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What My Bones Know

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What My Bones Know

By: Stephanie Foo
Narrated by: Stephanie Foo
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About this listen

A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo, investigating the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it has shaped her life.

Every cell in my body is filled with the code of generations of trauma, of death, of birth, of migration, of history that I cannot understand.... I want to have words for what my bones know.

By age 30, Stephanie Foo was successful on paper: she had her dream job as an award-winning radio producer at This American Life and a loving boyfriend. But behind her office door, she was having panic attacks and sobbing at her desk every morning. After years of questioning what was wrong with herself, she was diagnosed with complex PTSD—a condition that occurs when trauma happens continuously, over the course of years.

Both of Foo's parents abandoned her when she was a teenager, after years of physical and verbal abuse and neglect. She thought she'd moved on, but her new diagnosis illuminated the way her past continued to threaten her health, relationships and career. She found limited resources to help her, so Foo set out to heal herself, and to map her experiences onto the scarce literature about C-PTSD.

In this deeply personal and thoroughly researched account, Foo interviews scientists and psychologists and tries a variety of innovative therapies. She returns to her hometown in California to investigate the effects of immigrant trauma on the community, and she uncovers family secrets in the country of her birth, Malaysia, to learn how trauma can be inherited through generations. Ultimately, she discovers that you don't move on from trauma—but you can learn to move with it.

Powerful, enlightening and hopeful, What My Bones Know is a brave narrative that reckons with the hold of the past over the present, the mind over the body—and examines one woman's ability to reclaim agency from her trauma.

©2022 Stephanie Foo (P)2022 W F Howes
Biographies & Memoirs Child Abuse Dysfunctional Families Personal Development Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Mental Health Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

“Achingly exquisite…providing real hope for those who long to heal.” (Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone)

"A sharp, insightful and stirring memoir." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Foo's writing is shrewdly insightful. Highly recommended." (Library Journal, starred review)

What listeners say about What My Bones Know

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but how to cure cptsd?

an interesting intro (to me) to Korean/Chinese/Malaysian/Japanese recent history.
the book deals with generational trauma, and the story of one girl's neglectful, abusive childhood, common to too many, of different countries and cultures.

Why do people have children at all if they don't intend to raise them lovingly?

It was too much biography for me until ch.37, and therapy. What to do for the cptsd sufferer? First, differentiate btwn pain & suffering. Then, get therapy (you can't heal alone: your brain needs rewiring). With Jacob Ham (he's on YouTube).

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Favourite book on cptsd to date!

Words can’t cover how much I have enjoyed listening to this. It has felt like coming home. It has been so encouraging and comforting. Educational and emotive. I have read a lot of trauma stuff. This is maybe my favourite. Thank you Stephanie for sharing your story

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Moving and illuminating

What a wonderful book and the first time I've listened to a book instead of reading one. As a victim of CPTSD myself, Stephanie's book has taught me so much and moved me to tears several times. I've earmarked some of her recommendations and look forward to experiencing them. Thank you for being so honest and for writing your story Stephanie. I'm sure your words will help many people over the years to come.

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Fantastic!

A thoroughly honest look at what it feels like to suffer from CPTSD. Brilliantly told and empowering.

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Incredible listen

This one of the best discussions on CPTSD I have read. It is also one of the best memoirs. The combination of the two makes for something compelling and intimate while keeping a degree of separation that affords deeper reflection for the reader. I couldn’t stop listening and am sad that it is over. There are parts that may be hard for some to listen to. I teared up more than once but as often from joy in the story as sorrow.

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Story telling, Complex PTSD

Amazing Story telling, helpful insight into complex PTSD, how it is understood, lived with or thrived with. I especially loved the inclusion of tape from helpful therapy sessions 🩷

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Compelling and courageous

Stephanie Foo’s earlier life was extremely tough. She narrates her story with clarity and takes you right alongside as she tries to build her life and career while battling with complex PTSD. At first I thought her story was so extreme that my own traumas lost validity in comparison. But then as she learned more about what it means to have complex trauma, her understandings shed light for me on my own responses and the responses of those close to me to our own traumas. I learned a lot and I was captivated by her story. A courageous woman and great writer and narrator.

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An exceptional read! Dont pass it by!

Top books on childhood trauma.

This was a pleasure to read. Such a difficult topic was brought to life by the authors honest personal account of her own experiance. This book is filled with research, theories while having a sense of humour. I am going to tell everyone about this book!!!

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Outstanding!!

This is such a powerful story, relatable in many ways and incredibly healing and hopeful. Thank you Stephanie, sending love 🌟

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Beautiful story

Beautiful and relatable story. Lovely audio.
Helped me deepen my understanding of myself, give me things to think about and most of all, make me feel a little less alone.
Thank you for this gift!

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