'If your relationship is so bad, why don't you just leave them?' 'If you were in such an abusive relationship, why did you stay with them for so long?' 'If you knew you were in a relationship with such a toxic person, why didn't you ask people for help?' If you've ever been asked these questions, aside from being ignorant and hurtful, you'll know it's beyond frustrating. The answer to the above questions, whilst it's complex and often confusing, can be given with two words: trauma bonded. If you find you're in a relationship that you know is so toxic that it's crushing your very being, but you can't bring yourself to leave, you may be in the clutches of a tight trauma bond. If you're constantly feeling on edge, forever working to appease your spouse to little avail and like you're constantly being chipped away at with their abusive behavior, then I can understand how emotionally shattering it feels to live this way. If in the same breath, it breaks your heart to even consider leaving them because you can't imagine life without them, then I can understand that feeling too; because I was trauma bonded to my abusive ex. From my own personal experience and from the experiences other survivors have opened up to me about, this book will cover the following: - What trauma bonding really is - The 7 stages that lead to you becoming trauma bonded - The parallels that Stockholm syndrome has with trauma bonding - The 5 stages you go through when you come to accept you're trauma bonded - The cognitive dissonance a trauma bond can cause - Breaking free from the traumatic bond This book will also include my own experiences and I'll draw upon those to help you really understand trauma bonding, and let you know that you're not alone in being shackled by this emotionally crippling bond. More importantly, this book will help you understand that the invisible chain that tethers you to your abuser can be broken.

Some really great books just keep getting better! For seventeen years The Betrayal Bond has been the primary source for therapists and patients wrestling the effects of emotional pain and harm caused by exploitation from someone they trusted. Divorce, litigation, incest and child abuse, domestic violence, kidnapping, professional exploitation and religious abuse are all areas of trauma bonding. These are situations and relationships of incredible intensity or importance lend themselves more easily to an exploitation of trust or power. In The Betrayal Bond, Dr. Carnes presents an in-depth study of these relationships; why they form, who is most susceptible, and how they become so powerful. Dr. Carnes also gives a clear explanation of the bond that compels people to tolerate the intolerable, and for the first time, maps out the brain connection that makes being with hurtful people comparable to 'a drug of choice.' Most importantly, Carnes provides practical steps to identify compulsive attachment patterns and ultimately to change or end them for good. This new edition includes: New science for understanding how our brains can make a prison of bad relationships New assessments and insights based on 50,000 research participants A new section utilizing the latest findings in attachment research and narrative therapy to concretely rewrite and rescript bad experiences A redefinition of the factors contributing to addictive relationships

If the world seems more violent these days, it's not your imagination—there's far too much aggression, coercion and deceit. And powerful institutions such as corporations and governments are getting better at hiding and rationalizing the harm they do. But it doesn't have to be that way: Trauma Bond: An Inquiry into the Nature of Evil shows how breaking free of the cycle of aggression and violence starts with you, and can start today. When aggression becomes evil, it turns into an extraordinarily dangerous and malignant force that threatens to destroy the planet. This fascinating book demonstrates at length how aggression and evil replicate themselves in the world, and how we can break free from the toxic cycle of psychological and physical violence. We can begin this process today, in order to make this world safer, both for ourselves and for our children. ,

Trauma has become a catchword of our time and a central category in contemporary theory and criticism. In this illuminating and accessible volume, Lucy Bond and Stef Craps: provide an account of the history of the concept of trauma from the late nineteenth century to the present day examine debates around the term in their historical and cultural contexts trace the origins and growth of literary trauma theory introduce the reader to key thinkers in the field explore important issues and tensions in the study of trauma as a cultural phenomenon outline and assess recent critiques and revisions of cultural trauma research Trauma is an essential guide to a rich and vibrant area of literary and cultural inquiry.

Franz Ruppert's book explores the different types of trauma experience, along with the bonding theories of John Bowlby and attachment work of Mary Ainsworth and others, forming a multigenerational picture of the dynamics of trauma. Experiences of trauma can be so painful as to cause a split in the personality. It is impossible for a mother or father to avoid passing something of their own traumatic experiences on to their children through the process of bonding. These are the deeper feelings, perceptions, thoughts and embodied ways of being which form the residue of the trauma. Informed by his clinical experience Franz Ruppert introduces his insights into the origins of psychological distress. He has developed a unique way of working sensitively with Constellations to reveal and resolve the hidden dynamics of past trauma.

This book provides a theoretical framework and a practical model of intervention for distressed couples whose relationships are affected by the echoes of trauma. Combining attachment theory, trauma research, and emotionally focused therapeutic techniques, Susan M. Johnson guides the clinician in modifying the interactional patterns that maintain traumatic stress and fostering positive, healing relationships among survivors and their partners. In-depth case material brings to life the process of assessment and treatment with couples coping with the impact of different kinds of trauma, including childhood abuse, serious illness, and combat experiences. The concluding chapter features valuable advice on therapist self-care.

A COLLECTION OF RECENT RESEARCH AND REAL-LIFE REPORTS ON TRAUMA BONDING IN MANY CONTEXTS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE Trauma bonding, the emotional attachment victims develop toward their abusers or captors, has been repeatedly observed in victims of interpersonal crimes – yet little is known about its formation, persistence, and positive resolution in survivors. Trauma Bonding and Interpersonal Crimes provides a timely review of existing theoretical conceptualizations and research findings on trauma bonding in relation to various forms of interpersonal crimes, including human trafficking, intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, cults, kidnapping, gang violence, and terrorism. With an accessible and reader-friendly style, lead author Joan A. Reid examines the concept of trauma bonding while offering insights into the consequences of how the phenomenon is framed in the public discourse and the professional sectors. Twelve chapters investigate key topics ranging from methodological issues and research limitations to current debates on victimology within academic disciplines such as criminology, psychology, social work, sociology, and public health. Providing a holistic approach to the subject, Trauma Bonding and Interpersonal Crimes: Highlights the complexities of intervention and treatment for trauma survivors and clinicians Explores the implications for policy related to trauma bonding Recommends potential avenues for integrated theory and research Features case studies that combine individual examples and evidence-based research Includes definitions of terms, critical thinking questions, and further readings in each chapter Part of Wiley’s Psycho-Criminology of Crime, Mental Health, and the Law series, Trauma Bonding and Interpersonal Crimesis an invaluable resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in areas related to victims of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and child sexual abuse.