Helping You Cope With Trauma: ‘The PTSD Sourcebook’ by Glenn Schiraldi

 The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook
Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

Those who have experienced trauma often need a great deal of help to cope with it. Thankfully, the understanding of trauma, and how we need to deal with it, has expanded greatly over the last few years.

We now know that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can follow any trauma that a person experiences – directly or indirectly. It could be an assault, rape, a terrifying house burglary, or it could be watching or dealing with others experiencing trauma. We know that many paramedics, or first responders to scenes of accidents and crimes, often suffer from PTSD. There is a greater understanding now around soldiers who see and experience horrific things and struggle to cope with this. There are the ongoing traumatic effects of living in war ravaged countries and people experience acute stress following natural disasters.

These are just a few areas where trauma occurs. The number of people who experience trauma is wide and its effects are life-changing.

Let’s take a brief look at the symptoms of PTSD and how Glenn Schiraldi’s The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook – A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth, can help.

The symptoms experienced because of PTSD are varied and frightening. Nightmares; depression; mood changes; profound sadness; acute anxiety; avoidance of activities, things and places; feelings of dissociation; anger; sexual problems and much more. A person is often overtaken by their PTSD and their life is unrecognisable from before the traumatic event.  Life can feel desperately unmanageable.

Those who have experienced trauma, and are trying their best to deal with it, need help, compassion and understanding. People also need access to appropriate therapies which are now known to help their recovery. It’s often hard to get access to these services, or the wait for help can seem endless. This is where Schiraldi’s book can be a valuable asset.

His tone is warm and gentle as he looks at the crucial area of managing the distressing symptoms which occur with PTSD. He explores the various treatments which can help and he offers guidance to embark on some of these things ourselves. He looks unflinchingly at the grief and loss which occurs and the effect trauma has on a person’s self-esteem, how soul-shattering it all can be. But he also looks at how to rebuild such a troubled mind.

It’s an ambitious book – just recently updated in 2016 with all of the latest research. It holds a wealth of knowledge and insight. This is one of the best books I have encountered in its comprehensive look at coping with the aftermath of traumatic events.

In Glenn Schiraldi’s words: “If you are a survivor, the book will involve you in your own healing and help you take control of your recovery process.”

If you are experiencing the effects of trauma and need some extra support, I think this book could be helpful for you. It could also be useful for those family members around you who are struggling to deal with the changes trauma has brought into their lives too.

If you are reading this and are experiencing the aftermath of trauma, I wish you courage and strength for your own recovery.