When Mountains Alone Can't Heal : A Journey from the Depths of Ptsd to the Top of Mountains

After experiencing a violent rape and her father's death while she was a teenager, AJ became reliant on an eating disorder and addiction to drugs in order to cope. Drugs and disordered eating helped her mind forget about the trauma, but these experiences never escaped her body. As a result, she developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which destroyed her intimate relationships and eventually her ability to work. After almost two decades of dealing with the debilitating effects of PTSD, she admitted that she had a problem and sought therapy for the first time. This book explores the use of several therapeutic techniques told from the perspective of the client/author rather than the clinician. When Mountains Alone Can't Heal takes readers on numerous adventures while the author embarks upon a journey of self-exploration and hope beyond her therapist's office. Throughout her path towards recovery, AJ found it critical to tie her treatment to personal goals, values, and interests. For her, this entailed climbing mountains, staying at monasteries, and learning how to connect and be vulnerable with others.