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Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic
A Journey Toward Understanding, Active Treatment, and Societal Prevention of Trauma
Imagine, if you will, a disease―one that has only subtle outward symptoms but can hijack your entire body without notice, one that transfers easily between parent and child, one that can last a lifetime if untreated. According to Dr. Paul Conti, this is exactly how society should conceptualize as an out-of-control epidemic with a potentially fatal prognosis.
In The Invisible Epidemic , Dr. Conti examines the most recent research, clinical best practices, and dozens of real-life stories to present a deeper and more urgent view of trauma. Not only does Dr. Conti explain how trauma affects the body and mind, he also demonstrates that trauma is transmissible among close family and friends, as well as across generations and within vast demographic groups.
With all this in mind, The Invisible Epidemic proposes a course of treatment for the seemingly untreatable. Here, Dr. Conti traces a step-by-step series of concrete changes that we can make both as individuals and as a society to alleviate trauma’s effects and prevent further traumatization in the future.
You will
• The different post-trauma syndromes, how they are classified, and their common symptoms
• An examination of how for-profit health care systems can inhibit diagnosis and treatment of trauma
• How social crises and political turmoil encourage the spread of group trauma
• Methods for confronting and managing your fears as they arise in the moment
• How trauma disrupts mental processes such as memory, emotional regulation, and logical decision-making
• The argument for a renewed humanist social commitment to mental health and wellness
It’s only when we understand how a disease spreads and is sustained that we are able to create its ultimate cure. With The Invisible Epidemic , Dr. Conti reveals that what we once considered a lifelong, unbeatable mental illness is both treatable and preventable.
Imagine, if you will, a disease―one that has only subtle outward symptoms but can hijack your entire body without notice, one that transfers easily between parent and child, one that can last a lifetime if untreated. According to Dr. Paul Conti, this is exactly how society should conceptualize as an out-of-control epidemic with a potentially fatal prognosis.
In The Invisible Epidemic , Dr. Conti examines the most recent research, clinical best practices, and dozens of real-life stories to present a deeper and more urgent view of trauma. Not only does Dr. Conti explain how trauma affects the body and mind, he also demonstrates that trauma is transmissible among close family and friends, as well as across generations and within vast demographic groups.
With all this in mind, The Invisible Epidemic proposes a course of treatment for the seemingly untreatable. Here, Dr. Conti traces a step-by-step series of concrete changes that we can make both as individuals and as a society to alleviate trauma’s effects and prevent further traumatization in the future.
You will
• The different post-trauma syndromes, how they are classified, and their common symptoms
• An examination of how for-profit health care systems can inhibit diagnosis and treatment of trauma
• How social crises and political turmoil encourage the spread of group trauma
• Methods for confronting and managing your fears as they arise in the moment
• How trauma disrupts mental processes such as memory, emotional regulation, and logical decision-making
• The argument for a renewed humanist social commitment to mental health and wellness
It’s only when we understand how a disease spreads and is sustained that we are able to create its ultimate cure. With The Invisible Epidemic , Dr. Conti reveals that what we once considered a lifelong, unbeatable mental illness is both treatable and preventable.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
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December 23, 2021
My second book in a row on trauma. Phew. This was a much simpler read. Conti tries really hard to make trauma easily understandable, but after having read the classic book from Bessel van der Kolk, this was a bit underwhelming.
The book appears to be hastily put together. It kind of doesn’t really go into depth and is more general rather than Kolk’s detailed examination. Still, we need more books on trauma. We do.
The book appears to be hastily put together. It kind of doesn’t really go into depth and is more general rather than Kolk’s detailed examination. Still, we need more books on trauma. We do.
October 15, 2022
I came to this book after seeing Dr. Conti as a guest on the neurobiologist Dr. Andrew Huberman’s podcast. In that interview, I was impressed with Dr. Conti’s sense of compassion, empathy, and the points he made on trauma, so I was really hoping to like this book.
However, I simply can’t recommend it. After reading it, I question how much it will actually help people who are either dealing with trauma themselves, or those who want to know more about its origins and mechanisms. And this is a shame, because I genuinely believe that Dr. Conti wants to help people.
Dr. Conti’s central claim is that unresolved trauma is at the core of so many of the deaths of despair that we are seeing in the US and the world, and is responsible for the high rates of depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and opioid abuse. He states that until we get a handle on the trauma problem, we will continue to suffer as a society.
The first few chapters do a decent job of outlining the various types of trauma people may endure. Then, towards the end of the book, in chapters 11 and 12, he finally gets into a bit more detail on how trauma works in the brain and body. I found these two chapters to be the most valuable in the book, by far. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of vague, repetitive filler, or topics that are so tenuously related to the causes of trauma (in which no support is provided to bolster the highly subjective claims), that they don’t add much value.
Most of the book is basically an overview of trauma, with anecdotes from Dr. Conti’s own life and those of his patients, as well as interviews he does with other psychiatrists and trauma experts. But the book is very light on providing evidence for most of the claims that either Dr. Conti or his guests make, either in the form of sourced studies or statistics. I found this lack of support to be very odd for a book on psychology. The bibliography consists of 4 sources; one being a book of poems.
The entire middle part of the book (and much of the final chapter) slides into a social commentary revolving around his views on social justice (or lack thereof) and its effect on trauma. While I respect his views, these not only seemed a bit misplaced but occasionally, misinformed.
While Dr. Conti always attempts to tie his views back to the subject of trauma, he, unfortunately, pushes a bit too hard on the identity politics front throughout the entire book. He not only continues to mention the pervasiveness of racism and sexism throughout the book but he seems to be mildly scolding anyone who may not be sufficiently “woke” or sensitive to these issues, and thereby contributing more trauma to the world. While he doesn't come out and actually say this, it seeps through the pages. And even though my views on such issues tend to be left-of-center, and would likely align with his, I found the repetitive banging of this drum to be off-putting. I can only imagine how turned off someone with more conservative views would be to a book that they thought was going to be about healing their personal trauma, and not subtly accusing them of contributing to racism and sexism through their inaction or unconscious thoughts.
Throughout the book, I got the sense of subtle scolding of people who don’t see the world through the lens of ubiquitous injustice, which he sees as a major source of trauma. It’s fine to mention it as a factor in some of the trauma we see, but it seemed like all roads kept leading back to it.
At points in the book where he speaks about having tolerance of various viewpoints, which is admirable, but again, he clearly seems be subtly directing these comments to people on the far-right side of the political spectrum when you read these quotes in context of his talking about racism, sexism, or anti-immigrant sentiment, especially when he says, “Far too many of us have become allergic to people who differ from us and have developed the tendency to turn away from those who don’t resemble us” or “When we put on cognitive blinders, we deem the world fundamentally dangerous, and our blinders show us only where the that’s true”, or “We can believe something quite strongly while at the same time allowing for others to hold different beliefs.” Now, he never actually says, “Trump supporters” or those on the “far-right”, but it’s fairly clear who he’s talking about. And yet, I wonder if he’s aware of just how big this problem of intolerance to other viewpoints has become on the far left of the political spectrum. While people can debate which side is worse, intolerance of different viewpoints is now clearly left/right issue.
Certainly, some Dr. Conti’s views are understandable since he wrote the book during the Trump era and all the ugliness that came with it. But the overwhelming emphasis on trauma caused by systemic racism, sexism, and microaggressions crowds other topics out. This despite the fact that we know much of the long-lasting trauma that follows people throughout their lives originates in the home, in schools with people who share a racial identity, or in one’s immediate environment (neighborhood and close family). Obviously, most of us want to see the scourge of racism and sexism be eliminated in the world, but even if they were wiped out tomorrow, we, unfortunately, would still see an enormous amount of people suffering from childhood trauma that has little do to with these other factors that he keeps coming back to again and again.
Dr. Conti also doesn’t hesitate to put the blame squarely on "a heartless society that looks the other way and blames victims.” I think this is a bit unfair and inaccurate. Most Americans, right or left, have compassion for people who are suffering from the result of trauma, even if they’re transferring that suffering to others. But this harsh indictment of American society fails to mention that many trauma victims will refuse to be helped, even when help is repeatedly made available, especially when it involves drug addiction or severe mental illness. While we could always do more as a society, it's important to note that we do spend an enormous amount of money on mental health resources in the US, and that has increased drastically over the past five years, but these only work if people are willing to avail themselves to them. I think it’s less a result of “turning a blind eye” and more of people simply not knowing what to do. And if the author feels we could do more, it would help if he would outline a specific plan as to what exactly we should do, aside from “being kind to one another.”
Dr. Conti mentions some tools for dealing with trauma, but they’re all rather vague and gentle: be kind to yourself, get good sleep and exercise, stop the negative self-talk, reach out to others, find a good therapist, and call out injustice when you see it so as not to traumatize others. I was surprised to see how many pages in the book were spent on describing what trauma is or creating analogies for it, and how it makes us feel, but how few were spent on tools to try to get us to overcome it.
Dr. Conti talks a lot about the fact that we need “greater compassion, community, and humanity” to heal trauma, which is very admirable, but also vague. The person who is harming themselves or society through their actions, based on past trauma, isn’t likely to wake up one morning and realize they need to embrace the concept of humanity more; unfortunately, neither are their victims.
Lastly, there are parts of the book that simply felt anachronistic, as if they were written in a different time, especially regarding American culture. There are too many to mention here, but when Dr. Conti speaks about American stoicism, systemic racism, inequality, and women being oppressed—all of which certainly still exist— it appears as if the past 3 years in American life (or frankly, the past 30 years), hadn’t happened.
Dr. Conti’s says that social justice is simply being ignored in our country and our culture has just decided “that’s just the way things are.” And yet social justice has been at the forefront of many Americans’ mind for the past 50 years, but no more so than over the past 3 years, since the murder of George Floyd. Much to the dismay of people who may not want to see change happen, social justice discussions are being had every single day in this country at the highest-level institutions, corporations, and entertainment. Policies to combat injustice have been enacted broadly. Corporations and institutions have committed themselves to show the world just how inclusive and diverse they can be. It’s one thing for a person to feel change isn’t happening fast enough, it’s another to claim we’re ignoring it simply accepting it as a culture.
There were other anachronistic aspects in some of Dr. Conti's interviews. In talking about sexual assault in an interview with a German psychologist where she says that, “only 1 in 25 instances of sexual abuse are reported” and that, on average, “a child will report sexual abuse 8 times before anything is done about it.” I don’t know where the doctor was getting the data for her claim from because no source is provided, but it does seem recent. In most US states, schools are required to report any type of abuse that a child mentions to the proper authorities immediately, whether inside or outside the home. They can be fired if they don’t. It’s also difficult to imagine most children would even bother to report an instance of abuse more than once or twice if no action were taken the first two times, let alone 8 times. Dr. Conti also takes issue with the term “sexual assault” because he feels, “it’s used to minimize sexual violence as if the assault were somehow excusable.” I’m not quite sure how the doctor makes this logical leap, but he should at least mention which term he feels would be more appropriate.
In an interview with a Stanford psychiatrist who said that it is beyond dispute that trauma causes biological changes in future generations through epigenetics, I was surprised to see Dr. Conti respond with, “It’s a shame we have to provide data to show what we can already see with our own eyes, but that’s the way the world works.” I don’t know what his intent was with that statement, but clinical observation can count as observable data. And I would think that a doctor would realize that data can be quite important if a hypothesis is to be turned into a feasible theory about the origin of a malady.
Again, I agree with his central claim that trauma is at the root of so much human suffering in the world. I just think he could’ve focused more on the specifics of trauma and its effects on the brain, with data to back it up, and less on his viewpoints of American society. Seeing as how divided we are, leaving out subjective material may have allowed him to reach more people who genuinely need his help.
However, I simply can’t recommend it. After reading it, I question how much it will actually help people who are either dealing with trauma themselves, or those who want to know more about its origins and mechanisms. And this is a shame, because I genuinely believe that Dr. Conti wants to help people.
Dr. Conti’s central claim is that unresolved trauma is at the core of so many of the deaths of despair that we are seeing in the US and the world, and is responsible for the high rates of depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and opioid abuse. He states that until we get a handle on the trauma problem, we will continue to suffer as a society.
The first few chapters do a decent job of outlining the various types of trauma people may endure. Then, towards the end of the book, in chapters 11 and 12, he finally gets into a bit more detail on how trauma works in the brain and body. I found these two chapters to be the most valuable in the book, by far. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of vague, repetitive filler, or topics that are so tenuously related to the causes of trauma (in which no support is provided to bolster the highly subjective claims), that they don’t add much value.
Most of the book is basically an overview of trauma, with anecdotes from Dr. Conti’s own life and those of his patients, as well as interviews he does with other psychiatrists and trauma experts. But the book is very light on providing evidence for most of the claims that either Dr. Conti or his guests make, either in the form of sourced studies or statistics. I found this lack of support to be very odd for a book on psychology. The bibliography consists of 4 sources; one being a book of poems.
The entire middle part of the book (and much of the final chapter) slides into a social commentary revolving around his views on social justice (or lack thereof) and its effect on trauma. While I respect his views, these not only seemed a bit misplaced but occasionally, misinformed.
While Dr. Conti always attempts to tie his views back to the subject of trauma, he, unfortunately, pushes a bit too hard on the identity politics front throughout the entire book. He not only continues to mention the pervasiveness of racism and sexism throughout the book but he seems to be mildly scolding anyone who may not be sufficiently “woke” or sensitive to these issues, and thereby contributing more trauma to the world. While he doesn't come out and actually say this, it seeps through the pages. And even though my views on such issues tend to be left-of-center, and would likely align with his, I found the repetitive banging of this drum to be off-putting. I can only imagine how turned off someone with more conservative views would be to a book that they thought was going to be about healing their personal trauma, and not subtly accusing them of contributing to racism and sexism through their inaction or unconscious thoughts.
Throughout the book, I got the sense of subtle scolding of people who don’t see the world through the lens of ubiquitous injustice, which he sees as a major source of trauma. It’s fine to mention it as a factor in some of the trauma we see, but it seemed like all roads kept leading back to it.
At points in the book where he speaks about having tolerance of various viewpoints, which is admirable, but again, he clearly seems be subtly directing these comments to people on the far-right side of the political spectrum when you read these quotes in context of his talking about racism, sexism, or anti-immigrant sentiment, especially when he says, “Far too many of us have become allergic to people who differ from us and have developed the tendency to turn away from those who don’t resemble us” or “When we put on cognitive blinders, we deem the world fundamentally dangerous, and our blinders show us only where the that’s true”, or “We can believe something quite strongly while at the same time allowing for others to hold different beliefs.” Now, he never actually says, “Trump supporters” or those on the “far-right”, but it’s fairly clear who he’s talking about. And yet, I wonder if he’s aware of just how big this problem of intolerance to other viewpoints has become on the far left of the political spectrum. While people can debate which side is worse, intolerance of different viewpoints is now clearly left/right issue.
Certainly, some Dr. Conti’s views are understandable since he wrote the book during the Trump era and all the ugliness that came with it. But the overwhelming emphasis on trauma caused by systemic racism, sexism, and microaggressions crowds other topics out. This despite the fact that we know much of the long-lasting trauma that follows people throughout their lives originates in the home, in schools with people who share a racial identity, or in one’s immediate environment (neighborhood and close family). Obviously, most of us want to see the scourge of racism and sexism be eliminated in the world, but even if they were wiped out tomorrow, we, unfortunately, would still see an enormous amount of people suffering from childhood trauma that has little do to with these other factors that he keeps coming back to again and again.
Dr. Conti also doesn’t hesitate to put the blame squarely on "a heartless society that looks the other way and blames victims.” I think this is a bit unfair and inaccurate. Most Americans, right or left, have compassion for people who are suffering from the result of trauma, even if they’re transferring that suffering to others. But this harsh indictment of American society fails to mention that many trauma victims will refuse to be helped, even when help is repeatedly made available, especially when it involves drug addiction or severe mental illness. While we could always do more as a society, it's important to note that we do spend an enormous amount of money on mental health resources in the US, and that has increased drastically over the past five years, but these only work if people are willing to avail themselves to them. I think it’s less a result of “turning a blind eye” and more of people simply not knowing what to do. And if the author feels we could do more, it would help if he would outline a specific plan as to what exactly we should do, aside from “being kind to one another.”
Dr. Conti mentions some tools for dealing with trauma, but they’re all rather vague and gentle: be kind to yourself, get good sleep and exercise, stop the negative self-talk, reach out to others, find a good therapist, and call out injustice when you see it so as not to traumatize others. I was surprised to see how many pages in the book were spent on describing what trauma is or creating analogies for it, and how it makes us feel, but how few were spent on tools to try to get us to overcome it.
Dr. Conti talks a lot about the fact that we need “greater compassion, community, and humanity” to heal trauma, which is very admirable, but also vague. The person who is harming themselves or society through their actions, based on past trauma, isn’t likely to wake up one morning and realize they need to embrace the concept of humanity more; unfortunately, neither are their victims.
Lastly, there are parts of the book that simply felt anachronistic, as if they were written in a different time, especially regarding American culture. There are too many to mention here, but when Dr. Conti speaks about American stoicism, systemic racism, inequality, and women being oppressed—all of which certainly still exist— it appears as if the past 3 years in American life (or frankly, the past 30 years), hadn’t happened.
Dr. Conti’s says that social justice is simply being ignored in our country and our culture has just decided “that’s just the way things are.” And yet social justice has been at the forefront of many Americans’ mind for the past 50 years, but no more so than over the past 3 years, since the murder of George Floyd. Much to the dismay of people who may not want to see change happen, social justice discussions are being had every single day in this country at the highest-level institutions, corporations, and entertainment. Policies to combat injustice have been enacted broadly. Corporations and institutions have committed themselves to show the world just how inclusive and diverse they can be. It’s one thing for a person to feel change isn’t happening fast enough, it’s another to claim we’re ignoring it simply accepting it as a culture.
There were other anachronistic aspects in some of Dr. Conti's interviews. In talking about sexual assault in an interview with a German psychologist where she says that, “only 1 in 25 instances of sexual abuse are reported” and that, on average, “a child will report sexual abuse 8 times before anything is done about it.” I don’t know where the doctor was getting the data for her claim from because no source is provided, but it does seem recent. In most US states, schools are required to report any type of abuse that a child mentions to the proper authorities immediately, whether inside or outside the home. They can be fired if they don’t. It’s also difficult to imagine most children would even bother to report an instance of abuse more than once or twice if no action were taken the first two times, let alone 8 times. Dr. Conti also takes issue with the term “sexual assault” because he feels, “it’s used to minimize sexual violence as if the assault were somehow excusable.” I’m not quite sure how the doctor makes this logical leap, but he should at least mention which term he feels would be more appropriate.
In an interview with a Stanford psychiatrist who said that it is beyond dispute that trauma causes biological changes in future generations through epigenetics, I was surprised to see Dr. Conti respond with, “It’s a shame we have to provide data to show what we can already see with our own eyes, but that’s the way the world works.” I don’t know what his intent was with that statement, but clinical observation can count as observable data. And I would think that a doctor would realize that data can be quite important if a hypothesis is to be turned into a feasible theory about the origin of a malady.
Again, I agree with his central claim that trauma is at the root of so much human suffering in the world. I just think he could’ve focused more on the specifics of trauma and its effects on the brain, with data to back it up, and less on his viewpoints of American society. Seeing as how divided we are, leaving out subjective material may have allowed him to reach more people who genuinely need his help.
April 30, 2022
In this book, Dr Conti explores what trauma is and how it works, the sociology of trauma, and how trauma impacts people physically and mentally.
I found the stories of people impacted by trauma interesting. They helped to illustrate points the author was making, although I often wished they were longer.
There were times I came across a topic I wanted to learn more about (like inflammation, the limbic system and epigenetics) but, because this book provides more of an overview than a deep dive, there’d only be a few paragraphs dedicated to it.
There were too many analogies for my liking and by the end of the book I wished I had counted the amount of times I’d read “compassion, community and humanity”.
If you’re looking for a book that offers an introduction to trauma, this may be the book for you. However, if you’re already well versed in trauma and its impacts, you may have already encountered much of the information covered here.
Content warnings include
Thank you to NetGalley and Vermilion, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, Penguin Random House, for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
I found the stories of people impacted by trauma interesting. They helped to illustrate points the author was making, although I often wished they were longer.
There were times I came across a topic I wanted to learn more about (like inflammation, the limbic system and epigenetics) but, because this book provides more of an overview than a deep dive, there’d only be a few paragraphs dedicated to it.
There were too many analogies for my liking and by the end of the book I wished I had counted the amount of times I’d read “compassion, community and humanity”.
If you’re looking for a book that offers an introduction to trauma, this may be the book for you. However, if you’re already well versed in trauma and its impacts, you may have already encountered much of the information covered here.
Content warnings include
Thank you to NetGalley and Vermilion, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, Penguin Random House, for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
October 26, 2021
My most listened to podcast episode has to be Paul Conti on The Peter Attia Drive. The number of insights that have stuck with me from that episode I think surpass that from any book that I’ve read.
The book was similar material to what was on the podcast episode. It is a good primer and overview on trauma - I like the way Dr. Conti describes how trauma can change our brains and can insert a negative lens through which we view the world. It prevents us from taking chances, being vulnerable, treating ourselves well, etc.
I enjoyed the personal stories and anecdotes from Dr. Conti as well.
The book was similar material to what was on the podcast episode. It is a good primer and overview on trauma - I like the way Dr. Conti describes how trauma can change our brains and can insert a negative lens through which we view the world. It prevents us from taking chances, being vulnerable, treating ourselves well, etc.
I enjoyed the personal stories and anecdotes from Dr. Conti as well.
August 7, 2022
Dr Conti seems like he cares very deeply about his work, which I loved, but I got a bit bored of this book. It oversimplifies trauma and was a bit repetitive. I think this book should have been marketed as a beginners guide. My highlights of the book are Conti’s acknowledgment of the pervasive trauma in POC communities, and his call for the validation of trauma without PTSD manifestations.
December 3, 2022
Great book on trauma, how to understand it, and even handle it. Great for what I'd call a read for beginners on this topic.
May 27, 2022
❤️ Artigo publicado em https://www.boasleituras.pt/
Neste livro, encontramos não só uma explicação para o que é o trauma, mas igualmente como funciona, como se estabelece e como é difícil de tratar, mas não impossível. E como é ainda, infelizmente, tão desvalorizado pela nossa sociedade.
Claro que os traumas não são todos iguais e nem toda a gente lida com eles da mesma forma. Isso não faz com que deixe de ser importante divulgar e promover conteúdos relacionados com os meandros da saúde mental e as várias formas com que se apresenta.
Neste caso em particular, fala-se de trauma, como se forma e quais são os fatores que o impulsionam e que dão origem, ou estão relacionados, a outros problemas como a ansiedade, a depressão, os ataques de pânico, etc.
Tive pena de que não se focasse mais no tratamento do stress pós-traumático e que salientasse tanto a realidade norte-americana, tão diferente da nossa em termos de cuidados de saúde.
Mesmo assim, é um livro muito interessante. Não me parece que seja capaz de operar uma melhoria significativa nas nossas vidas, mas ajuda-nos, com certeza, a refletir sobre os nossos próprios problemas de saúde, grandes ou pequenos, e a vê-los com outro filtro.
Boas Leituras ❤️
Neste livro, encontramos não só uma explicação para o que é o trauma, mas igualmente como funciona, como se estabelece e como é difícil de tratar, mas não impossível. E como é ainda, infelizmente, tão desvalorizado pela nossa sociedade.
Claro que os traumas não são todos iguais e nem toda a gente lida com eles da mesma forma. Isso não faz com que deixe de ser importante divulgar e promover conteúdos relacionados com os meandros da saúde mental e as várias formas com que se apresenta.
Neste caso em particular, fala-se de trauma, como se forma e quais são os fatores que o impulsionam e que dão origem, ou estão relacionados, a outros problemas como a ansiedade, a depressão, os ataques de pânico, etc.
Tive pena de que não se focasse mais no tratamento do stress pós-traumático e que salientasse tanto a realidade norte-americana, tão diferente da nossa em termos de cuidados de saúde.
Mesmo assim, é um livro muito interessante. Não me parece que seja capaz de operar uma melhoria significativa nas nossas vidas, mas ajuda-nos, com certeza, a refletir sobre os nossos próprios problemas de saúde, grandes ou pequenos, e a vê-los com outro filtro.
Boas Leituras ❤️
March 29, 2022
I don't know what happened. Conti is an excellent interview and a psychologist to whom I would gladly entrust myself. But this book is just a series of unorganized thoughts, stories, metaphors and interviews that fail to offer even the most basic insight.
July 9, 2023
3.5 at best
Very easy read. Expected some more indepth explanations and predictions for solutions.
However it felt mostly like an expantiated WikiHow article.
The book holds quite some examples and interesting cases. Paul Conti does add some good insights in the situation. However the way it is set up with the foreword by Lady Gaga gives it more the feeling of it being a selfhelp book rather than a scientific read.
Very easy read. Expected some more indepth explanations and predictions for solutions.
However it felt mostly like an expantiated WikiHow article.
The book holds quite some examples and interesting cases. Paul Conti does add some good insights in the situation. However the way it is set up with the foreword by Lady Gaga gives it more the feeling of it being a selfhelp book rather than a scientific read.
October 6, 2021
Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic by Paul Conti, MD, is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late September.
Conti is very, very plain-spoken, yet wise and tinker philosopher author as he goes over definitions, antidotes (helpful and therapeutic tasks) & accomplices (associated triggering memories and symptoms), interviews and personal stories, trauma's multimodal effects over the entire body and brain, and what we can do to address it. To my eyes, trauma is experiencing something terrible, then thrusting double-edged stakes in the ground all around you to protect yourself from the world and to protect the world from you re-entering it, while your friends and loved ones case the outside of it, worriedly.
Conti is very, very plain-spoken, yet wise and tinker philosopher author as he goes over definitions, antidotes (helpful and therapeutic tasks) & accomplices (associated triggering memories and symptoms), interviews and personal stories, trauma's multimodal effects over the entire body and brain, and what we can do to address it. To my eyes, trauma is experiencing something terrible, then thrusting double-edged stakes in the ground all around you to protect yourself from the world and to protect the world from you re-entering it, while your friends and loved ones case the outside of it, worriedly.
July 11, 2021
Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic by Paul Conti, Lady Gaga review:
Living with trauma almost my entire life, leaving home at 14 years old, loosing my father four years ago, amongst other things.
The author describes trauma as: it's everywhere, flowing in and out of our bodies of our loved ones.
Quote from the book that really makes perfect sense
"As with Covid, you can't see trauma, itself, you just see it at work- silently but maliciously."
This book helps understanding trauma and shame, ability to recognize trauma, tools to help yourself and other people.
Living with trauma almost my entire life, leaving home at 14 years old, loosing my father four years ago, amongst other things.
The author describes trauma as: it's everywhere, flowing in and out of our bodies of our loved ones.
Quote from the book that really makes perfect sense
"As with Covid, you can't see trauma, itself, you just see it at work- silently but maliciously."
This book helps understanding trauma and shame, ability to recognize trauma, tools to help yourself and other people.
December 29, 2022
“So much of our lives are lived inside of our heads, and what we think and tell ourselves there matters immensely.”
I found this book to be very important for my personal healing as well as for my need for education in this field, in order to be part of a healthier community. That is why I would love for you to read it - if you yourself are looking for answers.
Paul Conti clearly explains what trauma is and what it does to us and highlights the importance of talking about trauma and tearing down the shame that often comes with it.
This book provides scientific point of view (which serves for me personally as a way of looking into my own brain, comprehending the processes and finding better understanding for myself as the image is less abstract then) as well as his own personal experience with trauma and also real life (often very heartbreaking) stories of his patients which helps to illustrate how trauma works.
Each chapter is then wrapped up with reflections - questions you can ask yourself or others. I was surprised by what I came up with and sometimes these questions served as a great tool for my own therapy.
Paul shows you the way of how to change the narrative. How to aim for an environment of acceptance, trust and mutual safety. How to consider and treat ourselves and others with compassion.
Trauma makes us question who we are, what we deserve and what we’re capable of achieving. It eats away at our dreams and colors our decisions without us even knowing it. It blurs our vision of what is and what isn’t real. Healing brings clarity.
I particularly liked this one analogy (but Paul gives you plenty of them): “Another analogy for trauma is rain - endless rain. It might feel like a sprinkle at first, but with no protection we end up getting soaked to the bone, and the water just keeps accumulating all around us until we’re carried away in a river of misery.”
To be honest, I had to take breaks while reading this book. Sometimes even for a week or so. But the more I read, the easier it actually got.
What an exceptional book to wrap my year with. Also my year in therapy and thus my year of intensive healing.
Healing from trauma often takes heartfelt grieving - especially grieving for your old self - for the self you once were, but will never be again.
But I always tend to remind myself that you can’t heal what you don’t let yourself feel.
We need to accept help but also give it. And sometimes the help is to sit with what feels unbearable.
So please, go out, ask for help or maybe just read this book for starters.
Sending hugs. 🫂❤️🩹
I found this book to be very important for my personal healing as well as for my need for education in this field, in order to be part of a healthier community. That is why I would love for you to read it - if you yourself are looking for answers.
Paul Conti clearly explains what trauma is and what it does to us and highlights the importance of talking about trauma and tearing down the shame that often comes with it.
This book provides scientific point of view (which serves for me personally as a way of looking into my own brain, comprehending the processes and finding better understanding for myself as the image is less abstract then) as well as his own personal experience with trauma and also real life (often very heartbreaking) stories of his patients which helps to illustrate how trauma works.
Each chapter is then wrapped up with reflections - questions you can ask yourself or others. I was surprised by what I came up with and sometimes these questions served as a great tool for my own therapy.
Paul shows you the way of how to change the narrative. How to aim for an environment of acceptance, trust and mutual safety. How to consider and treat ourselves and others with compassion.
Trauma makes us question who we are, what we deserve and what we’re capable of achieving. It eats away at our dreams and colors our decisions without us even knowing it. It blurs our vision of what is and what isn’t real. Healing brings clarity.
I particularly liked this one analogy (but Paul gives you plenty of them): “Another analogy for trauma is rain - endless rain. It might feel like a sprinkle at first, but with no protection we end up getting soaked to the bone, and the water just keeps accumulating all around us until we’re carried away in a river of misery.”
To be honest, I had to take breaks while reading this book. Sometimes even for a week or so. But the more I read, the easier it actually got.
What an exceptional book to wrap my year with. Also my year in therapy and thus my year of intensive healing.
Healing from trauma often takes heartfelt grieving - especially grieving for your old self - for the self you once were, but will never be again.
But I always tend to remind myself that you can’t heal what you don’t let yourself feel.
We need to accept help but also give it. And sometimes the help is to sit with what feels unbearable.
So please, go out, ask for help or maybe just read this book for starters.
Sending hugs. 🫂❤️🩹
February 21, 2023
We're living with a silent epidemic of trauma, and our health care systems are ill equipped to deal with it.
It's a plausible claim, but the book felt very light on content, to the point where I didn't really feel like I had enough substance to actually evaluate what was being claimed. It's more of a series of anecdotes. There are no real studies cited, or even mentioned. If you think you have a way of treating trauma show me the trails. Altogether there was a wiff of the Freudian to this; all of our problems are caused by childhood trauma, even if we have no idea about it ourselves, and the best remedy is to dredge it all up and "deal with it". What exactly dealing with it entails is nowhere actually explained.
I'm not really an expert on this topic, but I feel like there may be a slight counter productive element to blaming our issues on our childhood in this way. I've seen studies that have shown, in certain circumstances, therapy for traumatic events can actually make people worse. I could be wrong of course, but this book is too lightweight to have really challenged my views. Maybe such a book exists, but it's not this one.
At several points he claims that trauma "changes our genes", at which point I thought, "this is going to get interesting". He doesn't really go any further than that, leaving me vaguely frustrated. It's a sort of meaningless claim if stated without further qualification. These kinds of claims, whilst probably true in some sense, will likely mislead a lot of the audience, and be quoted without understanding. The lack of understanding would not then be the audiences fault; we are simply not given enough substance to make sense of these claims.
On the other hand, he writes very well, with a lot of empathy, and there are many smaller points that he makes that are probably true and well worth making. I read in three sittings, his anecdotes are actually rather entertaining, and I ended up quite liking the author, he seems like his heart is in the right place, and generally quite pleasant to read, so I don't regret the (short) time I spent reading the book, but was left wanting a much more serious treatment of the serious subject.
It's a plausible claim, but the book felt very light on content, to the point where I didn't really feel like I had enough substance to actually evaluate what was being claimed. It's more of a series of anecdotes. There are no real studies cited, or even mentioned. If you think you have a way of treating trauma show me the trails. Altogether there was a wiff of the Freudian to this; all of our problems are caused by childhood trauma, even if we have no idea about it ourselves, and the best remedy is to dredge it all up and "deal with it". What exactly dealing with it entails is nowhere actually explained.
I'm not really an expert on this topic, but I feel like there may be a slight counter productive element to blaming our issues on our childhood in this way. I've seen studies that have shown, in certain circumstances, therapy for traumatic events can actually make people worse. I could be wrong of course, but this book is too lightweight to have really challenged my views. Maybe such a book exists, but it's not this one.
At several points he claims that trauma "changes our genes", at which point I thought, "this is going to get interesting". He doesn't really go any further than that, leaving me vaguely frustrated. It's a sort of meaningless claim if stated without further qualification. These kinds of claims, whilst probably true in some sense, will likely mislead a lot of the audience, and be quoted without understanding. The lack of understanding would not then be the audiences fault; we are simply not given enough substance to make sense of these claims.
On the other hand, he writes very well, with a lot of empathy, and there are many smaller points that he makes that are probably true and well worth making. I read in three sittings, his anecdotes are actually rather entertaining, and I ended up quite liking the author, he seems like his heart is in the right place, and generally quite pleasant to read, so I don't regret the (short) time I spent reading the book, but was left wanting a much more serious treatment of the serious subject.
October 10, 2023
An introduction to trauma and its devastating effects.
This book gave me a new perspective on what trauma actually is and how anyone can be affected by it.
I had the misconception that trauma was something suffered by people who’d been through truly grievous circumstances. It is in fact rampant in modern society, and oftentimes people are living with trauma and the guilt and shame that accompany it when not treated or dealt with in a healthy manner.
Dr. Conti is compassionate and his humanistic views resonated with me.
It might be a bit simplistic and you may not learn something you didn’t already know, but this is a gentle nudge in the right direction, inspiring us to be more patient with ourselves and to celebrate compassion, community and humanity.
This book gave me a new perspective on what trauma actually is and how anyone can be affected by it.
I had the misconception that trauma was something suffered by people who’d been through truly grievous circumstances. It is in fact rampant in modern society, and oftentimes people are living with trauma and the guilt and shame that accompany it when not treated or dealt with in a healthy manner.
Dr. Conti is compassionate and his humanistic views resonated with me.
It might be a bit simplistic and you may not learn something you didn’t already know, but this is a gentle nudge in the right direction, inspiring us to be more patient with ourselves and to celebrate compassion, community and humanity.
December 6, 2022
An excellent introduction to the subject and hopefully the first book from Conti, whom I profoundly admire and discovered through Peter Attia's drive and Huberman Lab podcasts.
The book is translating in simple terms the latest scientific discoveries about epigenetics and trauma and its effects on brain biology and psychology, whilst sharing examples gathered through many years of psychiatric practice or personal stories.
"It's not true that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. What doesn’t kill us can actually leave us with wounds that make life a lot more difficult. That being said, what doesn’t kill us can make us wiser, more grateful, and more compassionate."
And in a thoughtful and caring way, he shares with us his hard-earned wisdom as well as the first steps to acknowledging and healing.
Wholeheartedly recommended.
The book is translating in simple terms the latest scientific discoveries about epigenetics and trauma and its effects on brain biology and psychology, whilst sharing examples gathered through many years of psychiatric practice or personal stories.
"It's not true that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. What doesn’t kill us can actually leave us with wounds that make life a lot more difficult. That being said, what doesn’t kill us can make us wiser, more grateful, and more compassionate."
And in a thoughtful and caring way, he shares with us his hard-earned wisdom as well as the first steps to acknowledging and healing.
Wholeheartedly recommended.
February 3, 2022
Good introduction into the topic in general. Also very effective in spreading awareness regarding the depth and reach of trauma on a societal level. Very thin regarding the healing part, here I was expecting more input. The book in general was a bit disappointing. It seemed done rather hastily with not much thought or editing, being redundant in a lot of passages and having two interview parts in the middle which I could've done without.
July 12, 2022
Dr. Conti sounds like a wonderful physician, but I was hoping for something more in depth. The book skims the surface of trauma and I was losing interest towards the end.
August 7, 2023
Vienareikšmiškai viena prasčiausių knygų, kurias teko skaityti šita tema:
- neįtikėtinai paviršutiniškas požiūris į traumas
- neišsamus jų rūšių, kilmės aprašymas
- skelbiama, kad remiamasi naujausiais tyrimais, tačiau pateikiami tik dialogai su mokslininkais, kurių didžiąją dalį užima autoriaus “klausimai” (tiksliau gal būtų sakyt apmąstymai ir egocentriniai pasimaivymai)
- visiškai niekiniai patarimai (iš serijos “kamuoja nemiga? pamėginkite užmigti”)
- daug dėmesio skiriama parodyti, kokia didelė epidemija yra traumos, tačiau visi pavyzdžiai apsiriboja covid ir rasizmu (neverta net minėt, kad jie praktiškai niekaip neanalizuojami, etc.)
Autorius užmojai parodyti traumų mąstą, žalą (ypač genetiniam lygmeny) ir pateikti būdus ją įveikti lieka neįgyvendinti.
- neįtikėtinai paviršutiniškas požiūris į traumas
- neišsamus jų rūšių, kilmės aprašymas
- skelbiama, kad remiamasi naujausiais tyrimais, tačiau pateikiami tik dialogai su mokslininkais, kurių didžiąją dalį užima autoriaus “klausimai” (tiksliau gal būtų sakyt apmąstymai ir egocentriniai pasimaivymai)
- visiškai niekiniai patarimai (iš serijos “kamuoja nemiga? pamėginkite užmigti”)
- daug dėmesio skiriama parodyti, kokia didelė epidemija yra traumos, tačiau visi pavyzdžiai apsiriboja covid ir rasizmu (neverta net minėt, kad jie praktiškai niekaip neanalizuojami, etc.)
Autorius užmojai parodyti traumų mąstą, žalą (ypač genetiniam lygmeny) ir pateikti būdus ją įveikti lieka neįgyvendinti.
February 19, 2022
This is an excellent resource for those looking to better understand trauma and the havoc it can wreak on our minds and bodies. It’s written in an easily understood manner, without leaving out what is important. In the days of Covid, most of us have some degree of trauma, so this book couldn’t come at a better time.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
April 21, 2024
3 Stars- This book has some interesting facts about trauma which I’ve heard in other books too. But then it got a bit repetitive and lots of focus of political and social stuff that I kinda lost interest. The author seems very knowledgeable, he just didn’t present it the best for me.
March 13, 2024
3 1/2 stars. Good book for general information.
June 28, 2022
Summary:
Paul Conti’s Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic provides a basic introduction to the topic of trauma and summarizes what Conti has learned during his career working with trauma victims. In Part One, Conti defines trauma, breaks down the different types of trauma, and suggests some conceptual frameworks for how to best understand trauma’s effects on individuals and communities. In Part Two, Conti explores the sociological aspects of trauma, including how trauma is (mis)handled by America’s healthcare system and how it invades and compromises our social networks. In Part Three, Conti describes trauma’s impact on our thought patterns, emotions, and biology, highlighting its relationship with mental illness as well as various physical disorders that are not always thought to be associated with trauma. In Part Four, Conti lays out his argument for a “humanist social commitment” that we should all make in order to collectively prevent trauma and mitigate the damage when it occurs.
Key Concepts and Notes:
––Probably the best features of this book are the many metaphors Conti deploys to help readers understand trauma’s subtle and pervasive effects. In particular, I found his comparison of trauma to the parasite toxoplasma (AKA toxoplasmosis) to be both novel and highly effective for framing how trauma can make us insensitive to dangerous situations in a way that tragically increases our chances of experiencing more trauma. His characterization of trauma as a force that distorts our “map of life” and makes it more difficult to navigate through challenging circumstances is also apt.
––The text is replete with vignettes describing various patients and situations Conti has encountered in his career. These sections keep the book grounded and provide real-world examples that complement Conti’s general arguments.
––I appreciate that Conti doesn’t ignore the sociological factors that produce trauma and impede its treatment. He makes a strong case that structural barriers such as poverty, childhood adversity, systemic discrimination, and lack of access to health services cannot be ignored if we are to fully understand and effectively respond to trauma.
––Conti’s examinations of how trauma generates various types of cognitive distortions––especially negativity bias––are extremely well-crafted.
––My one major disappointment with this book is that it doesn’t provide specific tools for trauma therapy. Conti makes lots of general recommendations (e.g. self-care, meditation, utilizing social and/or professional support, language mindfulness, patience and compassion for others, etc.), but he doesn’t get into the nuts and bolts of how therapists can help traumatized clients learn to confront, discuss, and work through their trauma during sessions. Perhaps these details weren’t considered appropriate for this particular book, but even an appendix or two with some more technical advice would have been nice.
Favorite Quotes:
You can’t see trauma itself; you just see it at work––silently but maliciously. As it harms one person, it replicates and jumps to another; then it spreads to another and often back again. Unfortunately, there aren’t vaccine trials for trauma, and early testing for trauma is woefully lacking. And until we employ all of the tools at our disposal and finally face the threat of the trauma virus, not only will our happiness and well-being remain threatened but also our survival. (10)
There’s still this common idea that trauma is something discrete, or limited to the time when the event happened. It’s almost as if we can only see it through a legal lens. Like, something bad happened at some point in the past, where the trauma is sort of contained, but especially when it comes to children, trauma isn’t like that at all. It affects everything else in life going forward. What we don’t get is that people are fundamentally changed by trauma. They’re changed biologically. They’re changed in terms of gene expression and hormones and chemicals and neurotransmission, and that goes on forever. My hope is that people’s notions of trauma catch up with the scientific research. (44)
Compassion, community, and humanity are intertwined in that they exemplify the full expression of who we are as humans. Although trauma can make us feel isolated and lonely, the truth is that we’re all in this together. Compassion enables us to care about other people, to relate to them with kindness, and to consider the world from their perspective. Community is the embodied acknowledgement of our interdependence with other people––our behaviors affect one another. Finally, humanity is the recognition that––as people who share this world––all of us suffer. Furthermore, that suffering matters.
Compassion, community, and humanity are our birthright. For people, they’re what makes the world go round. They’re also some of the first things to go when trauma finds its way into our homes. (55)
Trauma changes our emotions; changed emotions determine our decisions. (109)
We’re not meant to face trauma alone. To that end, it’s important to rely on allies––family and friends, doctors and therapists, pets, support groups, medicine, gardens, you name it. By this point, I hope I’ve made the togetherness aspect of trauma work (especially in the form of compassion, community, and humanity) clear. It’s crucial that we develop the inclination to rely on the wisdom and kindness of others, and I have learned not to underestimate the power of the warm hand and the written word. Other people remind us of who we are, help us uncover our true maps, and advise us as we chart new courses to where we want to be in life.
That being said, we also need to learn to be better allies to ourselves. This can also take many forms––positive self-talk, thoughtful self-care, self-confidence, self-assertion, and the habit of making well-thought-out choices about our health, careers, and the people we spend time with. (144)
Wisdom and patience arise when we experience ourselves and others through the lens of compassion, when we see through the lies trauma wants us to believe about ourselves, and when we see how trauma influences our affects, feelings, and emotions. Wisdom and patience also occur every time we feel something powerful and intense arise in us, and we choose to wait and reflect instead of instantly reacting. Wisdom and patience come from putting words to all of the thoughts and messages arising in us and from sharing our needs and wants with others. And we foster our growing wisdom and patience every time we make an intentional decision and see the degree to which trauma has previously made our decisions for us. (152)
Damaging stories about ourselves are sort of like myths that no one really wants to read but that get knitted together anyway into the collection of stories that become our false life narrative. A false life narrative amplifies negative stories, forgets or hides positive ones, stifles any present evidence that might challenge our views about ourselves, and projects the promise of repetitive negativity into the future. Trauma is the author of these false narratives, and if we don’t take an active hand in the editing process, we’ll be stuck with stories that work against us.
In fact, we can take the pen away from trauma altogether and write our own true life narratives. These narratives treat us with respect and fairness. They acknowledge our courage and the effort it takes to make even the smallest triumph happen. A true life narrative recognizes what it takes to raise children, support a family, proclaim one’s gender identity, embrace one’s sexuality, persevere despite racism, or continue one’s degree after an assault. True life narratives are honest, inspiring, and serve us in the face of trauma. They’re also the blueprints of our future. (158)
Before trauma scrawled all over the maps we were born with, they showed us where we were and how to get around. On a map untouched by trauma, we can draw paths almost anywhere we wish to go, explore life’s terrain, navigate the struggles and challenges of life, and eventually find our way home. We want that map back––not just for ourselves but for others, too. We want reliable signposts that don’t lead any of us astray. We want to be able to travel life from coast to coast, discover the goodness that’s our birthright, form valuable memories, join other travelers along the way, and lend a helping hand where it’s needed. (169-70)
This review was originally published on my blog, words&dirt.
Paul Conti’s Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic provides a basic introduction to the topic of trauma and summarizes what Conti has learned during his career working with trauma victims. In Part One, Conti defines trauma, breaks down the different types of trauma, and suggests some conceptual frameworks for how to best understand trauma’s effects on individuals and communities. In Part Two, Conti explores the sociological aspects of trauma, including how trauma is (mis)handled by America’s healthcare system and how it invades and compromises our social networks. In Part Three, Conti describes trauma’s impact on our thought patterns, emotions, and biology, highlighting its relationship with mental illness as well as various physical disorders that are not always thought to be associated with trauma. In Part Four, Conti lays out his argument for a “humanist social commitment” that we should all make in order to collectively prevent trauma and mitigate the damage when it occurs.
Key Concepts and Notes:
––Probably the best features of this book are the many metaphors Conti deploys to help readers understand trauma’s subtle and pervasive effects. In particular, I found his comparison of trauma to the parasite toxoplasma (AKA toxoplasmosis) to be both novel and highly effective for framing how trauma can make us insensitive to dangerous situations in a way that tragically increases our chances of experiencing more trauma. His characterization of trauma as a force that distorts our “map of life” and makes it more difficult to navigate through challenging circumstances is also apt.
––The text is replete with vignettes describing various patients and situations Conti has encountered in his career. These sections keep the book grounded and provide real-world examples that complement Conti’s general arguments.
––I appreciate that Conti doesn’t ignore the sociological factors that produce trauma and impede its treatment. He makes a strong case that structural barriers such as poverty, childhood adversity, systemic discrimination, and lack of access to health services cannot be ignored if we are to fully understand and effectively respond to trauma.
––Conti’s examinations of how trauma generates various types of cognitive distortions––especially negativity bias––are extremely well-crafted.
––My one major disappointment with this book is that it doesn’t provide specific tools for trauma therapy. Conti makes lots of general recommendations (e.g. self-care, meditation, utilizing social and/or professional support, language mindfulness, patience and compassion for others, etc.), but he doesn’t get into the nuts and bolts of how therapists can help traumatized clients learn to confront, discuss, and work through their trauma during sessions. Perhaps these details weren’t considered appropriate for this particular book, but even an appendix or two with some more technical advice would have been nice.
Favorite Quotes:
You can’t see trauma itself; you just see it at work––silently but maliciously. As it harms one person, it replicates and jumps to another; then it spreads to another and often back again. Unfortunately, there aren’t vaccine trials for trauma, and early testing for trauma is woefully lacking. And until we employ all of the tools at our disposal and finally face the threat of the trauma virus, not only will our happiness and well-being remain threatened but also our survival. (10)
There’s still this common idea that trauma is something discrete, or limited to the time when the event happened. It’s almost as if we can only see it through a legal lens. Like, something bad happened at some point in the past, where the trauma is sort of contained, but especially when it comes to children, trauma isn’t like that at all. It affects everything else in life going forward. What we don’t get is that people are fundamentally changed by trauma. They’re changed biologically. They’re changed in terms of gene expression and hormones and chemicals and neurotransmission, and that goes on forever. My hope is that people’s notions of trauma catch up with the scientific research. (44)
Compassion, community, and humanity are intertwined in that they exemplify the full expression of who we are as humans. Although trauma can make us feel isolated and lonely, the truth is that we’re all in this together. Compassion enables us to care about other people, to relate to them with kindness, and to consider the world from their perspective. Community is the embodied acknowledgement of our interdependence with other people––our behaviors affect one another. Finally, humanity is the recognition that––as people who share this world––all of us suffer. Furthermore, that suffering matters.
Compassion, community, and humanity are our birthright. For people, they’re what makes the world go round. They’re also some of the first things to go when trauma finds its way into our homes. (55)
Trauma changes our emotions; changed emotions determine our decisions. (109)
We’re not meant to face trauma alone. To that end, it’s important to rely on allies––family and friends, doctors and therapists, pets, support groups, medicine, gardens, you name it. By this point, I hope I’ve made the togetherness aspect of trauma work (especially in the form of compassion, community, and humanity) clear. It’s crucial that we develop the inclination to rely on the wisdom and kindness of others, and I have learned not to underestimate the power of the warm hand and the written word. Other people remind us of who we are, help us uncover our true maps, and advise us as we chart new courses to where we want to be in life.
That being said, we also need to learn to be better allies to ourselves. This can also take many forms––positive self-talk, thoughtful self-care, self-confidence, self-assertion, and the habit of making well-thought-out choices about our health, careers, and the people we spend time with. (144)
Wisdom and patience arise when we experience ourselves and others through the lens of compassion, when we see through the lies trauma wants us to believe about ourselves, and when we see how trauma influences our affects, feelings, and emotions. Wisdom and patience also occur every time we feel something powerful and intense arise in us, and we choose to wait and reflect instead of instantly reacting. Wisdom and patience come from putting words to all of the thoughts and messages arising in us and from sharing our needs and wants with others. And we foster our growing wisdom and patience every time we make an intentional decision and see the degree to which trauma has previously made our decisions for us. (152)
Damaging stories about ourselves are sort of like myths that no one really wants to read but that get knitted together anyway into the collection of stories that become our false life narrative. A false life narrative amplifies negative stories, forgets or hides positive ones, stifles any present evidence that might challenge our views about ourselves, and projects the promise of repetitive negativity into the future. Trauma is the author of these false narratives, and if we don’t take an active hand in the editing process, we’ll be stuck with stories that work against us.
In fact, we can take the pen away from trauma altogether and write our own true life narratives. These narratives treat us with respect and fairness. They acknowledge our courage and the effort it takes to make even the smallest triumph happen. A true life narrative recognizes what it takes to raise children, support a family, proclaim one’s gender identity, embrace one’s sexuality, persevere despite racism, or continue one’s degree after an assault. True life narratives are honest, inspiring, and serve us in the face of trauma. They’re also the blueprints of our future. (158)
Before trauma scrawled all over the maps we were born with, they showed us where we were and how to get around. On a map untouched by trauma, we can draw paths almost anywhere we wish to go, explore life’s terrain, navigate the struggles and challenges of life, and eventually find our way home. We want that map back––not just for ourselves but for others, too. We want reliable signposts that don’t lead any of us astray. We want to be able to travel life from coast to coast, discover the goodness that’s our birthright, form valuable memories, join other travelers along the way, and lend a helping hand where it’s needed. (169-70)
This review was originally published on my blog, words&dirt.
April 2, 2024
If you picked up or started reading “The Body Keeps the Score” and lost interest or felt it was overwhelming, read this! This is an excellent explanation and exploration of a word that gets thrown around a lot in the mental health world. I appreciated how Dr. Conti explains the effects of trauma and models ways we can meet people precisely where they are at. At the same time, he doesn’t feed into a victim mentality and constantly holds hope for people to heal and grow.
January 1, 2022
I feel like this is a very straightforward introduction to trauma for those who don’t yet know a lot about it. Easy to understand and definitely something I’d recommend to someone who was struggling. I enjoyed!
April 2, 2022
I didn't finish it -- it seems to be loosely organized and hastily put together. It might serve well as a first book on trauma because of its conversational style, but doesn't have the rigor I look for.
January 10, 2024
Doctor Paul Conti explains, in a very beginner's way, trauma as anything that causes us emotional or physical pain.
He shows us simplistically this concept with minor anecdotes from his clinical practice and reflections about the impact in society of this hidden illness.
For me, this book has been very disappointing.
In the Huberman podcast, Conti is a gem guest, he explains everything with grace and knowledge but the insights here are very vague and with no linear objective, there's only a bunch of repetitive descriptions with a lack of data on how trauma damages individuals and society, how trauma gets stuck in your life and, again, how horrible it is, giving only in the last pages of the book some minor tools for how to cope with it being this a common sense list (be compassionate, don't harm others…) with again no data of major studies and lack of proof.
Also, the book is filled with some real short stories that are so brief that there's no character development and the moral does not stick with the lesson.
In the interviews, which are very few and basic, you can see something like:
Is trauma that horrible? oh yes, it is indeed.
Is it worse and more devastating in children? oh, of course.
All this is the information we all know, even people outside the health field have a wider approximation of this.
It's basic knowledge and of course, is always helpful, but coming from an expert I expected more.
I will continue listening to his interviews and I admire his work and prowess in making this issue more accessible but if you are interested in trauma there's other more reliable literature out there.
He shows us simplistically this concept with minor anecdotes from his clinical practice and reflections about the impact in society of this hidden illness.
For me, this book has been very disappointing.
In the Huberman podcast, Conti is a gem guest, he explains everything with grace and knowledge but the insights here are very vague and with no linear objective, there's only a bunch of repetitive descriptions with a lack of data on how trauma damages individuals and society, how trauma gets stuck in your life and, again, how horrible it is, giving only in the last pages of the book some minor tools for how to cope with it being this a common sense list (be compassionate, don't harm others…) with again no data of major studies and lack of proof.
Also, the book is filled with some real short stories that are so brief that there's no character development and the moral does not stick with the lesson.
In the interviews, which are very few and basic, you can see something like:
Is trauma that horrible? oh yes, it is indeed.
Is it worse and more devastating in children? oh, of course.
All this is the information we all know, even people outside the health field have a wider approximation of this.
It's basic knowledge and of course, is always helpful, but coming from an expert I expected more.
I will continue listening to his interviews and I admire his work and prowess in making this issue more accessible but if you are interested in trauma there's other more reliable literature out there.
April 6, 2023
Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic by Paul Conti is a guidebook on understanding the pervasive, insidious effects of trauma and how it can be addressed. Paul is a Psychiatrist specialising in trauma based across multiple sites in the US. He draws from his own clinical practice, personal experience, and current literature to explore the widespread nature of trauma and its sequelae, both at a microscopic and macroscopic level, in individuals and their relationships with others, arguing that it is one the biggest issues our society faces today.
He writes in an accessible style aimed at catering to the general public, with simple language and plenty of anecdotes shared throughout to keep readers engaged. However, in doing so he dilutes his discussion, with an absence of citations, references, or specific terminology to consolidate his writing. As a result, its applicability to clinicians or researchers interested in exploring his ideas further are compromised, which poses as one of the main drawbacks for his book. Conti is systematic in his approach to unpacking the topic, however he often arrives at the same vague conclusions or suggestions for action, reinforcing ideas with little rigour or expansion. In addition, Conti fails to highlight the complexities of intersectional marginalisation and intergenerationality influencing the manifestations of trauma. This significantly weakens his concluding calls for action, which revolve around self-compassion, compassion for others, education, demanding accountability, and acting without harm. Without adequate discussion for the ways marginalised identities (such as ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and other things) influence outcomes of trauma, as well as failure to acknowledge the ways in which societal institutions and corrupt government perpetuate their oppression, there are potentially harmful consequences of promoting these individual-led changes (even if sold collectively) towards resolution.
As a clinician working in mental health, I am happy to see more public discourse and availability of resources around trauma, sharing a hope with Conti of further conversation and change. However, I felt that the book oversimplified the issues of trauma and pathways forward in fixing them in a concerning way. There was a naive sense of hope in the individual building momentum for collective change, with complete oversight of the ways that our corrupt (white, colonial, patriarchal, classist, cisheteronormative, ableist) governing bodies and corporate institutions operating under a capitalist framework perpetuate many of the proponents that enable trauma to exist.
He writes in an accessible style aimed at catering to the general public, with simple language and plenty of anecdotes shared throughout to keep readers engaged. However, in doing so he dilutes his discussion, with an absence of citations, references, or specific terminology to consolidate his writing. As a result, its applicability to clinicians or researchers interested in exploring his ideas further are compromised, which poses as one of the main drawbacks for his book. Conti is systematic in his approach to unpacking the topic, however he often arrives at the same vague conclusions or suggestions for action, reinforcing ideas with little rigour or expansion. In addition, Conti fails to highlight the complexities of intersectional marginalisation and intergenerationality influencing the manifestations of trauma. This significantly weakens his concluding calls for action, which revolve around self-compassion, compassion for others, education, demanding accountability, and acting without harm. Without adequate discussion for the ways marginalised identities (such as ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and other things) influence outcomes of trauma, as well as failure to acknowledge the ways in which societal institutions and corrupt government perpetuate their oppression, there are potentially harmful consequences of promoting these individual-led changes (even if sold collectively) towards resolution.
As a clinician working in mental health, I am happy to see more public discourse and availability of resources around trauma, sharing a hope with Conti of further conversation and change. However, I felt that the book oversimplified the issues of trauma and pathways forward in fixing them in a concerning way. There was a naive sense of hope in the individual building momentum for collective change, with complete oversight of the ways that our corrupt (white, colonial, patriarchal, classist, cisheteronormative, ableist) governing bodies and corporate institutions operating under a capitalist framework perpetuate many of the proponents that enable trauma to exist.
February 15, 2024
I definitely have a more nuanced understanding of trauma thanks to Dr. Conti's conceptualization, but I think I could've stopped reading after part one. While the anecdotes were interesting, the analogies were never-ending, the reflection prompts were weirdly specific and usually unrelatable, and the writing was SO REPETITIVE. He made 5 points in about 100 different ways. I wasn't sure I'd finish because I kept losing focus.
It felt like he couldn't decide whether he wanted to teach about trauma, trumpet a call to arms, or outline a pathway to healing, and ended up biting off a bit more than he could chew and falling short in each endeavor.
He's obviously a very smart man and a dedicated and compassionate psychiatrist, and while he succeeded in "sounding the alarm" about trauma, his book simultaneously left me exhausted of his writing and desiring more information about trauma and its manifestations. Overall, I took away relatively little, but what I did take away feels incredibly valuable.
It felt like he couldn't decide whether he wanted to teach about trauma, trumpet a call to arms, or outline a pathway to healing, and ended up biting off a bit more than he could chew and falling short in each endeavor.
He's obviously a very smart man and a dedicated and compassionate psychiatrist, and while he succeeded in "sounding the alarm" about trauma, his book simultaneously left me exhausted of his writing and desiring more information about trauma and its manifestations. Overall, I took away relatively little, but what I did take away feels incredibly valuable.
October 14, 2022
I’m not sure where to land in my thoughts on this book. I found there to be some interesting insights into trauma and how it impacts society as a whole. I appreciated the thoughts around educating people from an earlier age on the brain and emotions and trauma. However, I found the book itself to not flow well together and felt that it jumped all over the place. As others have stated in their reviews, listen to Dr. Conti’s interview on the Huberman Lab but I don’t necessarily recommend the book unless you feel drawn to it after the interview as I did. I felt that trauma was over-generalized in the book as well and therefore trivialized though I must believe that was not the intent of the author. At the end of the day I neither recommend this book or recommend against it.
January 4, 2024
Het boek geeft een duidelijke weergave van wat trauma is, via metaforen en verschillende voorbeeld verhalen. Het bespreekt de impact van trauma op ons (lichaam) hersenen: hoe onze manier van denken, emoties ervaren en percepties veranderen. Na elk hoofdstuk is er een reflectie voor jezelf. Het beschrijft het belang van inleving, goede communicatie, psycho-educatie en het sterker maken van zelfbewustzijn, lichaamsbewustzijn en grenzen stellen op jonge leeftijd. Ook het probleem van onze gezondheidszorg en maatschappij wordt aangekaart.
“Let’s raise children that don’t have to recover from their childhood”
“So much of our lives are lived inside of our heads, and what we tell ourselves” - mental health matters immensely
“Let’s raise children that don’t have to recover from their childhood”
“So much of our lives are lived inside of our heads, and what we tell ourselves” - mental health matters immensely
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