Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong: And Other Things You Need to Know to Take Back Your Life

A profound new approach to healing trauma, grounded in a radical reframing of how we understand this nearly universal experience For centuries, weve been taught that being traumatized means we are somehow brokenand that trauma only happens to people who are too fragile or flawed to deal with hardship. But as a researcher, teacher, and survivor, Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald has learned that the only thing broken is our societys understanding of trauma. The bodys trauma response is designed to save our livesand it does, she says. Its not a sign of weakness, but of our function, strength, and amazing resilience. With Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong, Dr. McDonald overturns the misconceptions about trauma with the latest evidence from neuroscience and psychologyand shares tested practices and tools to help you work with your bodys coping mechanisms to accelerate healing. Here, youll explore: What is trauma? The latest science that undoes the stigmas of shame, blame, and humiliation Moral injuryhaving our basic sense of how the world should work overturned The truth about triggerswhat they really are and how they can guide the healing journey Traumatic patternsnew findings to help break free from recurring habits and toxic dynamics Why we can always rewrite our inner narratives, no matter how much time has passed Finding a relational home for traumahow we can help each other return to wholeness Dr. McDonalds case studies reveal the many ways trauma can manifest and persist in our lives, yet theres one factor every case has in common: the trauma response itself reveals the path to healing. Our traumatic experiences reveal that we can be bent, dented, or bruised, she says, but we cannot be broken. For anyone who has gone through trauma or wants to help others who are struggling, here is an empowering resource for finding our way home to our bodies, rebuilding our relationships, and returning to full engagement with life.