This book seems like a gateway to a lot of information about post-traumatic stress disorder treatment interventions. Though the author comes with an airline background, her study and experiences about post-traumatic stress disorder are remarkable. She mostly emphasizes that post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is not a disorder but rather a self-healing journey.
While working as a flight attendant for North American Airways, the author was exposed to a traumatic experience and had to go through psychological procedures and interventions following the incident. While undergoing assessments and interventions, it dawned on the author that not everyone who offers help or guidance related to mental health actually cared. A lot of mental health professionals tended to just follow a protocol as laid out in their field of practice. However, according to the author, to overcome PTSD, the person who has faced the trauma should get a choice and opt for practices that work for the person and not necessarily undergo treatment, consume medicines or drugs, or be in an ineffective therapeutic process practiced by the professionals for helping deal with PTSD.
The best thing about this book is that the author has taken immense efforts in gathering and presenting information related to PTSD. She has also mentioned the techniques or approaches that worked for her in dealing with PTSD.
What feels a little sad while reading this book is that the author mostly talks negatively about the interventions used in treating PTSD and has also made derogatory remarks about psychotherapists. Making such remarks may have been triggered by the unsatisfactory phase post-the trauma for the author, but I wish she refrained from doing so.
I am of the opinion that when anyone is abused, has faced trauma, is in depression, etc., that person should completely devote time, effort, energy, and thoughts for self-healing and avoid abusing, creating traumatic or depressive conditions for self or others. Dealing with mental health issues is actually always a self-healing process. Every individual has a choice, and it should be considered while selecting any therapeutic process for healing oneself.
Besides that, anyone who reads this book is going to find it genuine and authentic. It’s an honest expression of the author’s experience. There is nothing wrong with her open expression. In fact, such freedom of speech is essential.
The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Fallacy is a lengthy read, loaded with a lot of information yet totally engaging. The editing of this book is up to the mark. I found nothing negative about this book. I will rate The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Fallacy by H. Nattanya Andersen 5 out of 5 stars.