Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong

If you're anything like me, you approach books about trauma with a healthy dose of skepticism. I'm not saying that I don't believe in the existence of trauma or that I think people who have experienced it are somehow weaker than others—I absolutely don't. But as someone who has experienced trauma, I've often felt like the topic is misunderstood by society at large, and that can make it hard to trust books about it.

I am so happy to say that this is not the case with Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong by MaryCatherine McDonald. Dr. McDonald is a researcher, teacher, and survivor who has dedicated her life to understanding trauma and the ways in which it can be healed. In this book, she overturns common misconceptions about trauma and shares tools and practices to help readers work with their bodies' coping mechanisms to accelerate healing.

Dr. McDonald's passion for her subject is clear on every page of this book, and her knowledge is impeccable. She draws on the latest research from neuroscience and psychology to explain why the body's trauma response is never wrong—and in doing so, she empowers readers to trust their own instincts and intuition when it comes to healing from trauma.

This book is an important read for anyone who has experienced trauma, as well as for anyone who wants to understand more about what trauma is and how it can be healed. It's filled with compassion, wisdom, and hope, and it left me feeling inspired to continue my own journey of healing. Thank you, Dr. McDonald, for writing this essential guide to unbreaking our hearts.

A fascinating look at trauma and yje trauma response in the han body. As someone who suffers from chronic nerve pain, this was a refreshing reas that validated feelings I have. For those who have trauma and for those that love people that do, a must read.

I like learning about the latest research and techniques in the field of psychology, especially as it relates to trauma and how we can grow from the wounds that have marked us. MaryCatherine McDonald has an interesting take that is both refreshing and updated to our understanding of trauma in today's world, not the world of our parents or grandparents. Information that is both relevant and
up to date with today's definitions of what trauma is, how we respond and why, the shame that is attached to this and why it shouldn't be, paths forward in how to grow in a healthy way, as well as list making and challenges to identify what we know and to help us identify maybe what we know but haven't really been able to name or explain. I personally like how she speaks frankly, honestly, and in a way that resonates truthfully. While it isn't as in depth (it's more of an introduction type) as some other materials out there, I wouldn't discount it. I think it's a great place to start someone who has trauma and is just starting to explore it, or even someone who wants to see if this could help them unlock something new (I believe it just may do that for them). I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend this to those searching.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

After being diagnosed with PTSD and later C-PTSD as more things surfaced during my first foray into therapy, I started trying to learn as much as I could about a condition that I'd never expected to suffer from. I'd dealt with fairly consistent depression and anxiety throughout much of my young adult and adult life, but PTSD is what forced me to a screeching halt. It's been two years since I started my journey towards better mental health. Therapy and medication have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today, but reading books like this, written by trained professionals, has been incredibly helpful.

Self-help books never spoke to me before, because of what felt like toxic positivity and "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mindsets. But this new wave of self-help books which blend scientific and practical knowledge with actual resources and tools to utilize...They've been life changing. 'Unbroken' has taken it's place among other books in this category that have really changed my perception of myself and my mental health for the better.

In particular, this book really allowed me to see how my C-PTSD ("little t trauma") and my PTSD ("big t trauma") are related, how they're similar and how they play off of each other. Dr. McDonald also wrote in a way that made me feel so seen. There were passages in here that made me stop dead in my tracks because it was like someone had finally taken That Feeling and expressed it in words for me.

If you read and liked 'Why Am I So Anxious?" by Dr. Tracey Marks, this book is very similar (though a bit less heavy on the bio-psych and explicit treatment options).