Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving - Pete Walker, MFT

[freespirit]

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving Author: Pete Walker, MFT Publisher: Self published, December 2013 (no publisher) Paperback: 374 pages ISBN-10: 1492871842 ISBN-13: 978-1492871842

"Become an unflinching source of kindness and self-compassion for yourself."  - Pete Walker.

About the Book
Hi, I am an adult child of an NPD/Borderline mother and alcoholic father with Complex PTSD.  I have recently bought Pete Walker's new book, Complex PTSD: From Surviving To Thriving. I feel so grateful for the helpfulness of this book and would love to host a thread on it. Is anyone else reading this book?  Thankyou ~ Freespirit  

About the Author

Pete Walker has Complex PTSD [Cptsd] and wrote this book from the perspective of someone who has experienced a great reduction of symptoms over the years. He also wrote it from the viewpoint of someone who has discovered many silver linings in the long, windy, bumpy road of recovering from Cptsd.

Walker has a private practice in Berkeley, California. He has been working as a counselor for thirty-five years, and as a trainer, supervisor and consultant of other therapists for 20 years.

[Kwamina]

Hi freespirit

Thanks for posting this.

I too am very positive about Pete Walker's work and am familiar with several of his writings on topics such as emotional flashbacks, the inner (and outer) critic and grieving, indeed all in relation to Complex PTSD.

cPTSD is a difficult disorder and Pete Walker's work provides valuable tools and strategies for navigating yourself through these difficulties.

What do you find the most helpful aspects of this book?

The Board Parrot

PS. Cool glasses by the way and who says cats and birds don't go well together

[freespirit]

Hi, its a good job to be the board parot in bpdfamily!     . thankyou for sharing your experience with Pete Walker's work. It's very nice to meet you. I think you're right about us going well together    Thanks for the comments on my glasses     

I have only recently bought Pete Walker's book Complex PTSD: From Surviving To Thriving. I have so far only read one chapter, Chapter 6, Whats Your Trauma Type? I identify my trauma type as Fawn/Freeze. I have to take this very slowly. This is like rocket fuel to me.

I have never known a book like this. For such "heavy" subject material, energetically it feels very "light"   to me. There is no "barrier" in the way so to speak. I LOVE the layout.  He's made it so you can dip in and out of it and read what ever resonates on any given day, it's fantastic. Very accessible.  

It's my goal to read at least one page of it a day.

 
Freespirit

[Woolspinner2000]

Hi Freespirit,  

I also have a copy of the book. It is a good, helpful, and heavy read in that you can only absorb so much at one time. I have yet to make it through the book all the way, but I have sections that I am working through and refer back to quite often. I agree with you that it is very easy to access and to find what you may be needing in any particular day or moment that will be helpful.

Wools

[freespirit]

Hi Freespirit,  

I also have a copy of the book. It is a good, helpful, and heavy read in that you can only absorb so much at one time. I have yet to make it through the book all the way, but I have sections that I am working through and refer back to quite often. I agree with you that it is very easy to access and to find what you may be needing in any particular day or moment that will be helpful.

Wools

Hi Wools   Thanks for sharing   

My husband,18 old daughter and I are reading the book together. So far we have only read Chapter 6, Whats Your Trauma Type? I identify my trauma type as Fawn/Freeze. This is something I would like to know more about. I am about to start reading chapter 6 again, this will be my 3rd read through. Interesting reading.

[Kwamina]

Hi, its a good job to be the board parot in bpdfamily!

It is indeed!

I identify my trauma type as Fawn/Freeze. This is something I would like to know more about.

We have talked a bit about various trauma response types before in our thread about dealing with trauma, perhaps you will find this interesting:

In his work Pete Walker also discusses less healthy and less constructive ways of coping with emotional flashbacks:

"Without help in the moment, the client typically remains lost in the flashback and has no recourse but to once again fruitlessly reenact his own particular array of primitive, self-injuring defenses to what feel like unmanageable feelings. I find that most clients can be guided to see the harmfulness of these previously necessary, but now outmoded, defenses as misfirings of their fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. These misfirings then, cause dysfunctional warding off of feelings in four different ways:

1. fighting or over-asserting one's self with others in narcissistic and entitled ways such as misusing power or promoting excessive self-interest;

2. fleeing obsessive-compulsively into activities such as workaholism, sex and love addiction, or substance abuse ('uppers'

3. freezing in numbing, dissociative ways such as sleeping excessively, over-fantasizing, or tuning out with TV or medications ('downers'

4. fawning in self-abandoning and obsequious codependent relating.

As clients learn that their originally helpful defenses now needlessly hinder them, they can begin to replace them with the anxiolytic and therapeutic responses to flashbacks"

Being mindful of these potentially unhelpful coping mechanisms can help us as we try to learn new, more healthy and constructive ways of dealing with emotional flashbacks.

[freespirit]

Thanks for the great link to the thread about dealing with trauma Kwamina    I am on reading it now   

Loved that Pete Walker quote you used where it discusses less healthy and less constructive ways of coping with emotional flashbacks.

Looking at it now, I think I am more Fawn/Flight, rather than Fawn/Freeze. It's good to get clear.