I can't believe that it took me so long to review this book but I had to read it one more time before I did! Whole Again by Jackson MacKenzie is the only book besides one that I have read more than once, so it's a big deal!
This read helped me identify some of the ramifications of emotional trauma and gently guided me back to myself. I think that if you have experienced a broken heart of any kind, then you need to read this book!
In this article, I review Whole Again by Jackson MacKenzie. Tap play to see my entertaining Book Review. Be sure to also subscribe to be automatically entered to win FREE tea/books/stuff during Tea End Blog Give-Aways. Already subscribed? Tell a friend!
BOOK STATS
Title: Whole Again
Page Count: 304
Author: Jackson MacKenzie
Published Date: 2019
Publishing Company: J.P. Tarcher & Perigee Books
Type: Paperback
SIX COMPONENTS:
DECONSTRUCTING THE PROTECT SELF
"In order to make progres with the underlying wound, we first need to deconstruct the protectie self. Otherwise our healing will till be done through the controllign and distracting lens of the protective self, and we will find ourselves looping in circles. The protective self encourages this infinite loop so that it can remain in control. It keeps ou on a completely different emotional "wavelength" from the pain. In order to return to that wavelength, we must be willing to slow down our lives, distractions, and thought proesses."
(Whole Again, pg. 133 ¶ 1)
Beyond Numbness: The emotional pain that you felt in the past that caused your brokeness is most likely no longer an actual painful feeling. It is most likely being covered by numbness, boredom, aching, tightness, void, or another numbing sensation. Find this sensation in your body and start paying attention to it.
Focus on the Internal: The protective self wants you to focus on the external because it keeps you away from your feelings. Focus on what's going on inside of your body at any given time, especially when you're feeling the urge to relieve boredom. You will need to use mildfullness and daily practice to decline external focus on and to slow down to focus on what's going on inside.
Get Rid of Resentment: Resentment, a natural reaction to betrayal and pain, tightens the lock of the protective self that prevents you from being yourself. You must let go of any resentment by identifying what the person did to hurt you, acknowledging that the resentment is there, and then exploring the thoughts and feelings of you actually being better off without the resentment.
Inentional Triggers: You must start facing your triggers as they are helpful in identifying what needs to be healed. Start by imagining the place, song, person, picture, or memory that make you feel a discomfort that usually forces you to act, stay in your body, and try to feel and "look" beyond your fear.
Face Fear & Anxiety: The protective self will most likely not present the true wound to you at first but it most likely will appear as fear and dread. Fear can help you get back into your body and start feeling again. Don't be worried if you are experiencing depression and anxiety while you're allowing the fear to come up in your body. Use mindfulness to remember that although your feelings are real, they are not true.
Accept the Core Wound: Once you stop running away from your feelings, eventually the core wound will be revealed to you. It will show up in negative thinking but you need to embrace it, sit with it, and hold it close.
C-PTSD VS. BPD
The symptoms of C-PTSD and Bipolar Disorder are similar and sometimes can be mistaken, one for the other. Here is a list of symptoms that a C-PTSD sufferer might exhibit:
Mood shifts
Guilt
Low self-worth
Feeling disconnected
Episodes of rage
Self-harm
Impulsiveness
Unstable sense of self (lack of identity)
Unstable relationships (extreme idealization and devaluation)
Frantic attempts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
Doing this Book Review honeslty made me want to read this book for a third time and don't be surprised if you feel the urge to pick it up more than once. Whole Again changed my life and the information in this book was so invaluable in helping me come back to myself after emotional and physical trauma. If you're thinking about reading it and become a whole version of yourself again, then stop thinking about it, just purchase Whole Again and start reading it as soon as possible!
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Why do you want to be whole again?