Traumatized: Identify, Understand, and Cope with PTSD and Emotional Stress

by Kati Morton

We hear the terms trauma and PTSD more and more. Yet many people still believe that trauma can only result from experiences that are particularly extreme. But trauma is an emotional response that can stem from a wide variety of upsetting experiences, leaving us feeling anxious, weighed down by negative emotions or memories, or feeling like we lack security. 
 
As a licensed therapist, Kati Morton addresses this If we don’t have an understanding of trauma and how it’s defined, how can we work to overcome it?  The urgency of meeting this challenge increases at a time when we are bombarded with a constant flow of frightening stories—about global pandemics, ecological disasters, riots, and mass shootings—that can trigger our emotional stress. We must find a balance between staying connected to the world on social media while avoiding the false facts, hate-filled comments, and passive-aggressive posts and accounts that feed negative thoughts. In Traumatized , Morton shares a unique perspective on trauma in the modern age, Ultimately, you’ll learn how to identify and cope with your triggers, pay attention to how platforms and accounts can harm your mental health, and find the tools to manage what you can see online.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Health, Audiobook, Health, Education

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2021

About the author

Kati Morton is widely recognized as a leading mental health advocate and educator. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. For over a decade, Kati has been using social media to share mental health information globally through her YouTube channel, which has amassed over 1.3 million subscribers and 124 million views. She is also a sought-after media personality, having made appearances on Dr. Phil, CBS The Doctors, KTLA's Morning News, E! News, Fox 11 Good Day LA, and featured in Glamour UK magazine. Her first book, "Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health," was released in December 2018, followed by her latest book, "Traumatized: Identify, Understand and Cope With PTSD and Emotional Stress," which was released in September 2021.

Kati's passion for mental health advocacy has helped her expand her online community to all major internet platforms, enabling her to respond to mental health questions from viewers worldwide. Her ultimate goal is to increase global awareness of mental health issues, improve access to mental health services, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. For more information about Kati and her work, please visit www.katimorton.com

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book and I can’t tell you how much I related and was able to begin working on healing myself and relationships with loved ones. As someone who had endured an attempted kidnapping, years of child abuse; both mental and physical, PTSD, was in a house fire and watched my house burn to the ground and lose everything except the clothes on my back, molestation, rape, another rape that ended in pregnancy then abortion, miscarriage, death of mother, ostracized by family for taking about the child abuse from alcoholic father. This has made my life turn into a life a major depressive disorder, extreme anxiety, Borderline Personality, PTSD, Panic attacks and this book was like a friend helping me help my self. It’s a process but I finally feel like I am doing something to take control and do something to change. After a suicide attempt at the age of 16, and then one in 2016 & 2017, I struggle daily will suicidal idealization. I’ve been out on 24-72 hour holds many times and spent more weeks than I can count in the mental/ behavioral unit of hospitals. This book allows me to work on my self from within on my own pace. I never have made progress with my many therapists and this book is such a weight lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I’m not just telling my story but actually doing something to change it. I see a brighter future. I’m not stopping my meds, my psychiatrist or therapist but I can guarantee this is a tool that will do a world of good, especially if it has been able to give me positive thoughts and feelings at taking control of my own self.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is pure crap, no other way to say it. The author is not trained in trauma and apparently wrote this because she thought it was “cool” to learn about trauma. She doesn’t even specialize in it. She doesn’t have training in it. She doesn’t have clinical experience (at all) treating trauma patients, and she SAYS exactly that in her introduction. The worst thing you can do in your trauma psych research is to learn from unqualified people, and that’s exactly what Kati is.

This book made me so angry. The author is so naive. She started off by equating the trauma of Jews tortured during the Holocaust to the experience of farmers during the Great Depression, 5 pages in. Yuck. Should’ve stopped reading after that because it only got worse. This book made my insides turn. Don’t read this, go read works by Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine, Gabor Maté— someone who knows what they’re doing.

The next thing she said was that experiencing trauma firsthand is not as bad as the stress our children feel when they see us in a trauma response. How trained IS this woman? Jesus. The first, most simple rule of trauma is “Don’t compare trauma or say one person’s is worse than another’s”. That’s kindergarten level psychology.

I just got more and more pissed reading this. I’ve read plenty of trauma books and textbooks on the psychology of trauma & I think this is the crappiest one I’ve ever encountered. WOW. How on earth did this ever get published?!?!?!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fantastic book to read as both a school psychologist. I loved how informative it was in terms of referencing the DSM, but the author balanced this information with her own distinctions and preferences. I appreciated the sources used and how easy this was to read. It flowed well, like having a conversation with somebody.

Additionally, as someone with a history of PTSD symptoms it really validated a lot of what I've dealt with in my life and reaffirmed that the techniques I use for myself and my counseling students (esp. CBT) are effective and applicable. The key takeaways at the end of each chapter are so convenient!

Only giving it four stars because I feel like a blanket statement of seeing a therapist would have served well rather than having that advice repeated as one/part of the solution in every chapter. Otherwise I really appreciated this book.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this book translates a range of complex concepts into easily digestible pieces of key information (because it means I can read it with my students) and focuses on the aspects that are helpful for overcoming trauma. It is a really good starting point to understanding the basics of trauma.

[Azla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan if her writing style; feels as if the author does not have a grasp of vocabulary vast enough to publish books. It felt as if a lot of parts were repeated. To me actual helpful information in this book makes up not more than 5%.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great primer about trauma. I have to be very careful what I read/do around trauma these days, so I read the book in bits. The chapter on disassociation was very useful, as were some of the other chapters on relationships, resilience etc.

A lot of the book had to do with childhood trauma and abuse, which don't really apply to my situation. But I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to learn more about trauma.

[Lauren Kujan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read for someone or a family member going through trauma or ptsd. It’s good for people who need to understand trauma in a simpler way…. Recommend the read.

[Lacie Kenner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see where this could be a good reference book for a younger audience (teen/college aged maybe) with no prior understanding of trauma - it’s very basic and surface-y - lacks depth; she seems to be writing a report based on her own research vs writing as an actual trauma informed therapist…it reads like a transcript of a lecture. Lots of “according to so and so” and “I know that’s a lot to take in/I know that might be hard to understand/I know that might not make sense to you”…this was a turn off for me, I not only knew/understood her points, but it seems I know even more than the author about trauma recovery.

I’d suggest “Waking the Tiger” if you’re looking for something with some deeper content from a truly trauma informed author.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to healing from Trauma. Kati writes in an accessible way, so you don’t need to know a lot about mental health work to enjoy or understand this book.

I found this book useful as a mental health worker and as someone who would like to better understand trauma so I can support my friends and family.

[Ann Herrold · Rating 4 out of 5]

My main complaint with this book is that it attempts to be both too broad and too narrow. This gives one the feeling of being dragged all over the place. There is simply too much to cover within the topic of trauma to be comfortably discussed in its entirety and still remain an introduction. Still, I did find parts of this useful and can only assume that others would find it useful as well. It does a good job of being an introduction to trauma and how to cope with it, even if it isn't as complete or coherent as it could be. There are also subjects that might not age well, so it really is a book that will become outdated in the next few years.

[Mirelle Oncken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nossa, ter lido isso daqui foi gratificante demais. Ver que "agora tudo faz sentido", e direcionar melhor os tratamentos que até então pareciam superficiais, a grande parte deles. Lendo aqui, também fico com a noção de quão óbvio é/era, e absolutamente ninguém enxergou isso. Queria eu ter lido isso aqui 20 anos atrás. Teria me poupado muita coisa.
Além disso, espero muito que seja traduzido e lançado em português. Faço questão de dar de presente pra muita gente.
É um livro tão essencial que eu ainda tô pasma.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good intro to the trauma & ptsd, written accessibly (a lot more accessible than some of the foundational trauma lit), and well-rounded in its coverage of topics. I learned a couple new things and appreciated the friendly, reassuring tone she wrote in. I'd recommend it as a beginner text for people just starting to look into it, for sure!

[Kate Spears · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good, practical info here!

[Vampfiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of trauma.

[Nigel]

I got this book cause my wife had a mental break down when I bought a new helmet for a motorcycle. After the last one the eye visor got road rash.

She had a melt down. And this book took some time to get done. Seriously 😐 lots of info.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re new to trauma or learning about trauma, this book is only good for step one. By no means do I think this book is helpful beyond that.

As someone who has worked and is still working through PTSD, Morton gives one major piece of advice: find someone who specializes in helping others with trauma. I agree wholeheartedly with that, so since Morton is a licensed marriage and family therapist, I’m sort of confused why she is the author of this topic.

Working through any kind of trauma or grief is not the same among people, so it’s finding what’s best for you. This book made me feel like you need to do one thing or another to feel better or learn to work through grief.

I would recommend finding a book written by someone who specializes in trauma if you or someone who know is in need of help.

Thank you to Hachette for the finished copy and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

[Hermione · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in an accessible and friendly tone, the author covers a few aspects of mental health, especially PTSD, and dealing with trauma, including effects of the pandemic and social media. It's not deep or comprehensive, if you've read into this stuff a bit this will be too light, but it covers the basics well, and points you to finding a professional for further help or for further reading. It's a good read if you're struggling and not sure where to start.

It's written by a therapist, but one who has a YouTube channel and social media presence, which comes up in the book a bit, which I found kind of funny. On the whole, not bad, but not ground breaking either. The biggest message is to go get therapy.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy of this book for review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be kind to yourself and take care of you, you can’t pour from an empty cup! This was very informative and validating. Kati just gets it. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is the constant check in on the benefits of therapy, she mentioned it in like every chapter, it’s like ok enough already we get how you feel about therapy! Check out Kati Morton on YouTube where she talks everything mental health, it might help you too 💫🧠😌 💕

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is okay. I would recommend it to people who haven't though much about trauma, don't know much about it, and clients who are coming to terms with the way trauma may be affecting them. It is interesting to hear perspective on trauma from a therapist who doesn't primarily work with trauma. I'm not sure who her intended audience is, but there is a lot of information, some misinformation, on social media about trauma, broadly calling everything trauma, and I think this book is a step above infographics and social media posts so people get accurate information.

[jeni b · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do everything in my power to write a positive review or say nothing at all. My belief is just because something wasn't to my liking doesn't mean someone else wouldn't love it.

However, considering the topic is trauma. I will just say that Kati is a licensed marriage family therapist, she does NOT specialize in trauma. The writing has no academic quality, just reads like a high schooler wrote it. Left me completely confused as to who her target audience is. 🤔 So I can't tell you who would actually benefit from this info. It also begs the question who did the editing. 😳

[Marinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was looking for. Every reference to trauma is implied to be cause by an attack or abuse. Mine was not caused by people, but by occurrences. I felt left out by Morton's speech, and the ignorance of her "help" for the rest of us. It got worse as I listened, so I DNF at 60%.

[Liisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Witchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramblings:
Morton provides readers with practical tips on building resilience, restructuring cognitive distortions, and coping with PTSD. And there’s enough content in chapters 12 (Triggers) and 14 (Resilience) alone to warrant purchasing a copy.

Reviewer Summary:
This is more than a self-help book to identify, understand, and cope with PTSD and emotional stress, as the title implies. You’ll also encounter descriptions of attachment styles, internal versus external triggers, and learn how to differentiate big traumas from little traumas.

Review:
Traumatized: Identify, Understand, and Cope with PTSD and Emotional Stress by Kati Morton, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) is a must-have for anyone who wishes to overcome trauma. Readers will enjoy the end-of-chapter takeaways and the confidential personal accounts. I highly recommend it, but caution sexually abused/molested individuals that (the patient’s story on) page 131 may be uncomfortable to read.

I hope the author considers writing a companion Traumatized workbook. Future revisions may benefit from a glossary or index page of terms such as transgenerational trauma, trauma bonds, resilience, etc. I can envision this book as a required read for psychology undergrads at colleges/universities, but it is universal enough for “anyone” wanting to overcome trauma and its effects.

You’ll like this novel if you:
#1 Generally read self-help books
#2 Are, or know someone suffering with PTSD
#3 Want easy-to-follow steps on resilience building & overcoming trauma
#4 Are pursuing a career in psychology or social work

Disclosure:
I received a complimentary copy of Traumatized: Identify, Understand, and Cope with PTSD and Emotional Stress by Kati Morton, LMFT via goodreads. I am thankful to the publisher (Hachette Go an imprint of Hachette Books: a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.), author, and goodreads for the opportunity to read/review this Sept. 2021 release. My review is an honest reflection of my thoughts and ramblings.

Traumatized: Identify, Understand, and Cope with PTSD and Emotional Stress

Kati Morton

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book may not bring a whole lot of new information to the table if you've already read any of the landmark books on trauma, i would still recommend this as more modern update to anyone whom i think could do with a more accessible exploration of the topic. The book contains a fair amount in the way of methods and practical applications to manage trauma stress that said audience can easily take away from the book. These take-aways are also handily summarised at the end of each chapter so could serve as a handy reference point. It also deserves mentioning that, while by the nature of the topic plenty of uncomfortable scenarios are going to be mentioned, this is still less heavy reading than some of the other prominent books on trauma, which i do think could be difficult for some people to make progress on, especially if they are in the early days of coming to terms with their condition. I'd say 'Traumatized...' also works as a primer for anyone who then wants to go further and read something from, say, Pete Walker, but is also good as a stand-alone read for those that have come out of the recent global pandemic and/or the internet lately with their fair share of trauma stress.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trauma is different for every single person. We all express, react, and process it differently. It would be impossible to write a book covering all the nuances of individual traumas, or even the same types of trauma. I'm always cautious of self help books, especially anything to do with mental struggles and/or actual trauma and disorders. This book is a good general starting point. It lays out some basics and can help you come to terms your own way at your own pace. But I also feel that read by someone who doesn't respond, or needs that specific guidance but doesn't know how to ask for help, it could cause some harm by getting them to relive or confront trauma that they aren't ready for. An example is someone with deep trauma reading this alone at home and getting overwhelmed by where the book leads them or memories it brings up. As I said, it is a great book for some, I would just do my research and have a friend or someone you trust close by when you read it.

[Issa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m being generous with 4 stars since I think this could be an excellent resource for someone brand new to these concepts. For me, I did not learn much, but I am really into psychology and I follow the author’s YouTube channel pretty damn closely. If you watch a lot of her YouTube videos where she answers random audience questions, you will probably already know a lot of this material just from hearing her repeat it over and over to people on the channel.

The last third of the book I liked the most. Solutions! Action! Moving forward! I personally didn’t need much explaining, but that’s just me. I like when she lists and defines the different types of therapy available for trauma - useful reference when therapy shopping. I also like the exercises she included :)

[Mackenzie (taleswithtank) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like an “intro to trauma” crash course so if you’re new to trauma and trauma therapy, this is a great resource for you! Morton does a wonderful job of explaining concepts and theories in a really approachable way.

Now let’s talk about what I didn’t like...I really struggled with the different “questionnaires” throughout the book. They felt driven by self diagnosis and that really doesn’t sit well with me when it comes to trauma. I get the idea behind learning how to identify different symptoms, but it didn’t sit well with me.

This book also largely ignored the intersections of various cultural identities and trauma. While the experience of trauma is universal, identities like race and one’s sexuality can often exacerbate those experiences.

[MJWtson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was quite a nice listen this is just the beginners guide to understanding trauma. This book is good for beginners who don't know much about trauma.

I didn't learn a lot, I didn't learn nothing. Big it's and little it's was one thing I learned. As Kati said, of you want to dive more into trauma, go to a trauma specialist. She is not one.

it's a little scattered in terms of fluidity as well. not horrible, but wish there was more structure to each presented type of trauma mentioned. felt it went a bit too fast for each one when it hit the half way point.

I enjoy her content on YouTube and I enjoyed this book. if you want more information on mental health check her other book out.

[Kelly Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went over basics of different types of trauma. I can't really recommend the book because it didn't felt narrow-minded. It lacked intersectional accessibility.

I found it lacked depth and was offensive and actually triggering at times. There was also some information that I would find questionable.

I will refer to Natalie's review (readswithnatalieb):

"Working through any kind of trauma or grief is not the same among people, so it’s finding what’s best for you. This book made me feel like you need to do one thing or another to feel better or learn to work through grief.

I would recommend finding a book written by someone who specializes in trauma if you or someone who know is in need of help."

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, written so the average person can understand Trauma and have a layperson view of PTSD and Trauma vs some other possible diagnosis. However the author starts by clarifying she is NOT trained in trauma and is not a trauma therapist. Also the book is heavy into the current political and news of 2020-2022 era (c*r*na) so it can be very triggery to those trying to deal with such nonsense and look for ways to find healing. I don't see any value added with continually mentioning "C" nonsense. Book would be closer to 4 stars if written by a Trauma therapist and no mention of "C"/current politics.