Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-outs, and Triggers

Faith G. Harper, PhD, LPC-S, ACS, ACN

Nov 2017 · Microcosm Publishing

About this ebook

Our brains are doing our best to help us out, but they can be real assholes sometimes. Sometimes it seems like your own brain is out to get you—melting down in the middle of the grocery store, picking fights with your date, getting you addicted to something, or shutting down completely at the worst possible moments. You already told your brain firmly that it isn't good to do these things. But your brain has a mind of its own. That's where this book comes in. With humor, patience, and lots of swearing, Dr. Faith shows you the science behind what's going on in your skull and talks you through the process of retraining your brain to respond appropriately to the non-emergencies of everyday life. If you're working to deal with old traumas, or if you just want to have a more measured and chill response to situations you face all the time, this book can help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and get your life and brain back.Here's an excerpt from the book:Knowing what’s going on up in your brain is HUGE. So much of how we interact with the world around us is a completely normal response when we take into account our past experiences and how our brains work. • Freaking the fuck out • Avoiding important shit we need to take care of • Feeling pissed off all the time • Being a dick to people we care about • Putting shit in our bodies that we know isn’t good for us • Doing shit we know is dumb or pointlessNone of these things are fucking helpful. But they all make sense.Your brain has adapted to the circumstances in your life and started doing things to protect you, bless it. It’s not TRYING to fuck you over (even though it totally is, at times).As we navigate the world, nasty shit happens. The brain stores info about the nasty shit to try to avoid it in the future. Sometimes these responses are helpful. Sometimes the responses become a bigger problem than the actual problem was. It’s called a trauma reaction.And even if you aren’t dealing with a specific trauma? Adaptive coping strategies, bad habits, and funky behaviors all wire in similar ways. And research is showing that these issues are actually some of the easier ones to treat in therapy … if we address what’s really going on, rather than just the symptoms.

Ratings and reviews

This lady is way off key here.First of all she is using the f bomb and cursing way too much too ever be effective for helping me in the first place.Anybody using the epitaphs she uses just causes more anxiety uncomfortable need in someone like me.Each to his own but she would never be my therapist.

This book is exactly what I've been needing. I haven't finished it yet, but I can't get enough of it. Faith really knows how to speak my language. She helps you understand how your brain works when it comes to trauma response, why it does what it does and explains ways you can rewire your brain so you can keep your survival brain from constantly controlling you. Also, this book is absolutely hilarious. The title alone should tell you what kind of language and humor is used in this book, so if that kind of thing offends you, it may not be your style. If it is your style, it is absolutely amazing and funny and I highly recommend!

I've only read the sample and I am definitely going to buy this tomorrow. With her being uncensored to show that there is no reason to feel anxious or "triggered" to bring comfort to the readers and help them feel a bit more relaxed like "yeah, she gets it" type of situation. She's good at what she does and this book is proof along with the positive reviews. I seen another review where someone complained about that. Like.. Okay? Find another book. There are other books that are out there that will being completely sensors and sugar coat everything. But sugar coating doesn't help someone to see how to fix things that are wrong with ourselves. (I was recommended this book by my aunt.)

About the author

Faith G. Harper, PhD, LPC-S, ACS, ACN is a bad-ass, funny lady with a PhD. She’s a licensed professional counselor, board supervisor, certified sexologist, and applied clinical nutritionist with a private practice and consulting business in San Antonio, TX. She has been an adjunct professor and a TEDx presenter, and proudly identifies as a woman of color and uppity intersectional feminist. She is the author of the book Unf*ck Your Brain and many other popular zines and books on subjects such as anxiety, depression, and grief. She is available as a public speaker and for corporate and clinical trainings.