Getting Through What You Can't Get Over by Anita Agers-Brooks

Getting Through What You Can't Get Over by Anita Agers-Brooks

Today’s review is for a non-fiction title that I kept hearing about and decided might be helpful. 

Let’s begin with the summary:

There are some things in life people never get over. No matter how much they want to.

Many experience abuse, financial disaster, serious illness, death of loved ones, and other common traumas making them believe they’ll never move past the pain, but through research and true story compilations, author Anita Agers-Brooks offers emotional, practical, and spiritual insights from experts and people who have survived intense trauma—and have made it through seemingly impossible situations.

And now, my review:

Sometimes the only way beyond something is through it. 

Anita’s extensive work in counseling with trauma victims provides unique wisdom in this area. As I read, I was impressed with her expertise in the field of psychology. No wonder this book has been so well received. I will say, some of the stories were too difficult for me to read but I gleaned the key application—just keep going. Don’t give up. Move forward. Get help.

Because this book addresses real issues and because the author knows her field, and because the chapters offer genuine inspiration, I believe this book will help many people. She includes God in the narrative—the best Counselor. I believe every reader will find nuggets for personal application, or the means to help others. 

If you’re in a situation that seems impossible, or you’ve suffered trauma or love someone who has, I highly recommend this book. I believe highly sensitive people will benefit, but should proceed cautiously. Pick and choose the stories (chapters) that work for you. There are plenty of anecdotes to choose from.

Switch on your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health by Dr. Caroline Leaf

Switch on your Brain

I rarely review non-fiction, but after a friend mentioned reading Dr. Leaf’s work, I knew I wanted to check out this latest book.

Let’s begin with the back cover copy:

According to researchers, the vast majority—a whopping 75-98 percent—of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think about truly affects us both physically and emotionally. In fact, fear alone triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses in our bodies, activating more than thirty different hormones! Today our culture is undergoing an epidemic of toxic thoughts that, left unchecked, create ideal conditions for illnesses.

Supported by current scientific and medical research, Dr. Caroline Leaf gives readers a prescription for better health and wholeness through correct thinking patterns, declaring that we are not victims of our biology. She shares with readers the "switch" in our brains that enables us to live happier, healthier, more enjoyable lives where we achieve our goals, maintain our weight, and even become more intelligent. She shows us how to choose life, get our minds under control, and reap the benefits of a detoxed thought life.

And now, my review:

Philippians 4:8. You probably know the verse by heart. If not, go check it out. Dr. Leaf’s work centers around that and other Scriptures to back up scientific research about how the brain works—specifically how the mind affects the brain, which affects the body.

Some of the writing is academic and would probably best benefit through slow ingestion. After she explains the science of the mind/brain connection, she gives a 21-day brain detox strategy. This is a useful tool to apply the lessons of the first part of the book.

I liked how she tied Scriptures and science together. She calls scientific discovery a means of glorifying God. I agree.

The research was fascinating—how thoughts (our minds) affect our brains and bodies. Negative thinking doesn’t just affect our attitudes, but also our health. I’ve highlighted multiple passages for review later.

For me, this was a timely tool God used in my life. Perhaps that will be the same for you. The beginning of a new year seems an appropriate time to read it. 

Recommended. 

(e-book format)