(Part 2) Best post-traumatic stress disorder books according to redditors

Texts and Reference Books

Days in the Lives of Social Workers

DSM-5

Child Development, Third Edition: A Practitioner's Guide

Racial and Ethnic Groups

Social Work Documentation: A Guide to Strengthening Your Case Recording

Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond

[Thoughts and Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life]
(https://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Feelings-Harbinger-Self-Help-Workbook/dp/1608822087/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3ZW7PRW5TK2PB0MDR9R3)

Interpersonal Process in Therapy: An Integrative Model

[The Clinical Assessment Workbook: Balancing Strengths and Differential Diagnosis]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0534578438/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_38?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ARCO1HGQTQFT8)

Helping Abused and Traumatized Children

Essential Research Methods for Social Work

Navigating Human Service Organizations

Privilege: A Reader

Play Therapy with Children in Crisis

The Color of Hope: People of Color Mental Health Narratives

The School Counseling and School Social Work Treatment Planner

Streets of Hope : The Fall and Rise of an Urban Neighborhood

Deviant Behavior

Social Work with Older Adults

The Aging Networks: A Guide to Programs and Services

[Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415884810/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy

Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change

Ethnicity and Family Therapy

Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Perspectives on Development and the Life Course

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Generalist Social Work Practice: An Empowering Approach

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents

DBT Skills Manual

DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets

Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need

Novels

[A People’s History of the United States]
(https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States/dp/0062397346/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511070674&sr=1-1&keywords=howard+zinn&dpID=51pps1C9%252BGL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch)


The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Life For Me Ain't Been No Crystal Stair

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Tuesdays with Morrie

The Death Class <- This one is based off of a course I took at my undergrad university

The Quiet Room

Girl, Interrupted

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Flowers for Algernon

Of Mice and Men

A Child Called It

Go Ask Alice

Under the Udala Trees

Prozac Nation

It's Kind of a Funny Story

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Yellow Wallpaper

The Bell Jar

The Outsiders

To Kill a Mockingbird

Like a moth attracted to a flame, the survivor full of fragmented, unprocessed memories and undigested emotions about them sometimes finds an only semi-conscious way of trying to achieve some power over his or her conditioned, instructed, socialized and [normalized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization_(sociology) reactions of Learned Helplessness & the Victim Identity. What you're doing may even do some of that, but I can say from experience that doing it more consciously -- or mindfully -- is more likely to achieve the desired objectives.

May I suggest looking into that book, as well as the information at the links below?

A Way Out of Learned Helplessness & the Traumatized Victim Identity

Resolving Causes & Effects

Dealing with Emotions: Ventilation vs. Vomiting

Emotional Bloodletting & Flashback Management

Why Memory Retrieval is So Important

Stress Reduction for Distress Tolerance & Emotion Regulation

Heh. I can ask her if she still has them, although I remember that several were ways of presenting her own story and situation that tended to provoke unhelpful responses from poor therapists. I’m not sure how helpful that would be.

Some were questions about the therapist’s approach - those may be more useful.

I think there’s a resource in this subreddit that has questions to ask a potential therapist.

One question I always ask is what the therapist’s approach is to conflict between themselves and their patients. The reason I ask this is that re-enactment of trauma is a key part of therapy, and if a therapist isn’t skilled, trained and supported enough they can easily fail to identify that’s what is going on and end up actually re-traumatizing their patients. (This happened to me.)

For anyone interested in a manual for therapists that specifically helps them work with people with childhood trauma, this recently published book was written by the scholars at the forefront of work on DTD. https://www.amazon.ca/Treating-Survivors-Childhood-Emotional-Neglect/dp/1462537294/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?keywords=TREATING+ADULT+SURVIVORS+OF+CHILDHOOD+EMOTIONAL+ABUSE+A…+byElizabeth+K.+Hopper%2C+Frances+K.+Grossman%2C&qid=1574446270&sr=8-1-fkmr1

The book centres on re-enactment, which is honestly one of the toughest nuts to crack in therapy in my opinion.

Read all about it...

The best place to start would be The Adverse Childhood Experiences study that outlines the health, social, and economic risks that result from childhood trauma. Papers published as a result of this study can be found here at the Centers for Disease Control website.

Of note, is the work being conducted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency prevention; papers which can be found here. I found Children's Exposure to Violence and the Intersection Between Delinquency and Victimization to be applicable to this discussion.

It is no surprise. As Jeffrey Swanson, PhD noted in Myth vs. Fact: Violence and Mental Health, "We did a study some years ago, looking at [violence risk] among people with serious mental illness. The three risk factors we found were most important: first, a history of violent victimization early in life, second, substance abuse, and the third is exposure to violence in the environment around you. People who had none of those risk factors ― even with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia ― had very low rates of violent behavior."

Child abuse isn't even necessarily the main issue. One of the protective factors for the effects of trauma (any kind of trauma) is parental response and support. Additionally, higher amounts of parental stress correlate to higher amounts of child stress. The effects of psychological trauma on Children and Adolescents

Additional studies of interest include:

• Solomon, Z., Mikulincer, M., and Avitzur, E. (1988). Copying, locus of control, social support, and combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 55: 279-285.
  
  
• Gleser, G., Green, B., and Winget, C. (1981). Prolonged Psychosocial Effects of Disaster: A Study of Buffalo Creek. New York: Academic Press.
  
  
• Coie, J. Watt, N., West S., et al. (1993). The science of prevention: A conceptual framework and some directions for a national research program. American Psychologist.
  
  
• Hawkins, J., Catalano, R., and Miller, J. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin.
  
  Why is does child trauma have anything to do with adult outcomes? "...trauma victims, young and old, organize much of their lives around repetitive patterns of re-living and warding off traumatic memories, reminders, and affects." - Kathleen J. Moroz, DSW, LICSW, from a report prepared for the Vermont Agency of Human Services Department of Health.
  
  Trauma in an environment of little parent support leads to non-optimal coping mechanisms.
  
  The CDC very explicitly addresses parental involvement in Essentials for Childhood
  
  >Safe, Stable, and Nurturing Relationships/Environments (SSNRs) are Important for Preventing Child Maltreatment
  >
  >Young children experience their world through their relationships with parents and other caregivers. SSNRs between children and their caregivers provide a buffer against the effects of potential stressors such as CM and are fundamental to healthy brain development. They also shape the development of children’s physical, emotional, social, behavioral, and intellectual capacities, which ultimately affect their
  health as adults. As a result, promoting SSNRs can have a positive impact on a broad range of health problems and on the development of skills that will help children reach their full potential.
  
  What we are really talking about is the important of attachment, which cannot be understated:
  
  Dr. Gabor Maté: Attachment and Brain Development
  
  Allan Schore, Neurobiology of Secure Attachment
  
  Maternal Neglect: Oxytocin, Dopamine and the Neurobiology of Attachment
  
  Timing of Intervention Affects Brain Electrical Activity in Children Exposed to Severe Psychosocial Neglect
  
  Variation in neural development as a result of exposure to institutionalization early in childhood
  
  Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents: How to Foster Resilience through Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency
  
  Additional studies include:
  
  Effects of Authoritative Parental Control on Child Behavior
  
  Children’s Anger Attribution Bias: Relations to Family Environment and Social Adjustment
  
  Edit: formatting
  
  

Michael Staples is my favorite Kung Fu and Gong Fu author who wrote "The Way of The Monk" and recently came out with an amazing book about his life Focusing Emptiness about why he turned to Kung Fu in the first place. Seriously recommend it. Changed my life.

I can't think of any articles that stand out right now, but I'll comment here if I find any that are especially useful! I just got this workbook with guided exercises on understanding your own attachment style, identifying specific issues that relate to it, and "re-parenting" yourself to have a healthier one. I haven't used it much yet but really like it so far, and it's gotten really positive reviews!

https://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Theory-Workbook-Understanding-Relationships/dp/1641523557/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=attachment+theory+workbook&qid=1572050459

Anxious: Using the Brain to Understand and Treat Fear and Anxiety - 2015: Fairly advanced textbook (College-level psychology is a basic requirement) with good logical progression, takes you step-by-step through the modern view on emotion, fear, and anxiety research.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Basic Science and Clinical Practice - 2009: High-level research book, made up of several reviews written by different authors. Delves into the nitty-gritty of PTSD research.

Handbook of PTSD, Second Edition: Science and Practice - 2015: Comprehensive research book on PTSD from a clinical point of view. Delves into modern view on PTSD research, and treatments. Made up of several reviews written by different authors.

I am unsure what your level is, but if you are an undergrad or a well read-out layperson, I would recommend book #1, if you are a researcher or grad student, I would recommend book #2 or 3, if you are a Clinician I would recommend book #3 (but also #2 for a more in-depth look at the science behind PTSD). Although I would say book #1 is also a good (but much less thorough) read for researchers and clinicians.

I do not think you should re-enlist. There are plenty of good reasons above in this thread, but I am more concerned with your perception that you're out of the fight, cannot contribute, and struggle to find direction in life.

I won't go into my personal details but I will say that this book, although it's designed for combat veterans, is wholly helpful to all who have served, struggled with depression after getting out, and PTSD. The book is "Once a Warrior Always a Warrior" by Charles Hoge. https://www.amazon.com/Once-Warrior-Always-Navigating-Transition/dp/0762754427

Remember what got you messed up in the first place and then think about what challenges face you if you were to re-enlist. If you need a battle, fight one in the gym, improving your education, and with volunteer service (Team Rubicon is already mentioned and this sub-reddit only has great things to say about them. I highly recommend them.)

The thing(s) you are likely missing most is that sense of camaraderie you have not had since getting out. You are not alone.

Posting from my phone, sorry the links are huge:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1593853084/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1398776405&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1462504825/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1398776445&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

This book goes into painstaking detail about how the Khmer Rouge came to power and what happened during and after the genocide as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Cambodias-Curse-Modern-History-Troubled-ebook/dp/B004PGMHLA

These are both a good read if you hadn't already seen them.

https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Epidemic-Bullets-Psychiatric-Astonishing-ebook/dp/B0036S4EGE

https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Like-Us-Globalization-American-ebook/dp/B00321OR8K/ref=pd_sim_351_34?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00321OR8K&pd_rd_r=93b443d9-9c42-4356-9a1d-6538bb25df2c&pd_rd_w=7rj6K&pd_rd_wg=vxSSr&pf_rd_p=5c130f77-a5ef-4ffd-9db1-c29a354f52f9&pf_rd_r=JNEAQJVNT0TGPFPZ836B&psc=1&refRID=JNEAQJVNT0TGPFPZ836B

2nd half:

Peter Giovacchini (1993) – Schizophrenia and Primitive Mental States

http://www.amazon.com/Schizophrenia-Primitive-Ment-Peter-Giovacchini/dp/0765700271/

David Garfield (1994) – Unbearable Affect: A Guide to the Psychotherapy of Psychosis

http://www.amazon.com/Unbearable-Affect-Guide-Psychotherapy-Psychosis/dp/1855755475/

John Steiner (1994) – Psychic Retreats: Pathological Organizations in Psychotic, Neurotic, and Borderline Patients

http://www.amazon.com/Psychic-Retreats-Pathological-Organizations-Psychoanalysis/dp/0415099242/

Murray Jackson and Paul Williams (1994) – Unimagineable Storms: A Search for Meaning in Psychosis

http://www.amazon.com/Unimaginable-Storms-Search-Meaning-Psychosis/dp/1855750759/

Lawrence Hedges (1994) – Working the Organizing Experience: Transforming Psychotic, Schizoid, and Autistic States

http://www.amazon.com/Working-Organizing-Experience-Transforming-Psychotic/dp/1568212550

Vamik Volkan (1995) – The Infantile Psychotic Self: Understanding and Treating Schizophrenics and Other Difficult Patients –

http://www.amazon.com/Infantile-Psychotic-Self-Fates-Schizophrenics/dp/1568213794/

Hyman Spotnitz – Psychotherapy of Preoedipal Conditions: Schizophrenia and Severe Character Disorders (1995) –

http://www.amazon.com/Psychotherapy-Preoedipal-Conditions-Schizophrenia-Character/dp/1568216335/

Clancy McKenzie (1996) – Delayed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders from Infancy: The Two Trauma Mechanism

http://www.amazon.com/Delayed-Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorders-Infancy/dp/9057025019

Peter Giovacchini (1997) - Schizophrenia and Primitive Mental States

http://www.amazon.com/Schizophrenia-Primitive-Ment-Peter-Giovacchini/dp/0765700271

Brian Martinedale, Ed. (2000) – Psychosis: Psychological Approaches and their Effectiveness.

http://www.amazon.com/Psychosis-Psychological-Approaches-Their-Effectiveness/dp/1901242498

Murray Jackson (2001) – Weathering the Storms: Psychotherapy for Psychosis

http://www.amazon.com/Weathering-Storms-Psychotherapy-Murray-Jackson-ebook/dp/B005WH0PZQ/

Paul Williams (2001) – A Language for Psychosis: Psychoanalysis of Psychotic States

http://www.amazon.com/Language-Psychosis-Psychoanalysis-Psychotic-States/dp/1861561660/

Colin Ross (2004) – Schizophrenia: Innovations in Diagnosis and Treatment

http://www.amazon.com/Schizophrenia-Innovations-Diagnosis-Colin-Ross-ebook/dp/B00IOPWAF6/

Hyman Spotnitz – Modern Psychoanalysis of the Schizophrenic Patient: Theory of the Technique (2004) –

http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Psychoanalysis-Schizophrenic-Patient-Technique/dp/0970392362/

Johannessen, Jan Olav (2006) – Evolving Psychosis: Different Stages, Different Treatments

http://www.amazon.com/Evolving-Psychosis-Treatments-International-Psychological/dp/1583917233

Franco De Masi (2009) – Vulnerability to Psychosis: A Psychoanalytic Study of the Nature and Theapy of Psychotic States

http://www.amazon.com/Vulnerability-Psychosis-Psychoanalytic-Therapy-Psychotic/dp/1855755041/

Ira Steinman (2009) – Treating the Untreatable: Healing in the Realms of Madness

http://www.amazon.com/Treating-Untreatable-Healing-Realms-Madness-ebook/dp/B00582MGQQ/

Yrjo Alanen (2009) – Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Schizophrenic Psychoses: Past, Present and Future

http://www.amazon.com/Psychotherapeutic-Approaches-Schizophrenic-Psychoses-International/dp/0415440130/

Paul Williams (2010) – Invasive Objects: Minds Under Siege

http://www.amazon.com/Invasive-Objects-Minds-Relational-Perspectives/dp/0415995477/

Daniel Dorman (2011) – Dante's Cure: A Journey Out of Madness

http://www.amazon.com/DANTES-CURE-Journey-Out-Madness-ebook/dp/B005UFUW30/

John Steiner (2011) – Seeing and Being Seen: Emerging from a Psychic Retreat

http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Being-Seen-Emerging-Psychoanalysis/dp/0415575060/

Evelyn Liegner (2011) – The Hates That Cures: The Psychological Reversibility of Schizophrenia

http://www.amazon.com/Hate-That-Cures-Psychological-Reversibility/dp/1936411067/

Paris Williams (2012) – Rethinking Madness: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Our Understanding and Treatment of Psychosis.

http://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Madness-Understanding-Treatment-Psychosis/dp/0984986707/

Pamela Fuller – Surviving, Existing, or Living: Phase Specific Psychotherapy of Severe Psychosis (2013) –

http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Existing-Living-Phase-specific-International/dp/0415516625/

John Read, Ed. (2013) – Models of Madness: Psychological, Social, and Biological Approaches to Schizophrenia

http://www.amazon.com/Models-Madness-Psychological-Schizophrenia-International/dp/1583919066

Ty Colbert (2015) – Healing Runaway Minds: How to Understand and Recover from Major Mental Disorders with Special Emphasis on “Schizophrenia”

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Runaway-Minds-Understand-Schizophrenia/dp/0989160734/

David Garfield and Ira Steinman (2015) – Self Psychology and Psychosis: The Development of the Self During Intensive Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Psychology-Psychosis-Psychotherapy-Schizophrenia/dp/1782202285/

Christopher Bollas (2015) – When the Sun Bursts: The Enigma of Schizophrenia

http://www.amazon.com/When-Sun-Bursts-Enigma-Schizophrenia/dp/0300214731/

Andrew Lotterman (2015) – Psychotherapy for People Diagnosed with Schizophrenia: Specific Techniques

http://www.amazon.com/Psychotherapy-People-Diagnosed-Schizophrenia-International-ebook/dp/B015CLFL0U/

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620455552/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DbKkDbRT5JXFG

I own it, it’s a great read and dissection of Bruce Wayne / Batman

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Homefront-Struggles/dp/1611323665 — read parts of this book during my undergrad years, it might help direct you if you can find a copy in the library or online!

According to George S. Everly PhD, Jeffrey M. Lating PhD in the text "A Clinical Guide to the Treatment of the Human Stress Response", that is what recorded history says. But yes, perhaps they are wrong and perhaps before recorded history people used it just for stress relief, etc. However, I find this to be highly unlikely as would most everyone else who has done any academic study of the subject.

> The graph example is great [...]

Agree (with all you said). It was nice to have someone actually validate my haunting feeling of "fine, not depressed" calm (stage 4).

> Have you tried healing by yourself?

I try everything, lol. My therapist actually specializes in somatic therapy but all of her expertise has been completely lost on me. We tried for a good 3-4 months then moved on to other things. From what I understand, it really helps to have, uh, help. But self-guided interventions are better than none at all.

I just picked these books up from library so can't recommend yet, but might interest you:

https://www.amazon.com/Relational-Body-Centered-Practices-Healing-Trauma/dp/1138905968

https://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Based-Yoga-Meditation-Trauma-Recovery/dp/0393709906

Cathy Caruth is the logical starting point, I believe. Her style is not the most accessible, but many trauma theorists are responding specifically to her work. I'd suggest:

• Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History
  
• Trauma: Explorations in Memory (Caruth as ed.)
  
  For general western trauma lit theory, I would say check out these two as well:
  
  
• The Trauma Question by Roger Luckhurst
  
• Contemporary American Trauma Narratives by Alan Gibbs
  
  Trauma theory is multidisciplinary, and these texts don't necessarily touch on the range of conversations. But, maybe helpful.