Product Description

This book will help the sufferer understand the links between past trauma and present difficulties and offers ways to gain control over these problems, allowing the individual to deal with intrusive memories, manage mood swings and build better relationships in adulthood.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99000 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Dr Helen Kennerley is a Consultant Psychologist with Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. She specialises in anxiety, childhood trauma and eating disorders. In 2002 she was voted as one of the most influential female cognitive therapists in Britain.

Customer Reviews

A useful guide to trying to reclaim your life
This book offers practical suggestions to managing problems that often follow on from an abusive childhood, such as flashbacks, "spacing out" too easily in times of strees, urges to self-harm, anger and excessive anxiety. Poor self-image and other problems such as all-or-nothing thinking are covered in detail. Working through this book has been really helpful personally.

Very helpful
I just started using this book a few months ago and I really recommend it to anyone suffering from childhood trauma and also the loved ones of those suffering from it as the principles are really important for recovery. So far I have been dealing with so many issues that I never understood but now I can finally understand and take positive steps towards recovery. It most likely will evoke some painful memories but just know that it is part of the healing process. I am so glad i bought it.

Bogstandard, entry level book but beware of triggers
If I had to generalise I would start by saying this book is a very basic, entry level way into self help with few emotionally challenging exercises. The first part of the book I found particularly helpful which forces you to think positively about yourself. However as the book progresses it loses the plot a little. What I found particularly odd was the fact it plunged headfirst into asking you to write a letter to your younger self which is very advanced work and usually only done towards the end of extensive therapy which was way out of context with the tone of the work involved in the book. I also found it triggering sometimes in as much as although it advertises itself as focusing on all forms of child abuse it does actually really only focusing on sexual abuse so if you are a emotional or psychological abuse survivor you might end up thinking (as I did) well what have I done wrong then to get my problems and type of trauma brushed under the carpet? I so wasn't fond of the last exercise that asked you to try to avoid doing harmful or unhelpful things as in experience that's a sure fire way to do the thing you're avoiding...it wouldn't have been better to look at why you do the things you do and how to think positively so I would be very careful here. I wouldn't recommend this for someone with severe, deep rooted emotional problems as a result of their abuse (like personality disorders) but for someone with bog standard stress related problems as a result of sexual abuse this is an easy way in to begin self help...just beware of the last chapters!