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Really Strange
Trauma is Really Strange
What is trauma? How does it change the way our brains work? And how can we overcome it?
When something traumatic happens to us, we dissociate and our bodies shut down their normal processes. This unique comic explains the strange nature of trauma and how it confuses the brain and affects the body. With wonderful artwork, cat and mouse metaphors, essential scientific facts, and a healthy dose of wit, the narrator reveals how trauma resolution involves changing the body's physiology and describes techniques that can achieve this, including Trauma Releasing Exercises that allow the body to shake away tension, safely releasing deep muscular patterns of stress and trauma.
When something traumatic happens to us, we dissociate and our bodies shut down their normal processes. This unique comic explains the strange nature of trauma and how it confuses the brain and affects the body. With wonderful artwork, cat and mouse metaphors, essential scientific facts, and a healthy dose of wit, the narrator reveals how trauma resolution involves changing the body's physiology and describes techniques that can achieve this, including Trauma Releasing Exercises that allow the body to shake away tension, safely releasing deep muscular patterns of stress and trauma.
32 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
October 14, 2019
Since I happen to have checked out Heroes in Crisis by Tom King about the concept of PTSD in superheroes (! I know, a strange link), I thought I would look for non-fiction comics books on the subject, and found this book illustrated by Sophie Standing, who has done similar books on health. Trauma is Really Strange has an invitingly light and strange title; it's a short, informative lecture on ptsd written by someone who works with this population. As a lecture, as opposed to a comic, it's a lot of words, illustrated attractively but more in infomercial fashion. HIs overall purpose is to be encouraging to those who have experienced trauma. Here's s sample of Haines's approach and way of talking about it:
"The model offered here is that inherent within you is the ability to switch off over-reactive protective reflexes. You are not mad or broken. Recalibrating the smoke detector of the amygdala is a great start to healing trauma."
I am a big fan of Oliver Sacks's neurological studies that reveal the complexities of the brain. Haines spends a little time here introducing readers to the concept of dissociation: "I feel like I am outside my body." "My legs are tiny and far away." "Thoughts keep invading me."
This is just a short introduction to how the body turns "strange" on us with undue stress or horror. You can see how it is "rewiring" the body to the brain becomes important. Body work, as Haines calls it. I just came from a funeral, which can be one kind of traumatizing event for most of us, though most people handle grief without being disabled by it. But you can see touches of trauma in grief in some of the most affected by death. This book can be a good start to figuring out how to survive ptsd.
"The model offered here is that inherent within you is the ability to switch off over-reactive protective reflexes. You are not mad or broken. Recalibrating the smoke detector of the amygdala is a great start to healing trauma."
I am a big fan of Oliver Sacks's neurological studies that reveal the complexities of the brain. Haines spends a little time here introducing readers to the concept of dissociation: "I feel like I am outside my body." "My legs are tiny and far away." "Thoughts keep invading me."
This is just a short introduction to how the body turns "strange" on us with undue stress or horror. You can see how it is "rewiring" the body to the brain becomes important. Body work, as Haines calls it. I just came from a funeral, which can be one kind of traumatizing event for most of us, though most people handle grief without being disabled by it. But you can see touches of trauma in grief in some of the most affected by death. This book can be a good start to figuring out how to survive ptsd.
February 6, 2019
I did not think this was very well written. I understand that it's difficult to distill complex information down to a simple comic, but I think it could have been done better, for example by providing clear definitions of terms like "grounding." I think anecdotes from individuals who have dealt with trauma themselves would have worked well.
I'm also very skeptical of some of the claims made. Restless Leg Syndrome is not "shaking" and it's not clearly tied to trauma, as far as I know. I am very skeptical of the author's statements about normal birth being somehow traumatic for the baby. That sounds like new age fake science.
I'm also very skeptical of some of the claims made. Restless Leg Syndrome is not "shaking" and it's not clearly tied to trauma, as far as I know. I am very skeptical of the author's statements about normal birth being somehow traumatic for the baby. That sounds like new age fake science.
September 19, 2019
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger or fucks you up mentally? That is the question!
The book provides a definition for trauma, and how it functions while promising that we can undergo, recover and learn from the experience. Our reflexes to perilous situations imitate a life-death scenario in order to protect us. However, they lead to physical discomfort. The book comes up with the idea of "OMG" to control the situation and calm down, yet I don't find it practical or useful! And I got highly disappointed in humans, I mean weren't we supposed to be evolved?? Damn it, our brain still has a part resembling what reptiles do!
آنچه مرا نکشد قوی ترم می کند یا من را به فنا می دهد؟! مسئله این است.
کتاب با تعریفی از تراما و شرح کارکردش شروع میشه و وعده میده که میتونیم تحملش کنیم و از پسش بربیاییم و از این تجربه چیزهایی هم یاد بگیریم. پاسخ مغز ما به موقعیتهای خطرناک تداعی کننده ی پاسخ به سناریوی مرگ و زندگیه تا بدن بتونه از خودش دفاع کنه. گرچه از نظر فیزیکی ناراحتی هایی رو تجربه خواهیم کرد. برای مواجهه با این ناراحتی ها ایده ای مطرح کرده که از نظر من کاربردی و مفید نیست! آخر سر هم کلی ناامید شدم مگه انسانها تکامل پیدا نکردن؟ آخه هنوزم بخشی از مغزمون کارکردش مثل مغز خزنده هاس! خزنده آخه؟
The book provides a definition for trauma, and how it functions while promising that we can undergo, recover and learn from the experience. Our reflexes to perilous situations imitate a life-death scenario in order to protect us. However, they lead to physical discomfort. The book comes up with the idea of "OMG" to control the situation and calm down, yet I don't find it practical or useful! And I got highly disappointed in humans, I mean weren't we supposed to be evolved?? Damn it, our brain still has a part resembling what reptiles do!
آنچه مرا نکشد قوی ترم می کند یا من را به فنا می دهد؟! مسئله این است.
کتاب با تعریفی از تراما و شرح کارکردش شروع میشه و وعده میده که میتونیم تحملش کنیم و از پسش بربیاییم و از این تجربه چیزهایی هم یاد بگیریم. پاسخ مغز ما به موقعیتهای خطرناک تداعی کننده ی پاسخ به سناریوی مرگ و زندگیه تا بدن بتونه از خودش دفاع کنه. گرچه از نظر فیزیکی ناراحتی هایی رو تجربه خواهیم کرد. برای مواجهه با این ناراحتی ها ایده ای مطرح کرده که از نظر من کاربردی و مفید نیست! آخر سر هم کلی ناامید شدم مگه انسانها تکامل پیدا نکردن؟ آخه هنوزم بخشی از مغزمون کارکردش مثل مغز خزنده هاس! خزنده آخه؟
December 9, 2020
This short graphic novel explains what trauma is, how it works, and how it can inwardly and outwardly present itself. The book really had me going with how well it simplified what dissociation is and how it works. I’ve never seen dissociation explained so well in such a simplified way. I’m impressed that it was done so well here since this is such a short graphic novel.
Sadly, I was not impressed by the rest of the book. I understand that it’s hard to simplify the different aspects of trauma, especially for a short graphic novel, but it ultimately came off insulting rather than an informative little guide. By the end, it makes it sound like we’re all built to overcome trauma and we’re not trying hard enough if we fail to overcome it. That’s just not how it works and I’m not sure if that’s the message they intended to give since it starts out as a simplified guide with some great info before it started to sour itself.
Sadly, I was not impressed by the rest of the book. I understand that it’s hard to simplify the different aspects of trauma, especially for a short graphic novel, but it ultimately came off insulting rather than an informative little guide. By the end, it makes it sound like we’re all built to overcome trauma and we’re not trying hard enough if we fail to overcome it. That’s just not how it works and I’m not sure if that’s the message they intended to give since it starts out as a simplified guide with some great info before it started to sour itself.
December 31, 2015
'Trauma is Really Strange' by Steve Haines, with illustrations by Sophie Standing is the kind of graphic novel, you might overlook, but what is does in it's short 32 pages is pretty amazing.
The book examines what happens to the brain and body when trauma happens. We can go into a disassoiated state where we feel disconnected from our bodies. This happens in PTSD as well as other trauma. Rather than dwell on the causes or the past, the book offers techniques that are used to get patients through it. Using the acronym OMG (for Orient, Move, Ground), we learn how reconnecting with the present and our bodies can help slowly overcome trauma. It's filled with footnotes with related research for those desiring further study.
It's an overly simplified approach to a complex subject, but presented in a very user friendly format. The illustrations are like infographics in nature. They are simple, but help illustrate the topics, like disconnected heads and bodies, or mice curled in fetal positions. The writing is encouraging and frank. I don't think it's overly optimistic, but it would seem to give hope to those suffering trauma and their loved ones. I see this as a very useful resource for those wanting a brief look at the subject and wanting to understand what trauma can do to people.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Singing Dragon, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The book examines what happens to the brain and body when trauma happens. We can go into a disassoiated state where we feel disconnected from our bodies. This happens in PTSD as well as other trauma. Rather than dwell on the causes or the past, the book offers techniques that are used to get patients through it. Using the acronym OMG (for Orient, Move, Ground), we learn how reconnecting with the present and our bodies can help slowly overcome trauma. It's filled with footnotes with related research for those desiring further study.
It's an overly simplified approach to a complex subject, but presented in a very user friendly format. The illustrations are like infographics in nature. They are simple, but help illustrate the topics, like disconnected heads and bodies, or mice curled in fetal positions. The writing is encouraging and frank. I don't think it's overly optimistic, but it would seem to give hope to those suffering trauma and their loved ones. I see this as a very useful resource for those wanting a brief look at the subject and wanting to understand what trauma can do to people.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Singing Dragon, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
January 20, 2016
I really good comic strip style introduction to trauma. It doesn't really cover non-NT people's best recovery methods, which do differ significantly. Also, I felt a little stressed at trauma being defined as 'that which overwhelms' since I am overwhelmed much of the time, and so dissociation is a part of my life and not something I am ever in permanent recovery from. However, it is a very good introduction to what happens in the brain when a person is traumatised, and I liked the pictures. It would be very useful for somebody who is struggling to understand how to recover from trauma, and some of this section is universal (such as 'working from the body up', which I have learned on my own to be the best method).
August 26, 2016
This is a BRILLIANT, absolutely brilliant, comprehensible in its entirety explanation of what trauma is--to both those trying to work through it and those trying to understand what it is that happens in the minds-bodies of their loved ones. The author and illustrator work so well together to
a) tell a story that's
b) supported by academic / scientific research
c) but never bogged down it
d) simple to understand but never simplified
I wish I had read this book three, five, ten years ago.
So grateful it is now in my life.
There is an adjunct book: Pain is Really Strange, and that's next on my read list.
a) tell a story that's
b) supported by academic / scientific research
c) but never bogged down it
d) simple to understand but never simplified
I wish I had read this book three, five, ten years ago.
So grateful it is now in my life.
There is an adjunct book: Pain is Really Strange, and that's next on my read list.
March 25, 2021
I found the section on dissociation immensely useful but it faltered once it began the section on recovery.
3.5
3.5
September 6, 2021
I was really looking forward to reading one of Haines' books to see how complex psychological theories can be explained in a comic book style. But while I really like the concept of this book, I am a bit disappointed by it. I appreciate it must be tricky getting complex ideas across effectively in this way, but I still think some of the language was overcomplicated and could've been simplified further. I often had to reread sentences to make sense of them and it just made reading this book feel a bit stilted.
The book also focuses mostly on fight or flight - there is no explicit mention of the three other responses to trauma (freeze, friend & flop). I think the freeze response was referenced in the cat/mouse analogy, but I still think this could be made clearer.
There are some really helpful and interesting analogies in there and overall I like the concept of it, but the execution could be better.
The book also focuses mostly on fight or flight - there is no explicit mention of the three other responses to trauma (freeze, friend & flop). I think the freeze response was referenced in the cat/mouse analogy, but I still think this could be made clearer.
There are some really helpful and interesting analogies in there and overall I like the concept of it, but the execution could be better.
February 19, 2019
Can’t say i got much from this
June 3, 2022
This small comic book is jammed packed with helpful information about trauma. I felt it was a great starting point for myself and I would definitely give this to loved ones working to understand trauma and its impacts on humans. The illustrations and layout make the heavily cited, and at times dense, information easy to understand. I read this in one short sitting. Would read again!
August 1, 2022
Provided an easy, quick and simple overview of trauma. It also mentioned ways to self-regulate body responses which was so helpful.
November 20, 2017
Excelente. La manera en la que se describen los funcionamientos cerebrales para quienes no tenemos conocimientos médicos, las referencias, los mecanismos y la manera en la que podemos romperlos y generar nuevos me pareció muy acertada.
Me dejó manija de más, pero creo que cierra mejor que el del dolor. Cinco porotos para Haines y Sophie.
Me dejó manija de más, pero creo que cierra mejor que el del dolor. Cinco porotos para Haines y Sophie.
August 30, 2021
i think i'm a little disapppinted i was disappointed with this book. even knowing it was a slim volume, it was slimmer than i anticipated. the format and layout are nice, the text and illustrations good. it feels and looks nice in the hand. but the content left me desiring more.
it's a really basic introduction to some of the ways trauma impacts the brain and body. it seemed to start well, but didn't feel like it really delivered. i felt that in its attempt to be relatable to as many people as possible, it pretty much equated trauma with stress. this could be helpful to many... but also misleading/confusing. i was expecting it to deal with more 'life or death' type traumatic events. it referred quite a bit to providing 'trauma releasing exercises', but i felt like it actually offered very little when it came to it - 'shake the stress out' was pretty much the gist of it, and 'be in your body'. it felt like it was busy telling you 'you have the ability to overcome trauma', but not really giving you much to do that with... which taps into alsorts of problematic narratives, especially where many people who have expereince of trauma and PTSD will have tried and felt that they've failed to just 'get over it'.
so as a guide to how stress inpacts the body and brain, and a method of releasing it in the immediate aftermath, it's useful. possibly also in touching on how the physiological reactions to stressful situations are often left unrealeased, and trauma can become stored by the brain and body, going on to shape both. but if you're looking for something that provides more about understanding and dealing with more longstanding and perhaps complex PTSD etc, other resources are probalby more helpful. there's a list tucked inside the back cover in very small print.
talking of which, some of the font size and ink colour choices are alot less accessible than others wrt readability by all.
it's a really basic introduction to some of the ways trauma impacts the brain and body. it seemed to start well, but didn't feel like it really delivered. i felt that in its attempt to be relatable to as many people as possible, it pretty much equated trauma with stress. this could be helpful to many... but also misleading/confusing. i was expecting it to deal with more 'life or death' type traumatic events. it referred quite a bit to providing 'trauma releasing exercises', but i felt like it actually offered very little when it came to it - 'shake the stress out' was pretty much the gist of it, and 'be in your body'. it felt like it was busy telling you 'you have the ability to overcome trauma', but not really giving you much to do that with... which taps into alsorts of problematic narratives, especially where many people who have expereince of trauma and PTSD will have tried and felt that they've failed to just 'get over it'.
so as a guide to how stress inpacts the body and brain, and a method of releasing it in the immediate aftermath, it's useful. possibly also in touching on how the physiological reactions to stressful situations are often left unrealeased, and trauma can become stored by the brain and body, going on to shape both. but if you're looking for something that provides more about understanding and dealing with more longstanding and perhaps complex PTSD etc, other resources are probalby more helpful. there's a list tucked inside the back cover in very small print.
talking of which, some of the font size and ink colour choices are alot less accessible than others wrt readability by all.
August 28, 2016
This is a great graphic representation of very dense research into how we experience and process trauma. It highlights some of the concepts and inferences of research into this topic from the last two decades and presents the information in an easily digestible format. This is a great way to demystify the insights we have gained from recent scientific research. It is a great addition to my waiting room library.
November 17, 2017
I need more books/comics/graphic representations like this one!
Taking a "serious" & heavily researched topic and turning it into a charming and colourfully simplified version, not missing on the most significant references in this field of study. I great starting point for those interested to learn more about trauma and how it affects us!
Taking a "serious" & heavily researched topic and turning it into a charming and colourfully simplified version, not missing on the most significant references in this field of study. I great starting point for those interested to learn more about trauma and how it affects us!
January 8, 2020
Very cool concept. Teaching about trauma through comics in a short, easy book was a wonderful idea. I am already recommending this book to my clients. If you are someone who has experienced trauma or knows someone with trauma, I definitely recommend this in order to learn the basics!
September 28, 2017
A lot of potential but it felt like it could have easily been twice the length.
July 2, 2019
Informative, intense, well researched and compassionate.
January 4, 2018
Trauma is really strange
: ¡4 estrellas!
Una novela gráfica distinta sobre temas interesantes. En este caso, el trauma o los episodios traumáticos, que en otras palabras pueden ser todo aquello que nos genere estrés; y el estrés puede ser muchas cosas: desde una situación de peligro hasta sentir frío. Por eso, ante tanta amplitud de definiciones, está bueno que alguien trate de explicar de qué se trata todo esto, y mejor aún si se hace de una forma tan didáctica con en este caso.
Algunas cosas ya las conocía, otras explicaciones fueron nuevas para mí.
Algo que destaco es que no se basa en una sola teoría o investigación, sino que aborda el tema desde más de una perspectiva. Incluso lo analiza desde distintas ciencias, como la Neurofisiología y la Psicología, e intenta integrar todo para llegar a una conclusión sencilla y esperanzadora.
Siempre pensé que la Psicología, entre otras cosas, se encarga de poner nombre a eso que hacemos, sentimos o nos pasa en el día a día; y no hay nada de malo en eso ni en nosotros. Acá, lo que Steve Haines intenta hacer es enseñarnos que eso que nos sucede en una situación traumática es hasta fisiológicamente normal. Sin embargo, no lo hace para que nos convirtamos en unos expertos en reconocer qué nos causa estrés o por qué lo hace, sino para que sepamos cómo responder para controlarlo un poco mejor e ir aprendiendo de las reacciones de nuestro propio organismo en el pasado para aplicarlo en el presente y futuro. Porque a veces no sabemos por qué sentimos o reaccionamos de una forma, pero podemos aprender a entenderlo y controlarlo de a poco para sobrellevarlo, y así volver una situación traumática algo más apacible.
Interesante y recomendable.
Una novela gráfica distinta sobre temas interesantes. En este caso, el trauma o los episodios traumáticos, que en otras palabras pueden ser todo aquello que nos genere estrés; y el estrés puede ser muchas cosas: desde una situación de peligro hasta sentir frío. Por eso, ante tanta amplitud de definiciones, está bueno que alguien trate de explicar de qué se trata todo esto, y mejor aún si se hace de una forma tan didáctica con en este caso.
Algunas cosas ya las conocía, otras explicaciones fueron nuevas para mí.
Algo que destaco es que no se basa en una sola teoría o investigación, sino que aborda el tema desde más de una perspectiva. Incluso lo analiza desde distintas ciencias, como la Neurofisiología y la Psicología, e intenta integrar todo para llegar a una conclusión sencilla y esperanzadora.
Siempre pensé que la Psicología, entre otras cosas, se encarga de poner nombre a eso que hacemos, sentimos o nos pasa en el día a día; y no hay nada de malo en eso ni en nosotros. Acá, lo que Steve Haines intenta hacer es enseñarnos que eso que nos sucede en una situación traumática es hasta fisiológicamente normal. Sin embargo, no lo hace para que nos convirtamos en unos expertos en reconocer qué nos causa estrés o por qué lo hace, sino para que sepamos cómo responder para controlarlo un poco mejor e ir aprendiendo de las reacciones de nuestro propio organismo en el pasado para aplicarlo en el presente y futuro. Porque a veces no sabemos por qué sentimos o reaccionamos de una forma, pero podemos aprender a entenderlo y controlarlo de a poco para sobrellevarlo, y así volver una situación traumática algo más apacible.
Interesante y recomendable.
March 31, 2023
Ontzettend duidelijke uitleg over wat trauma met je lichaam doet. Zo worden de verschillende hersendelen vergeleken met bijvoorbeeld een uitkijktoren of een rookmelder. Hierdoor blijft de uitleg overzichtelijk en behapbaar.
May 29, 2022
Very informative. One of my biggest takeaways was learning why my body starts shaking when I experience anxiety attacks or PTSD.
March 23, 2024
Nicely illustrated, but I don’t think the information it provides is very structured or well-introduced.
September 29, 2017
Want a primer on trauma? Here it is. Published in 2016, Steve Haines' graphic distillation of what trauma is and how we can mend some of its effects is loaded with wisdom. It's as if Haines was invited into the minds of sages like Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, and Stephen Porges, and drew out the essence of what we need to know.
This little book is a gem and I'd love to see it in the hands of every person on the planet. If you wonder what trauma is, or if you want to help another person understand it, here's the place to begin.
You can read the book in 20 minutes ... and read it again and again, for memory's sake.
The illustrations are easy on the eye, the colours rendered in tones that are neither too bright nor too muted.
Trauma is Really Strange is a "Welcome home" manual for all of us. Who hasn't experienced excessive stress, for starters? Every permutation of trauma, from "mere" overwhelm to single-event disaster, to complex and developmental trauma, is addressed. Everyone can relate to something in this book. It's also an excellent primer on how the human brain and nervous system function -- and how they can be injured. As a coda, there's hope. Our innate resilience and capacity for healing is highlighted, and tips for self-care are given, some based on David Berceli's TRE (Trauma Releasing Exercises), and some as simple as going outside for a walk.
Best of all, Haines makes it clear -- based on his excellent research and distillation of facts -- that trauma is a whole-person, visceral, body-based experience, and so are the best medicines for it.
Thoreau wrote, "Simplify, simplify." Thank you, Steve Haines, for applying his advice.
Spread this book far and wide!
This little book is a gem and I'd love to see it in the hands of every person on the planet. If you wonder what trauma is, or if you want to help another person understand it, here's the place to begin.
You can read the book in 20 minutes ... and read it again and again, for memory's sake.
The illustrations are easy on the eye, the colours rendered in tones that are neither too bright nor too muted.
Trauma is Really Strange is a "Welcome home" manual for all of us. Who hasn't experienced excessive stress, for starters? Every permutation of trauma, from "mere" overwhelm to single-event disaster, to complex and developmental trauma, is addressed. Everyone can relate to something in this book. It's also an excellent primer on how the human brain and nervous system function -- and how they can be injured. As a coda, there's hope. Our innate resilience and capacity for healing is highlighted, and tips for self-care are given, some based on David Berceli's TRE (Trauma Releasing Exercises), and some as simple as going outside for a walk.
Best of all, Haines makes it clear -- based on his excellent research and distillation of facts -- that trauma is a whole-person, visceral, body-based experience, and so are the best medicines for it.
Thoreau wrote, "Simplify, simplify." Thank you, Steve Haines, for applying his advice.
Spread this book far and wide!
January 17, 2016
Trauma is Really Strange by Steve Haines is a free NetGalley ebook that I read during an early morning in December. Being as I live with free-floating anxiety nearly everyday, I knew that this book could offer a new perspective (even though the cover looks a little bit like the Handbook for the Recently Deceased from Beetlejuice).
This book is actually a 30-page ecomic/handbook that relates information through traditional comicbook cells (usually progressive horizontal rectangles) with non-traditional animation. It's sort of a cross between 50's PSA drawings and neo-modern-realist art to show physical activity, tension, and the workings of the brain with its two main focal colors being greenish-aqua and muted scarlet. Never once does the language of this book droop to levels of fluffy self-help or the impossibly high heights of academic diagnoses. Instead, it strafes right in the middle; approachable, informative and reassuring. It's also quite apparent that the writer is British, since his reassurance is respectful, offers guidance, and isn't too cloying with self-love drivel. All-around, a great read to turn to in disassociation or re-orientation.
This book is actually a 30-page ecomic/handbook that relates information through traditional comicbook cells (usually progressive horizontal rectangles) with non-traditional animation. It's sort of a cross between 50's PSA drawings and neo-modern-realist art to show physical activity, tension, and the workings of the brain with its two main focal colors being greenish-aqua and muted scarlet. Never once does the language of this book droop to levels of fluffy self-help or the impossibly high heights of academic diagnoses. Instead, it strafes right in the middle; approachable, informative and reassuring. It's also quite apparent that the writer is British, since his reassurance is respectful, offers guidance, and isn't too cloying with self-love drivel. All-around, a great read to turn to in disassociation or re-orientation.
July 6, 2020
Less of a paperback and more of a pamphlet this is an incredibly useful graphic guide to trauma. The written explanations and illustrations are clear and easy to follow which is particularly important when people in trauma often don't have access to their rational brain. There is also a list of resources and theories should you wish to read more.
August 22, 2016
A brilliant synthesis of work by contemporary trauma researchers. And it's a comic book. This is now my first recommendation to anyone interested in theories about what causes trauma, how it manifests, and how it can be resolved. Really amazing work. Also check out Pain is Really Strange.
August 8, 2018
Highly recommend for people who need to understand what they are going through. The comic form makes it easier for me to understand information, and I think it really helped me to wrap my head around what trauma is for me.
February 16, 2017
Would recommend to anyone trying to understand their own trauma or anyone else's experience. It is easy to understand and has great references. This book felt more like a conversation than a lesson.
January 26, 2018
I want to give this to everyone I know. It's an approachable guide to understanding how trauma works and the processes it serves.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews