Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

ptsd

Most people associate PTSD with events suffered by war veterans, but it is very common for any one who experiences a traumatic event to get PTSD.  It can be triggered when a person lives through, or witnesses, a traumatic event such as a fire, natural disaster, shooting,  robbery, car accident, sudden death of a loved one, abuse, etc.  Many people are not aware that they are suffering from it.  Symptoms can include flashbacks, trouble sleeping, nightmares, feeling worried, guilty, or sad.  Sometimes the symptoms don’t appear until many months after the event.  Huffington Post recently featured an article that you can read here.  If you think you or someone you know may be suffering from PTSD and want to learn a little more about it, the library has books that may be of help to you.

no-1Post-traumatic Stress Disorder – The authors here provide discussions of current research in treatment, intervention, and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition to giving a historical review of PTSD, following chapters all include case studies intended to add to the understanding of the influences and impacts of the disease and its treatment and care. Topics include recognizing PTSD, its varieties, PTSD in children and adolescents, neuroscience, treatment approaches, and post-traumatic strengths.

no-2Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scott Barbour – Describes the causes, symptoms, and treatments of post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

 

copingCoping with post traumatic stress disorder: a guide for families – Cheryl Roberts – This book is a user friendly discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as it affects individuals and families. 

 

the-post-tramatic-disorderThe post traumatic stress disorder relationship: how to support your partner and keep your relationship healthy – Diane England – Citing a prevalence in PTSD in America, a guide for partners of PTSD sufferers shares practical counsel on such topics as managing a loved one’s emotions, communicating while separated by military duty, and handling post-trauma sexual relations.

sourcebookThe post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: a guide to healing, recovery and growth – Glenn Schiraldi – An important updated guidebook for those suffering from a traumatic experience provides information on coping mechanisms, emotional triggers, the mental defenses that protect us from further harm, and much more.

conqueringConquering post-traumatic stress disorder – More than 13 million Americans experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and one out of 13 adults will develop it in their lifetime. Recent worldwide crises and events including the Iraq war; the September 11th attacks; numerous Columbine-like events; the Catholic Church child molestation scandal; and the Katrina tragedy in New Orleans, continue to present thousands more PTSD cases each year in all age groups. This book helps victims make sense of the events that led to their illness and teaches them how to create a new reality with specific advice and action plans that put them on the road to recovery and long-term healing.

upsideUpside: the new science of post-traumatic growth – Jim Rendon -Drawing on interviews with leading researchers and trauma survivors, a journalist, delving into the study of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, uses accessible language, prescriptive takeaways and specific tools to promote positive responses to trauma.

the-body-keepsThe body keeps the score: brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma – Bessel Van Der Kolk –  A forefront expert on traumatic stress outlines his own take on healing, explaining how traumatic stress affects brain processes and how to use innovative treatments to reactivate the mind’s abilities to trust, engage others and experience pleasure.

A Beautiful Ending To A Wonderful Romantic Series

Back in August 2016, I introduced you to a new series, Wild Aces, by Chanel Cleeton.   on-broken-wingsYou can read about it here.  Available now is the third and final book in the series, On Broken Wings.   Here’s the official summary:

A year after losing her husband, Joker, the squadron commander of the Wild Aces, Dani Peterson gets an offer from his best friend, Alex “Easy” Rogers, to help fix up her house. Dani accepts, and their friendship grows—along with an undeniable attraction.

Racked by guilt for loving his best friend’s widow, Easy’s caught between what he wants and can’t have. Until one night everything changes, and the woman who’s always held his heart ends up in his arms. Yet as Easy leaves for his next deployment, he and Dani are torn between their feelings and their loyalty to Joker’s memory.

But when Dani discovers something that sends them both into a spin, the conflicted lovers must overcome the past to navigate a future together…

I can’t remember when I have ever been so moved by a fictional book.  When I finished reading it, I just sat in my chair stunned, only able to think “wow”.  The three books in the series can stand on their own, but On Broken Wings ties all the books together with a genuinely authentic military love story full of emotion, humor, love, passion, heartache and triumph.

What a way to end a series.  This book was completely captivating and everything a romance should be.

Anti-Valentines Day Viewing

As Valentines Day looms closer many are feeling the pressure to plan the perfect date, find the perfect gift, or find a way to express their feelings towards that special someone. Others are firmly enjoying their single hood. Some are wishing they could find their perfect match or grieving the loss of someone. And then there are those of us, regardless of relationship status, that are just not into grand displays and all the mushy stuff that comes with the holidays. Regardless, as wonderful as this day can be for some lucky folks, for others it can be a depressing nightmare, or just another day. No matter what camp you find yourself in, finding a book to read or movie to watch that is not all sunshine and roses can be hard, particularly this time of year.valday1

Here are some movies that can be enjoyed by anyone who does not need or want a sappy love story for Valentine’s day but would rather enjoy something distinctly anti-Valentine’s Day.

Ruby Sparks
Struggling with writer’s block and a lackluster love life, p9165539_p_v8_abonce-famous novelist Calvin creates a beautiful fictitious character named Ruby who inspires him. But not only does this bring his work to life–it also brings Ruby to life–literally! Face-to-face with an actual relationship with his once-virtual girlfriend, Calvin must now decide whether to pen this love story or let it write itself.

Happy-Go-Lucky
Poppy is a life-loving and irrepressibly cheerful primary valdayhglschool teacher. She is thirty years old, single, and infinitely optimistic and accepting. She lives with her best friend and flatmate Zoe in London. She is tested by a repressed driving instructor with anger problems, and, in turn, she decides to test him. She has exciting flamenco lessons, an encounter with a homeless man, an argument with her pregnant sister, and a love-affair with the social worker guiding one of her students.

John Tucker Must Dievaldayjohn
When the class-overachiever, the head cheerleader, and the vegan lover discover they’re all dating the same guy – namely the star basketball player John Tucker – the girls decide to recruit a bashful new girl named Kate to become the ideal girl to break Tucker’s bad boy heart. But as Kate uses the girls’ combined wiles to lure Tucker, his interest gives her a social standing she’s never had before. But the intoxicating experience may cost her a chance at honest love with another boy.

Lars and the Real Girlvaldaylars
Lars is a sweet but shy guy who has a hard time talking with his family, coworkers, and neighbors. Although his family fears the worst when Lars brings home Bianca, a life-sized companion doll whom he thinks is a real girlfriend, a doctor encourages them to play along with him so that he can work through his delusions. The whole community rallies to his support, and Lars begins to deal with all of his emotions. He even begins to develop feelings for Margo, an attractive co-worker, in what becomes a hilariously unique love triangle.valday500

(500) Days of Summer
For Tom, it was love at first sight when Summer Finn, the new administrative assistant, walked into the greeting card company where he worked.  Soon, Tom knows that Summer is the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life. Although Summer doesn’t believe in relationships or boyfriends, Tom and Summer become more than just friends.

How to Be Single
A young woman searches for love in New York City in this romantic comedy based on the novel by Liz Tuccill.

Looking for more movies to binge watch this holiday or to just enjoy without all the sappy love? Here are some more distinctly anti-Valentine’s Day movies that you might enjoy; Muriel’s WeddingThe Break-up, Fried Green TomatoesSwimfan, Baby Mama, Under the Tuscan SunThe Shining, High FidelityShame , Young Adam , Think Like a Man, Blue Valentine , Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Mystic Pizza , Jeff Who Lives at HomeMy Bloody Valentine, and Thelma & Louise.

Hot New Contemporary Romance Series

heart-2I’ve been reading contemporary romance books for a very long time.  It’s getting harder to find a book that grabs my attention and captures it until the end of the book. After awhile, the plots seem to be so similar and the endings predictable.  After starting three books and returning them to the library after just two chapters, I was thrilled to find a book that held my interest all the way to the end!  Author Tessa Bailey has come up with a fresh new series, Romancing the Clarksons, about four siblings coming to terms with the death of their mother.

tooThe first book in the series is Too Hot to Handle.
The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .

Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.

The author managed to surprise me with intricate story telling and dramatic turns of events – a complex story hidden beneath excellent writing, with an intriguing cast of characters.  This dysfunctional cast of four siblings literally leads you on a journey of anguish, vulnerability, sorrow, humor and passion.  This is a book full of life and passion!

I will admit that parts of Too Hot to Handle were, well, too hot for me!  There are several explicit sex scenes throughout the book, but not enough for me to stop reading it.  Whatever your comfort level is, the book is worth reading to the end.  Just skip what is uncomfortable for you!

too-wildBook two in the series is Too Wild to Tame – due out January 31, 2017.  Hired to work for the country’s most powerful senator, Aaron Clarkson, known for his prowess in the bedroom, finds it hard to not mix business with pleasure when he meets the senator’s daughter, the black sheep of her conservative family who is wild, gorgeous and 100 percent trouble.

too-hardBook three in the series is Too Hard to Forget – due out April 25, 2017.  Peggy Clarkson is returning to her alma mater with one goal in mind: confront Elliott Brooks, the man who ruined her for all others, and remind him of what he’s been missing. Even after three years, seeing him again is like a punch in the gut, but Peggy’s determined to stick to her plan. Maybe then, once she has the upper hand, she’ll finally be able to move on.

In the years since Peggy left Cincinnati, Elliott has kept his focus on football. No distractions and no complications. But when Peggy walks back onto his practice field and into his life, he knows she could unravel everything in his carefully controlled world. Because the girl who was hard to forget is now a woman impossible to resist.

highres-MJB_5140.jpgAuthor Tessa Bailey – Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

 She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of nine years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

Collection Spotlight: Magazines for Children and Teens

20161104_104441Cheshire Public Library subscribes to a variety of magazine, both in print and digitally. Print Magazines for adults are kept on the lower level, and get a good amount of traffic. Our digital offerings via Zinio and Overdrive also get a good deal of use. However, I think people forget about the print magazines we carry for our children and young adult readers.

Our children’s magazines live on and end caps of the children’s chapter books shelves. Included with the children’s magazines are a few selections for parents and family reading. New items are 20161104_111026on one side of the shelf and back issues are on the opposite end of the same shelf.

The young adult magazines are housed in the teen room in a corner by the bistro table and end of the manga collection. All magazines circulate for a two week loan period, but are renewable. If the issue you are looking for is not available a hold can be placed on it. Simply stop by any service desk or call to place a hold.

askOur children’s magazine collection includes: LEGO Club Magazine, The Horn Book Magazine, Kids Discover, Chop Chop, National Geographic Kids, Discovery Girls, Girls’ Life, American Girl, Ladybug, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Zoobooks, Ask!: Arts and Sciences for Kids, Plays, Muse, Highlights HelloRanger RickRanger Rick Jr, Boys’ Life, Brick Journal, Highlights for Children, and Cobblestone.

gameinformerThe magazines for parents and family include: Practical Homeschooling, Parents, and Family Fun.

Our young adult magazine collection includes: Game Informer Magazine: For Video Game Enthusiasts, Teen Vogue, Mad, Seventeen, J-14, and Twist.