Paul Rice's account of a lifetime's experience of post traumatic stress disorder, with its complex mix of physical and emotional effects, is at times a sad and moving story. Ultimately though, it is a book of hope and achievement which could encourage others to address their own issues and get well too.
The experience of trauma in childhood, whether remembered clearly or not, is more common than we think. By its nature, it is not discussed and often never fully revealed, yet its effects in later life can be devastating.
The book fulfils two purposes: it is a sharing of experiences that readers might recognise in helping themselves or others; at the same time, the act of sharing is itself a form of therapy for the author.
In 59 sub-headed sections (some are no more than a couple of sentences, the whole being 114 pages), Paul Rice traces his symptoms to a childhood of repression and physical abuse. The tracking back was made difficult by lack of data and parental denial, but the process, together with therapy, has led gradually to his present recovery in his late 50s.
The author has no medical or psychiatric training, but the book is very detailed and includes a number of links to professional definitions and sources of advice. With the help of these links, the author defines the various terms he uses - repression, integration, imprinting - and gives examples from his own symptoms and behaviours. He discusses also the role of exercise, health supplements, and physical and psychological therapies in his progress to getting well, and how he measures his own stages of 'wellness'.
Getting Well for the First Time would have benefitted from professional editing and structuring: there are six long, detailed sections about the author's finances and investments that feel as if they should be in a different book entirely, and there is much repetition. But the thoroughness and sincerity of this account fulfils its purpose of being available for readers who seek some understanding of similar situations. In the act as well as the spirit of sharing, the author provides full contact details for those who might wish to contact him.
