Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery by Catherine Gildiner

28 reviews

jessierose617's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment

throwback682's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

2.75

As others have mentioned, this book has lots of problems, including the audiobook narrator putting on Chinese and First Nations accents, deadnaming and other transphobic comments, among others. There were just so many times that I cringed. The author at times seemed self aware but often was just painfully out of touch. The book did feel rather exploitative, and often felt fake. I felt like it was particularly insensitive about sexual abuse, for example the way the author distinguished between “violent” sexual abuse and… what?? It’s all violent! I think I agree with other people who called the book trauma porn. I did (enjoy doesn’t seem like the right word) parts of the book. I did gain some understanding into how childhood trauma can impact people, and felt hopeful at times that I and people I love can heal from difficult things. But overall the book felt pretty icky. I’m kind of shocked how many people uncritically loved it. Definitely read with caution especially if you’re a survivor of abuse, especially sexual abuse or child abuse generally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Genocide, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, Excrement, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and Dementia

This book is all about people who have overcome HORRIFIC things, mostly in their childhoods. It is very very difficult to read.

ameliez's review against another edition

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal death

arantxalasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

serinehart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.5

I think people's use of the label "trauma porn" is an expression of their own personal sensitivities and morality more than a helpful descriptor. This book is ultimately optimistic in showing therapeutic case studies of individuals who improved into better circumstances, which I found to be an emotional bolster, personally. The author does characterize these stories as those overcoming adversity. But I wonder if the public reception is positive because of the analytic lens to the detailed horrors of these individuals' lives of that of a health care worker. I'm thinking in contrast to Hanya Yanigahara's A Little Life, a work of fiction that describes a character's life details that are entirely similar to Gildiner's clients real lives. Is "trauma porn," i.e., the fear that we or others may get some perverse pleasure in the torture of others, only applicable to stories that are not real, that have a happy ending, or that are perceived to be handled by an author with good intent to serve some (read: higher) purpose? This was something I was thinking about while reading, due to it's obvious similarities to A Little Life and how the content of that book was received by the public as controversial. Which is not to defend "trauma porn" as a genre, but as a label, since it strikes me as entirely subjective. Or possibly symptomatic of a societal squeamishness with the details of trauma, and therefore a lack of understanding or being able to address it properly when it happens in our communities. And my moral sense personally is suspicious of censorship, which doesn't leave room for differences in reading experience or interpretation. But of course be mindful of your own sensitivities.

I've currently been reading and listening to podcasts on therapy cases and transcripts for their optimism and demonstrated conflict resolution in action, especially with how therapists honor people's emotional inner worlds and respond to most everything with compassion and respect, even when disagreeing. This one was challenging to read, but also reassuring in its level-headed approach to lived horrors and plotted progression of clients' improvements, suggesting that no one is so broken that their life cannot be improved. Of course this is an oversimplification, but something I hold on to to counteract my own depression.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment

paris_nicole's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

In this book, a retired therapist recounts five of her most memorable clients. She refers to them as "heroes" throughout, because of their resilience after extreme abuse/neglect. They all come to her as adults and she uses a psychodynamic approach to process their disturbing childhoods. 

As a therapist myself, I was intrigued by her techniques and approach. I am not psychodynamic and do not treat severe trauma, but learned some things that I will take with me into my own practice. I especially appreciate how she was candid with her countertransferance and mistakes along the way. She exhibited patience and restraint during her years long relationships with each client. 

Regarding the individual stories, they are quite disturbing. Trigger warnings for child neglect, traumatic separation from parents, child emotional abuse and childhood sexual assault/violence. 

Overall I enjoyed this book. I think fellow therapists will appreciate it, but it can be enjoyed by non-therapists as well. The stories will definitely stick with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

biojesspj's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Death of parent

jams_is_rad's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

kloughlin's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Gaslighting

chrustek00_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

[bez oceny]

Ta książka dała mi niesamowicie dużo materiału do poddania refleksji. Trochę nie umiem dobrze oddać słowami tego, co myślę o tej książce, ale była naprawdę bardzo dobra. Historie opisane w książce są bardzo trudne emocjonalnie i niesamowicie jest móc mieć choć częściowo wgląd w to, jak terapia pomogła tym osobom i jak dla nich wyglądał ten proces. Można też zaobserwować zarówno błędy, jak i sukcesy terapeutki w całym tym procesie i czerpać z tego wiedzę, którą można się inspirować jeśli z terapią wiąże się swoją pracę zawodową.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Abandonment