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How We Break

Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living

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How We Break

By: Vincent Deary
Narrated by: Vincent Deary
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

An expert, empathetic guide to the science, psychology and physiology of breaking, from the acclaimed author of How We Are

What happens when our minds and bodies are pushed beyond their limits? Vincent Deary is a health psychologist who has spent years helping his patients cope with whatever life has thrown at them. In How We Break, he has written a book for all of us who sometimes feel we have reached our breaking point.

Drawing on clinical case studies, cutting-edge scientific research, intimate personal stories and references from philosophy, literature and film, How We Break offers a consoling new vision of everyday human struggle. The big traumas in life, Deary points out, are relatively rare. More common is when too many things go wrong at once, or we are exposed to prolonged periods of difficulty or precarity. When the world shrinks to nothing but our daily coping, we become unhappy, worried, hopeless, exhausted. In other words, we break. Breaking, he shows us, happens when the same systems that enable us to navigate through life become dysregulated. But if we understand how the wear and tear of life affects us, then we have a better chance of navigating through times of burnout, stress, fatigue and despair.

By equipping us with a better understanding of what happens to us when we're struggling to cope, and making a bold case for the power of rest and recuperation, How We Break helps chart a path through difficult times.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Vincent Deary (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Anxiety Disorders Personal Development Psychology Mental Health Inspiring
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Beautifully written and read. Rare insight. inspiring

Really enjoyed this book. it gave me much to reflect on. I hope he finishes the trilogy

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Such beautiful writing and profound insights

I would not have bought this if I hadn’t listened to an interview with the author.
His writing and thinking is informed by an enormous hinterland of literature, personal and academic research. There is a quiet compassionate authority in his personal voice and in the text. The audio book was so good that I bought a hard back copy and have discussed its insights with several friends. It is not a book, just for those who have experienced mental distress or dysphoria it addresses the broader human condition like all great literature. A tour de force. I’ll seek out the preceding book in the trilogy.

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A lovely book

A explanation of how life can become overwhelming, how that affects us and how we might start to heal. Full of interesting stories and great quotes. A very kind and hopeful book. Beautifully read by the author.

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A ‘must read’ for anyone interested in ‘the human condition’.

Another enlightening read from Professor Deary, and absolutely worth the wait. As with How We Are, How We Break is filled (for me) with lightbulb moments that often explained and/or validated some of my experiences and reactions to them. The story of Anne, in particular, resonated strongly, particular with regard to my relationship with my (previous) employment.
How We Break presents an artful and insightful combination of academic, clinical and personal knowledge and experience, and is thus accessible to, and applicable to, a diverse readership. I highly recommend this (and How We Are) to anyone interested in ‘the human condition’.

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Intelligent/Erudite Insight

Rarely do you read a book and wish you could go for a cup of coffee with the author, but How We Break is the exception. Vincent Deary unintentionally reminds the reader that so many people we interact with on a daily basis are not all that inspiring. He is so careful in reaching judgements that it is palpable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired by some hard earned wisdom. A delight to read.

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if you've ever broken/been close to anyone breaking- read/listen to this book.

in a world where accesss to NHS therapy and support is limited and slow in coming, this is a great help. A powerful, enlightening book which carefully takes you through experience, rationale and research in a clear and accessible way. A prescient listen at the time of my breaking and a really helpful one. At times I felt Deary had been a fly on the wall in my work and life! Thank you for helping me understand the process of breaking, not to 'get stuck in my story', to be kind to myself in my fatigue and accept the notion of change through useful thinking.. it may just have saved my life. I will come back to this again and again.

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