A Trauma Manual Worth More Than a Therapy Degree (And Probably Less Waiting Time)
At one point in the distant past (2014, according to the grim receipts in my Amazon history), I was clinging to life on an NHS waiting list like it was an anchor in a storm.
Sleep-deprived, drowning in intrusive thoughts, and ready to have a full-blown cardiac event every time the postman dared step near my door, I knew I couldn’t wait for help to find me.
So, in a panic-fuelled 3am Google spiral, I stopped searching for chocolate cake delivery in Manchester long enough to stumble across Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse.
Now, before you side-eye the “substance abuse” bit:
No, I wasn’t hammering whiskey for breakfast.
But honestly? After that much trauma and a 3am cake hunt, substance-adjacent coping mechanisms were definitely on the menu.
So I smashed that “Buy Now” button.
🖤 The Verdict?
This book?
Hands down the most useful resource I’ve ever found in my entire f*cking healing journey.
Forget the fluffy overview vibe of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Dummies (which, bless it, still has its place).
Seeking Safety is not here to hold your hand and whisper affirmations.
It’s here to hand you a psychological crowbar and show you how to pry your way out of survival mode, one brutal, brilliant exercise at a time.
⚡ Why It Hits Different:
- Exercises designed for therapists—explained so well you can use them yourself
- Real tools for boundary setting and deprogramming f*cked up relationship beliefs
- Deep dives into what recovery actually looks like (spoiler: it’s messy, nonlinear, and beautiful as hell)
It’s heavy.
You will need a blanket fort, an industrial supply of ice cream, and at least three emergency spoons on standby.
But it is absolutely, categorically worth it.
🖤 Spoon & Fire Rating:
🥄🥄🥄🥄🥄 (Requires full blanket fort deployment)
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Essential survival kit. If you buy one book, make it this.)
**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.**
Buy from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jTXaJn
“Your amygdala will thank you. Eventually.”
The Weigh Back Spoon & Fire System
- 🥄🥄🥄🥄🥄 — Absolutely draining. Blanket fort mandatory. May trigger emotional hibernation.
- 🥄🥄🥄🥄 — Still heavy. Requires tea, tissues, and possibly rage cleaning.
- 🥄🥄🥄 — Some emotional tax. Manageable with snacks and pacing.
- 🥄🥄 — Low impact. You might even read it in one sitting.
- 🥄 — Minimal spoon loss. Surprisingly gentle.
👉 Fewer spoons = more accessible. More spoons = emotionally expensive.
🔥 Fire Scale for Value:
- 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Life-changing. Worth every tear, flashback, and swearing fit.
- 🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Really bloody helpful.
- 🔥🔥🔥 — Decent. Useful with caveats.
- 🔥🔥 — Bit meh.
- 🔥 — Therapy might be cheaper.
