Title: Surviving Our Parents' Mistakes: Healing the Scars from Childhood Mistreatment
Author: Larry Godwin
Genre: Self-Help, Childhood Abuse
Book Blurb:
Did your parents abuse you as a child?
This book concerns recovery from emotional child abuse. In it, I narrate a number of childhood memories from journals I’ve kept for decades, in which I’ve written my thoughts and feelings. Here I explain how early experiences negatively influenced my adult self-worth and caused difficulty dealing with issues such as anger, depression, obligation, and control. Then I go on to tell what I’ve done, with the support of my wife, the inadvertent assistance of our child, and the help of several excellent therapists, to heal old injuries and forgive my parents.
My writing reflects the progression of my thinking as I stopped blaming my parents for mistreating me and started taking responsibility for my predicament and recovery. I mention some of the stumbling blocks and setbacks I encountered along the way, and finish each chapter with insights that have soothed and enriched my present life, bringing peace and vitality.
In these pages, I relate what has worked for me and suggest strategies that will help other abuse victims.
My Review:
From the title to the body, this book tries to present an optimistic feel. Another brave effort to expose the inner troubles of someone to the entire world. Written in a format that is very readable, this is a quick read. The benefits of this book could be that if you have been the victim of horrible abuse by an evil parent, you may find solace reading this victim's tale.
There are some thoughts that come to this reader from this. The cycle of abuse is a very dangerous thing. One still greatly suffering from the horrible intentional abuse of an evil parent might not be ready to marry. If you are taking your abuse suffering out on a defenseless animal, you need institutional help immediately. Just because someone is a parent never means they are good. There is no excuse for murder or for a parent who abuses a child. If the abuser is forgiven on Earth, that will do nothing to save them from eternal judgment.
Recommended as a valid self-help resource to those battling to overcome long-term mental challenges from their youth. A worthwhile addition to the mental health book library.
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
I have struggled with depression and the aftereffects of child abuse most of my adult life. I wrote two books to assist others who face these issues. My first book is TRANSCENDING DEPRESSION. The motivation for presenting my history is to encourage others who grapple with either chronic depression or occasional bouts. I hope my journey resonates with some, validates feelings, and sparks the thoughts I'm not alone and I will feel better. This book can also help family members and friends of the mentally ill, and their caregivers, find compassion and enable them to understand the struggle. My goal is to save lives.
My second book, SURVIVING OUR PARENTS' MISTAKES, concerns recovery from emotional child abuse. My writing reflects the progression of my thinking as I stopped blaming my parents for mistreating me and started taking responsibility for my predicament and recovery. I mention stumbling blocks I encountered along the way, and finish each chapter with insights that have soothed and enriched my present life, bringing peace and vitality. I suggest strategies that will help other abuse victims.
My articles about depression have appeared on the websites of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Canadian Mental Heath Association.
I live with my wife, Cathy, in Missoula, Montana.
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Reviewed by: Mr. N