One failed marriage and two kids later, I met a man I thought was the answer to my prayers. He turned out to be my worst nightmare. "John" turned out to be a control freak. He took over everything. He cut us off from family and friends, even each...

Happy New Year, group! I have finally come back online after a few weeks off for break. I hope everyone here had a fantastic and rejuvenating holiday, free from trauma and drama! If not, let me know how I can help you and/or your clients deal with...

Thank you, Chris for initiating a discussion about this very important topic. I have pre-ordered the book from Amazon and it should be released soon. The very system that was established to help people heal from trauma often times re-traumatizes consumers and becomes part of the problem rather than a solution. We have much to talk about here! Another book that we may want to add to our discussion group is Saving Normal by Allen Frances. Many important conversations about the nature of mental...

Hi Steve, Totally agree with everything you said. If psychiatrists were to make the real changes necessary in the DSM it would have major ramifications on other sectors of society like the legal system and the military; it would ignite lawsuits and force the VA to give out benefits, money it doesn't want to spend. That's why the military gave Martin Seligman a $34 million dollar no-bid contract to implement his pathetic "positive thinking" model. A soldier sees his buddy blown up and he's...

This is my story: www.someone-like-me.co.uk I welcome dialogue and invite members of this group to view my details.

I'd like to join this group, and recommend Susan Lawrence, M.D.'s book: "Creating A Healing Society:...", about ACEs, along with another text on Consumer-Run Trauma-Informed Intentional Peer Support which I believe was co-authored by Shery Mead and Mary Ellen Copeland. Thank You. Robert Olcott

Hello Chris, Thank you so very much for posting this. And all of your many thoughtful findings posted everywhere! " The way out of pain is through it." You said it, and how. I had a similar experience to that which Epstein describes when I did the somatic exercises in Peter A. Levine's book "Healing Trauma." My whole body exploded and I spent the six months or so punching my way out of deep infant brain-stem level survival grief [ at the gym :) ]. Then as the anxiety embedded in my cells got...

Hi Kathy, Actually the text above is the book description from the publisher. But your experience certainly mirrors, "The body holds the score" sentiment which is the message coming from many traumatologists. The Levine book has not been added to this list. Please feel free to add it. Also, you may find interesting: The Body Bears the Burden - Robert Scaer MD, 2nd edition (2007) http://acesconnection.com/group/books/forum/topics/the-body-bears-the-burden-robert-scaer-md-2nd-edition It's a...