as a clinician was that Mr. Kates opined that police officers do not fit the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Many clinical people have not caught on to this reality. (That's why in 1996, I authored the term, "Police Trauma Syndrome," to describe the unique reactions that police officers have to traumatic exposure.) I also like the helpful guides for officers who do not have the benefit of mental health professionals who are familiar with the unique stressors and concerns of officers. Mr. Kates has provided a much needed service for those who protect and serve.

When I read other customer's reviews on CopShock, I got the impression that the book is the ultimate in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it holds all the answers. I was disappointed, however, because although there is some good basic info, the book serves better as an introduction to PTSD.

The author uses a lot of real-life stories to illustrate different aspects of PTSD and related syndromes. Almost the whole book is written this way, and this structure makes the book easy to read and not too scientific. On the other hand, is makes it difficult to use the book as an reference book. If you want to search for a list of symptoms of a given syndrome, for example, the information can be scattered along the pages of the whole book.

The book has about 450 pages, but the text really ends at about page 240. The remaining almost 200 pages is filled with listings of various support sources and so on. There is also extensive reference section, and bibliography of well over 200 publications related to the subject.

I rated the book as a whole, but the book's usefulness is directly dependent to whether you need the latter half of the book, of if you are just studying the subject. To someone who is suffering from PTSD (or whose member of family is), the book could be worth it's weight in gold.

I purchased this for my boyfriend upon him returning home from Fallujah. He didn't open it once. It's just not a book that a war veteran wants to read, or even be reminded of. He went through enough and all he really needed was professional help. Not a book that reiterates the pain and struggles that families endure.

My son suggested I read this before he comes home from his tour of duty in Iraq. It has been very helpful to understand what he has to deal with in terms of adjusting from daily combat and normal day to day life at home. Most people don't have a clue what these brave men and women have to deal with. They cannot just turn off their emotions just because they are back home.
Eveyone who has a loved one serving in a war zone should read this book.

It wasn't the war, it was when I returned home and could not function. I applaud this book for it's intent and gratitude that it gives to our young warriors. It is one of the few written for "our" generation. Thank you

-Timothy Kendrick author-PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door

I was skeptical when purchasing this book, but the topics are discussed in such a way that you do not feel like you're reading "self-help". The focus is not on PTSD (although that is one of the topics covered), but more on a healthy transition from a chaotic environment. I would recommend this to any serviceman, spouse, parent, or close friend.

As a disability service provider, I found this book particularly helpful. It is practical and to the point. Veterans can find tips on everything from how to sleep better to how to relax and cope with stressors. The triggers of anxiety are explained well, as are the ways veterans typically handle their pain. At the end of each chapter are helpful tips for family members. After I read it, I ordered ten copies of this book to give away to student veterans and their families.

Paranoia by J.E. Braun is a book that starts out with a man named Jim. Jim used to be your average guy, wife, son, job; all that changed the day of September 11, 2001. He was in the north tower of the World Trade Center working, when the plane crashed, thankfully he made it out alive but his mother that was working several stories ahead of him did not. Forever damaged, Jim begins questioning everything, people, events, conspiracy theories, and even friends and family.

Now living with his Aunt and Uncle and a private detective asking questions around town, Jim begins having flashbacks almost frequently rendering him almost unconscious when he gets pulled into a memory. He's lost his mother, wife, and son and now he's about to lose his mind. He can not trust anyone, and is constantly paranoid that the worst is going to happen, I mean he even helped a group of "terrorist hunters" attack two men for goodness sake! Visiting his shrink doesn't even help, plus he fears his Uncle is sneaking around on his Aunt so he stoops to recording a phone conversation, listening at the door, and hiding in the bed of the pickup truck when Uncle Clint goes out one evening. This has got to stop, but the events of September 11 will always haunt Jim, and it seems there is nothing he can do about it but just face the facts.

J.E. Braun puts you into the mind of a paranoid male. Detailed to perfection and enthralling from page one, this is one of those books that most everyone needs to have on their shelf. While it is not a true story, he did talk to survivors and observe them in hopes of getting information for Paranoia. I really enjoyed reading it, it was a fast paced novel and was actually so well written it could have been a real experience in his eyes. 5 Hearts

Contact J.E.: www.myspace.com/jebraun

Such a unique perspective on an event that hit so close to home! I did not know what to expect from a fictional account of events that were so recent and tragic, but Braun's story was compelling and unpredictable. Jim, the main character, had a sarcastic sense of humor that made me laugh out loud (and made him truly believable as one from the NY/NJ area). How he dealt with life after 9/11 illustrates how not everyone has moved on. I sympathized with Jim as the wonderful life he had before September 11th unraveled before his eyes.

Paranoia is a GOOD thing -- the book, that is. Few authors could handle a subject like PTSD with as much sensitivity, and even humor, as JE Braun does in "Paranoia". His descriptions of Jim's flashbacks and how he integrates them into the character's every day life accurately reflects the unique sense of a split reality that those with PTSD experience. As a nurse I have cared for patients who suffer from PTSD. When they have a flashback they are not just remembering another time -- they are actually THERE, experiencing it as if for the first time. It is very disorienting and confusing for them. JE Braun does a wonderful job of portraying this frightening and generally misunderstood disorder. Far from being dark and depressing, the tone of this novel is uplifting and encouraging. You will find yourself cheering Jim on as he fights to take back what the terrorists took from him on 9/11 -- his friends and family, his sense of safety and security, his very sanity. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

I don't typically give reviews on books, but I really felt compelled to do so for Paranoia. As somebody who wasn't sure if I had lost a loved one in the attacks (I didn't, and my heart goes out to those that did), I found the premise to be interesting. The characters seem to come to life in your mind's eye so easily that it really let's you focus on what is taking place in the story. The writing style of the author flows nicely, making the book that much easier to read.

The chapters were long enough to tell a good portion of storyline, yet short enough that you could flip ahead and say "OK, I'll read one more chapter before bed" several times before actually going to bed.

I would highly recommend this book and am looking forward to future writings from this author.

After reading the reviews for J. E. Braun's novel, I needed to see for myself it lived up to its hype. I can tell you it undeniably does. In addition to a well-crafted and intriguing storyline, the novel possesses a remarkably compelling inner dialogue. As the main character, Jim is simultaneously fragile, sardonic, insightful and oblivious. Through his multifaceted personality, we find one frank, and pleasantly wry, man's struggle to keep himself together, despite his tragic experiences. Both a round and dynamic character, Jim is relatable, likeable and humorous. As we read, we yearn for him to overcome not only the events of which he was a victim, but also his own missteps. Despite his extreme circumstances and choices, Jim comes off as someone we all could know, showing how close to the breaking point we all really are. As we root for him to overcome, we also embrace the idea that we all can overcome these tragedies. This is a riveting look at the psychology of the human mind and endurance of the human spirit!

brilliant psychiatrist, I recommend That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. The title comes from a song by Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." Rako's book is remarkably candid, freshly insightful, and wonderfully well-written. It is a great read. The writing just flows.

This is a must read for counsellors working with dissociative clients. It is well-written, easy to understand (although the problem of dissociative disorder is very complex) and gives practical advice and strategies.

This book is just wonderfull! I deeply enjoyed reading it - and much more :) - applying its concepts and practical guidelines into the complex clinical work with traumatized individuals. Myself, psychotherapist, child and adolescent psychiatrist in Ukraine - I found this book most clinically useful book I have read in few last years about trauma-related disorders. It gives clarity into this very complex dimensions of inner and outer lives of chronically traumatized individuals and it helps to empathically understand their suffering. From this empathic understanding well-paced and well-structured therapy can take place. And from my clinical practice I saw how useful and effective are concepts and practical therapeutic guidelines from this book. So I highly recommend this book for everyone working in the field of trauma-related disorders, and I also highly recommend this book to publishers for translations and publication in other languages. This knowledge must become widely available so we can better assist traumatized individuals in their inner healing. Special thanks to authors for their great work!

Treating people with dissociative disorders is a very difficult enterprise for which most mental health professionals are poorly prepared. Education programs neglect the area and even otherwise reputable textbooks are unhelpful. Many members of the community and even quite senior mental health professionals display a lack of understanding and even scepticism and antagonism to the very concept of dissociation. This is directed towards those who suffer from dissociative disorders and those who try to treat them. Thus sufferers are often isolated from effective help and clinicians also are isolated, poorly prepared and often at a loss as to how to embark on the complex task of therapy when they do encounter people with such problems.

"The Haunted Self" provides a scholarly, comprehensive and practical work for everyone interested in the area and is particularly helpful as a guide and a resource for poorly isolated clinicians. It is a wonderful work of creative synthesis of 150 years of work in the field of dissociation. While not neglecting the work of more contemporary thinkers, the authors own their great debt to the work Pierre Janet carried out 100 years ago. With some important exceptions, Janet's brilliant insights into the field of "hysteria" and dissociation have been neglected in the English speaking world. The authors' enviable command of European languages gives them access to his and other important works not published or neglected in English.

The book provides an excellent balance of the theoretical and the practical. It is set out in 3 sections. The first deals with the authors' concept of structural dissociation, the second deals with chronic traumatisation and links it to Janet's theories while the third sets out an approach to treatment.

Traumatic experiences at any age can have serious consequences and this is covered in the book. In childhood,in particular, early trauma such as abuse and neglect, of a physical, sexual or emotional nature, exert pervasive, destructive effects, which may extend far into adult life. The authors point out that children have pathetically inadequate resources with which to cope with the horrors to which, tragically, they are sometimes subjected. They refer to Janet's concept of their having an inadequate "mental level" i.e. integrative capacity to cope adaptively with these experiences. They coined and developed the term "structural dissociation" to describe the complex response to such abuse.

The authors develop the concept of of "action systems." These are psychobiological responses which can be divided into two major groups - those in response to attractive stimuli and those which defend against noxious ones. Traumatic situations in childhood often evoke both responses simultaneously e.g. a response to an abusive caregiver in which fear and attraction are mingled giving rise to intolerable conflict. Such intense feelings and the unbearable terror and arousal produced by trauma are referred to as "vehement emotions."



The book describes the impact of these powerful feelings in producing a loss of integration and cohesion in the personality. As a result intolerable feelings and memories are segregated from complete awareness and traumatised people move between different identity states. In some states they are locked into traumatic events which are constantly re-experienced with their associated overwhelming emotions. In other states they are cut off from the memories and experiences of the trauma and are phobic and avoidant towards anything that threatens to remind them of the trauma and of the internal states which carry the trauma experiences.

Charles Myers' work with soldiers from World War I is recalled. He described splits into what he called "Apparently normal personalities" and "Emotional personalities" in response to combat trauma giving rise to structural dissociation.

The second section focuses on Janet's theories in relation to trauma. As the authors say, "the inclusion of Janet's work is not a romantic flight into history. His ideas on actions are most helpful and practical in understanding the plight of trauma survivors"

And so they are although, initially, I myself had to exert a fair amount of effort to understand and start to apply these concepts. I think most people unfamiliar with Janet's work would have similar problems but the effort is very worth while. Interestingly, although clinicians brought up with other theoretical models may share my problem, I have found that the concepts, are easily grasped and make perfect sense to people struggling with trauma related disorders. Concepts such as synthesis, presentification, personification and action tendencies and their hierarchies are discussed in depth and applied to clinical problems.

The final section on treatment begins with a useful section on assessment. It then outlines a three phase approach to treatment. The first phase involves stabilisation and symptom reduction, the second the treatment of traumatic memories and the third personality integration and rehabilitation.

Those who read The Haunted Self will quickly discern that it is the work of highly skilled clinicians not simply theorists. All who have battled with the problems of trauma affected people will recognise that the authors have travelled the same paths and will find their guidance very valuable.

I have stressed the worth of this excellent book to clinicians but a number of my more sophisticated patients have also found reading it very valuable. It is certainly a wonderful validation of this body of work that it does make so much sense to those very people who have to live their lives with the consequences of trauma.

David Leonard

What an exceptional book! The step-wise didactic clarity and innovative content of The Haunted Self alone would suffice to justify making the book required reading material for all health professionals encountering trauma victims. However, it is also a remarkably thrilling reading experience, reminiscent of the "haunted-house" stories of my youth. One finds oneself led to familiar areas through "hidden stairways" and suddenly comes to perceive and comprehend things from unexpected angles.
As a psychiatrist specializing in trauma as a clinician, a lecturer and a researcher for nearly 20 years, I found this book to be a fitting and eloquent summary of over 25 years of innovative thought, thorough research and ongoing re-assessment of the theoretical and clinical applications of Trauma-Related Structural Dissociation of the Personality by Van der Hart, Nijenhuis and Steele, whose ongoing publications in leading journals I have followed avidly. The theoretical basis is coherently and systematically presented in the opening section, followed by a section which concisely and didactically addresses the clinical applications, from guidelines for patient assessment and formulation of the treatment plan, and then deals in detail with each stage, with ample guidance and clinical examples. The lay-out of the book also conveniently enables selective reading of independent sections and topics. There is a refreshing undercurrent of humility to the book - the reader feels encouraged to examine and comment freely.
Without seeking to replace or compete with other trauma theories or treatment modalities, the authors present an over-arching and unifying conceptual approach to comprehending the psycho-biological underpinnings of a highly variable and challenging population of patients, who quite commonly present with a complex and confusing array of atypical and changeable clinical and therapeutic issues, only partly addressed by current diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines.
The structural conception of dissociation enhances ones understanding not only of PTSD and Complex PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder and cases of severe protracted physical and sexual abuse, but clarifies the contribution of trauma to Borderline Personality Disorder, Somatoform Disorders and certain physical syndromes characteristically associated with emotional trauma and stress.

Dr Mike Matar, MD (Psych)

From working with the Special Forces in places like Afghanistan, Kosovo etcetera, I suffered from PTSD, sleep deprivation and internal anxiety. After using TRE I could start sleeping an entire night for the first time in many years. I was about to give up on really being able to sleep again. Thanks to TRE I'm now full of energy, happy and can enjoy life to its fullest again. Unbelievable and supprisingly, TRE made a transformation within me. David Berceli, thank you!!!

David Bercelli is one of the pioneers in developing a mode of healing that works with the body's natural and ancient healing abilities. As a trauma therapist myself, I have found David's exercises essential in getting the body back to a state of homeostasis that it hasn't know since childhood. The ancient wisdom of the body is accessed through these exercises, allowing the person to discharge excess energy related to stress and trauma. This discharge allows the nervous system a greater ability to return to homeostasis. The simplicity and ease of the exercises themselves makes healing available to a larger community of people as it is easily done in large groups or in many cases in the privacy of one's own home. David's exercises helps to bring the world a giant leap forward towards healing and wholeness.

As a clinical psychologist, I have been trained to believe that if we assist the client with changing the way that they think, they will change the way that they feel. In essence, the mind can be taught to control the stress and tension of the body. Dr. Berceli provides convincing theory to support the contention that this is not a viable first line intervention for those who have experienced significant stress or trauma. In these circumstances, the body freezes and the resulting physical tension prevents the emotional tension from being released, which maintains the negative thought patterns. Consequently, to attempt the release of physical tension by talking about it, is likely to be a very slow process. I was struck by the truth of this from my own experience with my clients who have suffered from chronic stress and/or trauma.

Dr. Berceli's book offers a simple self-help solution. He has developed a set of physical exercises which release deep chronic tension from the body by creating a vibration in the body. I have been teaching the exercises to my clients and they are consistently reporting an increase in the relaxation response, deeper breathing, increased energy, better sleep, and significantly fewer negative thoughts. In essence, as they are thawing the physical tension, their thoughts are also thawing, thereby permitting easier access to rational thinking. They are healing their minds by first releasing the tension from their body. By using this intervention as the starting point with chronically stressed clients, I am noticing a significant decrease in the number of reported symptoms and an increase in feelings of well-being. It is a therapeutic short-cut to healing!

Don't be fooled by the title of this book. You do not need to have experienced trauma to benefit from the technique. In fact, if you are stressed and no matter how many times you talk about it, the tension continues to be felt, these exercises are for you. In my experience, the sooner we take the time to learn and practice them, the more alive and healthier we will feel. Joan Wright, PhD Psych.

David Berceli's book reintroduces us to our natural ability to offload the energies of stress and trauma. If one looks at mammals, from tiny ground creatures to major predators, they discharge the freeze energy of an unsuccessful fight or flight effort by 'shaking it off'. This book offers a systematic way to access that mechanism and release stored energy that otherwise compromises the nervous system. Kudos to David Berceli for discovering the innate human intelligence to release trauma in an organic way.

"I was in China when the earthquake that killed 700,000 people happened
in Sichuan, China May 12, 2008. I learned in my professional crisis
training that counseling is very limited in helping in situations of such
massive trauma. I felt that we needed an intervention that could be used not only with individuals or small groups but also for massive numbers of
traumatized people and a method not mainly depend on talking.

We decided to invite Dr. Berceli come to the earthquake area in Sept.
2008 for one month to teach TRE to the students and teachers. The comments of the people who attended Dr. Berceli TRE sessions were that TRE is the most effect method for us because it is simple, practical, and magical. Once you learn it, you will have an inner desire to use it when you feel stressed. You do not need much effort to do them. Many of the
participants felt it was the first time they felt relaxed and felt relief since the earthquake. From a professional point of view, I found it transcends culture and is therefore much more suited for international traumas than all other trauma treatment methods. It is non intrusive and is the only method I know that can be used very effectively for individual and massive traumatized populations. It can be used with both children and adults.
It is also for people who experience stress. In fact, it is a great stress relief technique. It is also excellent for mental health workers. It is a wonderful tool to help clients who have anxiety and have had traumatic experiences.

Helena Guo, M.D., Ph.D., LPC
Chief Clinical Officer, www.Psychcn.com