A support community for those affected by C-PTSD

Can we share some good book resources for things like trauma, codependency, gaslighting, CPTSD etc? I want to heal.

Edit: Thank you for all your suggestions! I am so glad I found like-minded people! 💜

So I think I've accepted I probably have disorganized attachment. I have one single best friend and he thinks I am somewhat aloof, especially when we first met and I would say nothing about myself, but I also get extremely over the top anxious when I don't hear from him, like s*al (just ideation, no danger, but damn if it isn't stressful). I need to work on this. Do you have a rec for a good book on disorganized attachment that's been personally helpful for you? It is also known as Fearful Avoidant attachment and maybe other names, and is different from anxious or avoidant attachment. I need to get secure.

I'm looking for books, or at least something much longer and more in depth than a normal blogpost or a youtube video, but I've had a lot of trouble finding something.

Of all the books I've read, "Hold me tight" by Sue Johnson and "NonViolent Communication" by Marshall Rosenberg have been the best at helping me with some attachment issues and relationship conflict but I need something a bit more direct if anything exists!

Thanks!

Edit: clarifications

"Complex CPTSD: From Surviving to Thriving" by Pete Walker. So far very good and helpfully outlines the various ways CPTSD impacts our lives.

For fellow people of color: I am also picking up "My Grandmother's Hands" by Resmaa Menakem. It is about racialized trauma which is often deeply intertwined with our cptsd. I'm hoping it helps me heal and overcome the pain I experience from my family.

If you have a helpful book please lmk.

Hi there! Quick background: I don't have an official CPTSD label (diagnosis?) because I'm too poor to afford a doctor or therapist. In addition to my trauma, I'm highly neurodivergent, or at least I suspect I am based on my research. Again, too poor to seek proper care. (Suspect Autism and ADHD) I'm currently unable to work because I broke down a while back due to my brain basically falling apart. I've been struggling ever since. I have a place to stay and food to eat, but its hard to live when you have no money and all avenues to make money cause your brain to fall apart. I have almost no energy to do anything, which only makes things worse because when inevitably I fail at my task, I sit and judge myself endlessly for hours and hours until all I am is a puddle.

Since I can't afford professional help, I have to be my own therapist. Can you relate? I think my best option is to address my trauma first, then move on to my spicy brain things later. It's taken a long time for me to even get to this point, so I'm unsure how to proceed from here.

So I'm asking for good resources. Books, podcasts, YouTube channels, you name it. Is there something that helped you get through this? (Other than meds and therapy, cuz that option isn't available right now. Maybe one day...)

I'd like to get to the point where I don't hurt as much, you know? Where I can handle being outside or hearing a loud noise without being on high alert. Where a tap on the shoulder doesnt make my want to peal of that section of skin. I want to be able to relax and actually relax without being afraid of...something.

I hope I'm in the right spot. If you've got any resources that helped you, I'd love to hear about them. Especially if you're spicy brained, too.

Hi, any suggestions for work books and books? I try to listen to some very excellent videos on YouTube but they are too much at times.

I am insanely dissociated right now in many fragments. Any help would be appreciated

Thanks for your thoughts

Hello everyone, Last year I read "Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving" and it really helped me explain a lot of my experiences. Right now I'm looking for a similar book, but one that's specifically helps navigate interpersonal relationships as a person with CPTSD, guides the reader on how to establish boundaries and advocate for themself and such. Essentially what to do in your relationships as an adult with CPTSD.

Has anyone read a book like that and can you recommend it to others?

My therapist thinks that my mother could have been a covert narcissist.

I'm more familiar with the classic kind so..

Does anyone have any book recommendations about covert narcissists or about children of covert narcissists?

Tia!

I like a good book. I've read many on why I am the way I am, symptoms of trauma, childhood trauma etc. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of why I am the way I am. I know the upbringing I had and the experiences I had led to problems in my day to day life now.

Some of these books have been really helpful don't get me wrong but I find most of them seem to drag me into the past again - going over you are this way because eof what happened.

So I'm wondering if anyone has any book recommendations I could get for focusing on the present. In particular identifying feeling positive..I've notice I'm good at identifying negative emotions but never positive. Or how to soothe inner critical voices

Any recommendations? Thanks

Anatomy of Evil by Forensic Psychiatrist Michael Stone, MD is a teriffic book about serial killers, however Stone explains the psychiatric etiology and causes of psychopathic and sadistic behavior, which many of us were exposed to. The book explains how evil our parents were, and validates the degree of invincibility and heroism we exhibit by choosing to learn to love and heal instead of adopting our parents sadism and violence.

There is even a chapter called "The Family at its Worst" and a subheading called "Parents From Hell". These stories may be highly triggering but also highly validating. There aren't many other books that explain, in graphic detail, just how evil our parents really were. Highly recommended. 10/10.

Aside from Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents and Running on Empty, does anyone have any book recommendations similar to those two?

Hi y'all. Really recommend the book Toxic Parents by Dr Susan Forward. Way more than Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. The latter is fine, but honestly, I am really hooked with the layout of the former. It's so easy to read, and it keeps real human stories at the heart of everything which is so helpful for anyone that struggles to actually connect the dots and feel their feelings. It's from the 80s and it is underrated gold. Try searching for a free pdf online, or of course check it out at your library. Hope this helps anyone else!

Hi all,

Recently I came across Dr. Nicole LePera, and I started learning about CPTSD. I read her book How to do the work; honestly, it is the first time that I felt somebody describes precisely what I am going through. I am now looking forward to reading and learning more about CPTSD. What are your suggestions?
I was thinking about reading her second book, How to meet your self. I also saw a recommendation in this sub for the book Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker.

Please share your book recommendations and experience/feedback on the book below. I am excited to learn more about CPTSD, reparent myself, and learn from this community 🤗

For self-compassion, or generally that enlightened you. EG the body keeps the score or the drama of the gifted child

Looking for book recommendations on Fawning response to trauma .

I, M(21) autism ADHD, was bullied pretty badly in school between the ages of 7-12 and am a big people pleaser. I want to become more assertive and comfortable with myself and would love some book recommendations for that, preferably with a short summary

Does anyone know any good books or workbooks I can dive into during therapy? I'm already pretty self-aware and have gone through a bunch of books to understand myself. Now, I'm looking for something that not only validates me but also gives me that extra push to take action. Any recommendations?

I have been reading Complex PTSD from Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker and if anyone knows any good books on how to keep parents at arms length let me know my mum's a lot sometimes and I don't know how to talk to her without it ending in a fight so I just stay away now

Background: I was mildly to moderately neglected and emotionally abused by my father. My mom was a ball of anxiety (due to my father). I also had a first wife for 10 years who was probably undiagnosed cluster b.

I have CPTSD and Codependancy issues. I’ve been doing a lot of work the last 8 months (getting toxic father out of my life, just kind of observing my mother and other people and not letting them wind me up, yoga 4-5x per week, finding the right depression meds (Spravato), bibliotherapy).

I feel probably the best I’ve felt for the majority of my life. I’m genuinely happy like 30% of the time, and neutral about 50% of the time.

I’ve read so far: - Codependant no more - Complex PTSD - Pete Walker - Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents - No More Mr Nice Guy

I could stand to read some more on any of the above subjects, possibly a Codependency 12 Step book that’s more atheist / agnostic. Or a book about how to be better at speaking up for yourself / assertiveness. Or other related subjects that may pop into your mind after reading my intro.

Thank You.

as a kid i always felt neglected, as i grew up this feeling never went away, in fact it always grew. it's so painful.. i don't know how to deal with the feel of deprivation.. i constantly feel like i'm trying to hide and pray to disappear so i won't have to deal with someone else being praised. I do not seek attention at all,nor do i seek praise , i just always felt like my brothers are better than me. also my parents are primitive so they always reminded me that i'm a girl and i have to do stuff while my brothers don't. (cleaning, cooking, achieving, taking care of younger brother, can't go out with friends, they put my big brother on a pedestal... and a million more things) i know that the neglect i felt as a child effects me by wanting to constantly be alone. but the feeling of never being enough to anyone, not only family but friends, relationship, even at work.. i feel so alone and i don't want to. i feel lost when i feel neglect and i would like to change it. do you guys have some tips? ideas? maybe even books recommendations? thank you so much and sorry if i have spelling issues, english isn't my first language.. feel free to correct me respectfully.

I have tried quite a few 'classic' books recommended in this subreddit, and found some of them are rather difficult to go though. I have recently discovered this book written by one of us survivors What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma, which is immensely helpful and relatively easy to read.

The tools and techniques mentioned in the book are very much in line with what my therapist has been teaching me. This book has given me a lot of hope on the way to recovery, I hope this book will help you as much as it helped me.

Hello!! I’m specifically looking for book recommendations regarding the family members of gambling addicts- I’ve lived with one my whole life and I’m having trouble finding a book about a relative/childs perspective of this specific addiction. I’ve just found it to be so specific as it’s not a substance but something we do need to thrive (money) any recommendations help! (I’m not interested in books from a gamblers perspective currently I hold a lot of resentment and I’m trying to prioritize my pov) thank u!

What books have you found helpful in your recovery and understanding of CPTSD?

Do you have any recommendations on books that helped you cope with.. well life? I took no skills and guidance from my parents and everytime my life gets hard or i have to problem solve, I am in no capacity to do that.

Thank you:)

I was diagnosed with AvPD today (C-PTSD isn't a diagnosis here), but it'll be a couple of months before any treatment can start. I'm hoping you all can recommend books similar to The Body Keeps the Score and From Surviving to Thriving, but then aimed at Avoidant Personality Disorder, because I have no idea where to even start or which books are reliable.

Could anyone suggest any books on naming and/or handling emotions? Thank u! (ˊ˘ˋ*)