Reading List
Vcitims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse
Mike Lew authored a book that speaks directly to men who have suffered from childhood sexual abuse. He weaves narratives from former patients with clinical insight. This is a great resource not only for men who have suffered from childhood sexual abuse but those that want to understand the unique struggles of these men.
Your Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Bessel van der Kolk uses his clinical expereince and neuroscience to unravel the damages done to those who expereince trauamitc events. It is a very tough read, but a neccessary one to undestand the physiology behind your trauma.
Man’s Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl’s story is not directly related to male sexual abuse. But I found a lot of value in the lessons he learned from living in four different concentration camps and the way he discovered peace with life.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Marshall B. Rosenberg writes a book with personal narrative that drops the traditional ways we communicate right on its head. He replaces those ways with a more compassionate and empathetic approach. He provides more tools for overcoming the damage to your brain.
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
James R. Doty is a neuroscientist and mindfullness advocate. His story takes you on, a sometimes wild, journey that teaches the importance of neuroplasticity and compassion. Both are needed in recovery from sexual abuse.
Iron John
Robert Bly tells a poetic tale of the initation of men and shares his vision of what it is to be a man. I don’t agree with everything Robert Bly posits, but I do think it is a great way to reshape your idea of what it means to be a man.