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Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL)
Post Traumatic Stress
Excellent first person description of complex PSTD, along with reviews of treatment options in the field as they have developed over the last couple of decades, especially. Educational and moving. I would recommend to anyone suffering from this widespread and often misdiagnosed syndrome and to any therapist who treats clients or patients with related signs and symptoms.
Carolyn L. (Summerville, SC)
Irritable Hearts
This is a powerful book, not for the squeamish. The language is often raw, and the author is frank about her sexuality and experiences. The reader learns much about PTSD, its causes and treatments (of which there are many), and how widespread it is, not only among veterans. The factors which make someone more susceptible to PTSD are very interesting.What particularly saddens me is the way so many people are quick to judge whether someone "really has PTSD" or question the ways in which they try to deal with it. I think this well-written book would foster some good book club discussion.
Marion C. (Litchfield, NH)
A PTSD Love Story
Mac McClelland, a well-known human rights journalist, writes about her experience reporting on the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. The horrific atrocities she sees and hears, leaves her sick. McClelland becomes fearful and extremely vulnerable to the conditions violating all human rights. The slant of her reporting changes when she develops PTSD at the completion of her Haitian assignment.
She writes in-depth about the Haitians battle with PTSD while battling her own symptoms. McClelland meets a French soldier Nico in Haiti and is attracted to him even with all the chaos. One side effect of her
…more illness nearly destroys Nico and their relationship.
I found this book very enlightening about PTSD and McClelland writes this compelling memoir suggesting our Government fund more programs and new treatments for veterans and families with this affliction. (less)"No one says that unresolved trauma can kill you. If anyone did, maybe people would take it more seriously. Serious as cancer." Mac McClelland is an American journalist and author that reports on domestic and international human rights stories. She has seen and heard a lot of nasty stuff through the course of her work, but it was a particularly violent sexual incident that she personally witnessed on the streets of Haiti in 2010 that ultimately led to her diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mac adamantly refuses to describe that Haiti incident in detail for the reader, but instead focuses her
…more memoir on the physical and mental after affects that she has now come to realize may be with her for a lifetime. Towards the end of the book, Mac spends some time contemplating secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) which can affect spouses, children, and caretakers. This was an important question for Mac because she also fell in love on that fateful trip to Haiti. My question: Is it possible to exhibit minor symptoms of STSD from just reading a raw, well-researched account of someone else's PTSD? I literally had to put this book down at times when my pounding headache and racing heart made it impossible to proceed. For me, that is evidence of the strength and impact of this book. (less)"Irritable Hearts" is a nonfiction autobiographical book by the award-winning journalist Mac McClelland. It describes the author's harrowing, two-year-long struggle with PTSD following a frightening experience that occurred when she was on assignment in Haiti. The first part of the book is rather rough going, for the following reasons: 1.) McClelland declines to describe the experience that set off her PTSD, providing only oblique and confusing hints, 2.) Her account of her visit to Haiti is one-dimensional and disturbingly negative, 3.) McClelland's "love at first sight" encounter with a young Frenchman seems
…more improbable, and 4.) Early in her struggle with PTSD, McClelland was surprised to discover that she could ease some of her symptoms by engaging in violent sex. However, after the first few chapters, I actually came to like this book quite a lot. It evolves into a frank, honest, and affecting account of McClelland's journey toward wellness with the help of a somatic therapist and the support of her partner. The author provides information about the range and variability of the symptoms of PTSD, reveals how common it is among people who have been abused, and discusses the effects of the disorder on family members. There's a good balance between the carefully-researched information that she presents and the intimacy of a very personal story. I had known almost nothing about PTSD before I read this book, and I am grateful to the author for opening my eyes though this account of her dark but ultimately inspiring journey. (less)My feelings about this book are mixed, mostly because the book was a struggle for me to read. The author was open about what she's been through, and I learned a lot about PTSD and have an improved understanding about the impact it can have on someone.
Kimberly H. (Stamford, CT)
Irritable Hearts
Fascinating as it was, I felt this book was too long and sometimes uncomfortable. The author was brave to write this and to enlighten those of us who think that PTSD only affects veterans returning from a war zone. For that I commend her. I hope she has recovered and wish her a happy life.
Elizabeth P. (Lake Elmo, MN)
Mixed Feelings!
I have mixed feelings about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into PTSD - what does it look like, how does it feel, and how on earth does someone heal from it. On the other hand, the author had a unique and somewhat disturbing way of processing, which was unpleasant to read at times. Certain segments came across as her trying to "prove" something to somebody, but the segments that came straight from the heart and got to the point were enjoyable. Graphic at times, but certainly good material for book club discussion.
