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firedew's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, and Cancer
rebeccamorgan's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warnings all around, this book gets intense and STAYS intense. I loved getting to hear Gildiner's thought processes while engaging in therapy with these five unique patients. I low-key want her to be my therapist, shit.
abstab's review against another edition
5.0
so much good stuff in here. learning about so many different types of people and their experiences can teach you a lot about yourself as well
snorkmidden's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
natsthecats's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.75
vacantbones's review against another edition
4.0
Good Morning, Monster is, put simply, a book about people who have overcome extreme trauma and distress, written by the therapist who helped bring them clarity. It's a fascinating look into the minds of those who have been through some of the most disturbing things that I've ever read, and serves as a reminder that there is hope for all of us in the end.
Though I found myself fascinated by this book and the sheer strength to survive shown by its subjects, I do wish that I would've known going into it that the author considers herself to be particularly Freudian in practice - I don't claim to be an psychological expert, just someone who studied psychology extensively in a university setting, but I was unsure at times with how heavily she leans on certain Freudian tenets (dream analysis in particular). Gildiner, while admitting to her faults and mistakes as a therapist, is clearly competent and good at what she does. I may not have cared for how Freudian this approach is, but I am glad it stuck to the more plausible of his theories.
I also found myself becoming nervous when Gildiner starts to discuss a patient whose diagnosis aligns most closely with DID. I myself am ambivalent regarding the "existence" of the disorder - of the great psychologists I studied under at college, all were unsure as to how they could begin to address a disorder that may or may not exist, and may or may not be a result of therapist suggestion.
However, I feel that Gildiner addresses the issues surrounding DID with surprising nuance, and I respected that she classifies this patient's experience with "alters" as being more of a personification of the traits she needs to survive rather than the separate personalities we see in film and on social media (this isn't the place for me to rant about the disturbing trend of self-diagnosis of DID now taking over social media, but it is worth noting that this phenomenon of compartmentalization happens under EXTREME instances of repeated and severe abuse. Gildiner's patient experienced some of the most disgusting abuse I have ever heard of, and thus lends credibility to the case). She suggests that a firm diagnosis isn't necessary to treatment, which I found to be refreshing in a world where labels are everything.
Overall, I can't say I *enjoyed* the book, because, frankly, this much pain and suffering can never be enjoyable, but I liked the reading experience. Danny in particular broke my damn heart.
*Would not recommend this one for survivors of sexual abuse or childhood neglect, unless you feel that you are capable of dealing with the subject material in a healthy way. These subjects are discussed extensively in this book and, at times, graphically. The author presumably includes these details so that we understand how horrific the trauma of her patients was in order to see how incredible their healing journeys were. If these subjects are too close to home, use your discretion when reading.*
Though I found myself fascinated by this book and the sheer strength to survive shown by its subjects, I do wish that I would've known going into it that the author considers herself to be particularly Freudian in practice - I don't claim to be an psychological expert, just someone who studied psychology extensively in a university setting, but I was unsure at times with how heavily she leans on certain Freudian tenets (dream analysis in particular). Gildiner, while admitting to her faults and mistakes as a therapist, is clearly competent and good at what she does. I may not have cared for how Freudian this approach is, but I am glad it stuck to the more plausible of his theories.
I also found myself becoming nervous when Gildiner starts to discuss a patient whose diagnosis aligns most closely with DID. I myself am ambivalent regarding the "existence" of the disorder - of the great psychologists I studied under at college, all were unsure as to how they could begin to address a disorder that may or may not exist, and may or may not be a result of therapist suggestion.
However, I feel that Gildiner addresses the issues surrounding DID with surprising nuance, and I respected that she classifies this patient's experience with "alters" as being more of a personification of the traits she needs to survive rather than the separate personalities we see in film and on social media (this isn't the place for me to rant about the disturbing trend of self-diagnosis of DID now taking over social media, but it is worth noting that this phenomenon of compartmentalization happens under EXTREME instances of repeated and severe abuse. Gildiner's patient experienced some of the most disgusting abuse I have ever heard of, and thus lends credibility to the case). She suggests that a firm diagnosis isn't necessary to treatment, which I found to be refreshing in a world where labels are everything.
Overall, I can't say I *enjoyed* the book, because, frankly, this much pain and suffering can never be enjoyable, but I liked the reading experience. Danny in particular broke my damn heart.
*Would not recommend this one for survivors of sexual abuse or childhood neglect, unless you feel that you are capable of dealing with the subject material in a healthy way. These subjects are discussed extensively in this book and, at times, graphically. The author presumably includes these details so that we understand how horrific the trauma of her patients was in order to see how incredible their healing journeys were. If these subjects are too close to home, use your discretion when reading.*
hauntedashouses's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
mamccrea's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0