Perry, B. D., & Winfrey, O. (2021). What happened to you?: Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing. Flatiron.

Okay, so I love novels and books. I think they’re important and valuable. My favourite book is The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis (and yes, I realised that it has a lot of racist undertones). But, I don’t really like reading about psychiatry or mental health. It feels like homework or studying, both of which I am mildly allergic to. So, it’s a big surprise that this is one of my favourite books. It helps that it was a free audiobook on audible (not a paid post – but happy to collaborate with Amazon).

“What Happened To You” is an incredible book. Co-authored together by one of the world's leading psychiatrists in trauma (Dr Perry) and the incredible Oprah, the dynamic of the conversation between the two is powerful. Dr Perry brings this compassionate, gentle, scientific, and humanistic understanding to trauma and complex trauma, and how it plays out in individuals from the basics to the most complex. Meanwhile, captivating as ever, Oprah brings her own experience of trauma, as well as her observations through hundreds of interviews she has done, tying them together to form a really moving piece on the various phenotypes of trauma.

It has tonnes of stories and narratives that help the layperson understand trauma and intergenerational trauma. Also very useful are the graphs and diagrams, beautiful pictures that illustrate how the mind operates and how trauma impacts it. I also love how the book connects trauma with our physical health.

Initially, though I loved learning about trauma, I started to become worried about the ending. “What do I do about this” kept cycling through my mind. Thankfully, the book ends on a positive. It talks about a staged approach to healing and recovery. Dr. Perry and Oprah discuss, from the spectrum of evidence, how trauma and recovery are in fact possible. The sad note is that it also made me reflect on just how troubling society can be. The origins of trauma span from genetics and intergenerational inevitably, to technology, warfare, environment, and even existentialism. Taking a big-picture perspective, it reminded me that there is a lot more to be done, and what we think is distant, will impact us and those we care about deeply if we don’t do something about it. The book also taught me about childhood, and how important it is for baby brains to have trauma-free development. I learned that, no matter what age or stage, the key to recovery is ongoing trauma-free experiences. I now try to smile at any toddler or baby I see – who knows if the rest of their life is positive or not but at least I did my small part in making their world safe and trauma-free.

I highly encourage those who are impacted by or have friends or relatives impacted by trauma, to give this audio book a listen. It has helped me understand and empathise with my patients a great deal and I have no doubt it would help others too.