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Trauma and Recovery

The Aftermath of Violence - from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

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About this listen

The groundbreaking work on trauma that remains a “classic for our generation” (Bessel van der Kolk, MD, author of The Body Keeps the Score)

Trauma and Recovery is the foundational text on understanding trauma survivors. By placing individual experience in a political frame, psychiatrist Judith L. Herman argues that psychological trauma is inseparable from its social and political context. Drawing on her own research on incest, as well as a vast literature on combat veterans and victims of political terror, she shows surprising parallels between private horrors like child abuse and public horrors like war.

This edition includes a new epilogue by the author assessing what has—and hasn’t—changed in understanding and treating trauma over the last three decades.

Hailed by the New York Times as “one of the most important psychiatry works to be published since Freud,” Trauma and Recovery is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how we heal.

 Abuse Child Psychology Developmental Psychology Domestic Partner Abuse Dysfunctional Families Dysfunctional Relationships Mental Health Parenting & Families Personal Development Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Health Special need Survival

Critic reviews

"One of the most important psychiatric works to be published since Freud."—New York Times
"A landmark."—Gloria Steinem
"A stunning achievement ... a classic for our generation."—Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., author of The Body Keeps the Score
"A book of luminous intelligence. You must read it as soon as possible."—Sophie Freud
"Astute, accessible, and beautifully documented. Bridging the worlds of war veterans, prisoners of war, battered women, and incest victims, Herman presents a compelling analysis of trauma and the process of healing. A triumph."—Laura Davis, coauthor of The Courage to Heal
"Brilliant."—Boston Globe
"This book will surely become a landmark work on the social impact of psychological trauma and on its treatments.... A magnificent gift to survivors."—Women's Review of Books
"Herman's brilliant insights into the nature of trauma and the process of healing shine through in every page of this rich and compassionate book."—Lenore Walker, ED.D., Director, Domestic Violence Institute, and author of Terrifying Love
"Herman links the public traumas of society to those of domestic life in this provocative work of psychiatric theory."—Publishers Weekly
All stars
Most relevant
An excellent book but you have to be ready for it . Needs to be listened to several times

Excellent book

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why the very robotic narration? sounds like a computerised voice? very off putting. monotone

robotic voice.

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A powerful book to support trauma recovery. As a PTSD sufferer this really helped me understand some of my symptoms, debunked the myth of what « recovery » and empowered me to be in charge of it.

A must read

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i learned so much, thank you for this research and publishing it. if you suffer from CPTST - read it, it will help you coop

Wonderful and Important for therapists and petient

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Through listening to this book I have learned so much about who I am and the troubles I have had. It has had a profound and positive effect on me.
There are difficult passages to listen to, whether they trigger grief for all that has been lost to the individual, or horror in the stories of other trauma survivors.
But it is worth pushing through to face the revelations that can heal. I would recommend this for anyone who is lost and adrift and looking for answers, or for anyone dealing with the clinical psychological treatment of people. I would recommend that everyone should read it really, but I know that it is hard for people who have not been subject to traumatic experiences to face that which can be hidden in the world around them.
Thank you to Judith Herman for speaking clearly for those who have often been marginalised, ostracised and disbelieved.
Also, for showing commonality across different traumas such as domestic abuse survivors, sexual abuse survivors, traumatised war veterans and survivors of the holocaust. It is only by seeing things as a whole that we can begin to address all forms of deep generational trauma suffered globally.

Life changing and life affirming.

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