Stephanie Foo: Hereditary Trauma – My Recovery from Complex PTSD

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"One of the best books of the year" – The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Publishers

Weekly What does it mean to live with our past? How can we heal from the trauma we carry within?

Stephanie Foo, an award-winning radio producer, lived her life with a supportive and loving man, yet she suffered from panic attacks and recurrent depression every day. She spent a long time researching what might be behind her problems, until it turned out that her mood swings were caused by complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD), which can develop when someone is exposed to a series of traumas over a period of years.

The author was verbally and physically abused by his parents as a child, and although he believed that he had already processed the past, his illnesses highlighted that his psychological injuries continued to threaten his health, relationships, and career. After his diagnosis, he tried to learn everything he could about complex PTSD. In this captivating book, in addition to his personal story, he also shares research, a wide range of therapeutic experiences, and cultural perspectives. He writes honestly about the traumas inherited from his ancestors, his own wounds, the vulnerability of the human soul, and most of all, the possibility of healing. He takes stock of the past present, the effects of the mind on the body, and examines how we can command a stop to bad patterns and fixations that span generations.