5 stars
"This remarkable book, by a woman who has lived with chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for much of her life owing to child sexual and other abuse, and a life-threatening stranger rape in her twenties, is not a self-help guide. Instructive guides, excellent in their place, are of course advantageous to many people struggling with PTSD. However, there is definitely also a place for works like Marla Handy's. I have had PTSD since childhood (diagnosed at 27) and am now in my forties. I have read all the best recovery guides, and benefited from them and therapy. Yet, it seems to me that a major task in this decade of my life is to accept that there are parts of me that may always be quite fragile, in Marla's words, "messy", or maybe even beyond repair. No Comfort Zone is the best read I've found yet to promote what I think is a healthy acceptance, and trust me, I've invested a lot of time and energy looking. Interestingly, Marla resists recovery truisms such as "survivor" and "moving forward." Most refreshing to rethink the values and pressures that can underpin these terms.

This book, conversational in tone, details Marla's ongoing journey with PTSD, and is like sitting down and sharing with somebody who truly understands. I had many tears - good, cathartic ones - as Marla's words articulated even not-so-well known and better-hidden ravages of PTSD. She holds an honest and compassionate, if naturally somewhat frightening mirror up, and while nobody likes to know somebody else has felt this way, the commonality one finds is ultimately a comfort because it's so much less isolating. Marla shows you that you're not alone. Even if you're conversant with PTSD, her honesty brings to light symptoms that you may have thought were just weird, or worse, negative personality traits. There will be an "Oh my God! Me too! Thank heavens somebody understands!" moment or several for most sufferers of PTSD here.

Marla's reflections on the suicidal ideation that is a part of PTSD carried a blunt honesty that resists preachments. The chapter No Tomorrow blew me away; I don't think I've ever felt so personally understood. The non-instructive tone this book takes gives us permission to live with PTSD the best way we can, and admit that it hurts sometimes. Marla's matter-of-fact, no-nonsense tone makes it all so much less embarrassing.

Beautifully written with candour, pain and wit, and not a boring sentence.

Now, the fact that this book is not instructive does not mean it isn't educational. Highly recommended for people who need to understand what PTSD looks like, and sufferers who could benefit from greater understanding and acceptance of themselves.

Thanks, Marla."

By Louise on Goodreads and Amazon January 28, 2012

4 stars
"This isn't really a memoir, but it isn't really a self-help book on PTSD, its symptoms, and treatments for it. It's a bit of both, but mostly it is a sparely written account of how living with PTSD has affected one woman's life.

Ms. Handy presents the facts of her life that contributed to her chronic PTSD in a flat, almost monotone, matter-of-face way. These things happened. They affected me these ways at the time, and these other ways at later times.

PTSD is a disease that affects many Americans and not just soldiers. Soldiers returning home from war, survivors of rape and childhood abuse, domestic violence survivors. the one person in the car crash who wasn't killed, the list goes on and on. This disease is little understood, but it is out there and at larger numbers than we expect. Kin to anxiety and panic disorder, the symptoms with PTSD are much more severe and much more life impacting. Imagine that you can't go to bed without your gun, but your child is going to be in bed with you. What then? With PTSD the external world and the interior world are full of hazards - difficult to negotiate, difficult to understand, difficult to explain away to others.

If you want a glimpse into what it's like to live with chronic PTSD, I recommend this book. It won't disappoint you."

By Caitlin on Goodreads and Librarything, February 27, 2011

5 stars
"I served 20+ years in the military and afterward worked at a VA hospital. I've attended many lectures and presentations on PTSD, worked with individuals with the diagnosis. I have seen it up close and personal, experienced the same things in my military career as people with the diagnosis have, but Ms Handy has brought the day to day reality of someone with PTSD into a new and enlightening focus. I highly recommend this book for not only individuals who are living with it, or have a loved one who is, but also to any medical professional."

By Vandy on Goodreads, January 27, 2012

5 stars
"This is a book by a woman who suffered an extreme childhood that resulted in what she calls complex ptsd. The kind of moulding of the human experience by long term, constant trauma of the kind suffered by people who are held hostage or imprisoned for long period by a tormentor, long term POWs who have been tortured. On top of that she was unfortunate to experience rape which overlaid an incident specific ptsd that is more frequently seen in people who are combat veterans, victims or first responders to disaster. My own exploration of ptsd has arisen from my own combat related experiences in Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1970's. This has always been the focus as it has been the most accessible explanation for the way I experience and respond to life. I have always of course been aware of the difficulties I experienced in my childhood, living with a violent alcoholic father who believed I was the bastard child of another, and I could see the connections between that experience and my combat related ptsd. It was not until I read this book however, that I truly appreciated how severe the impact of that childhood trauma was in my life and how it magnified so many fold the impact of the war experience. Much of my behaviour as a soldier, particularly in Cambodia, was driven my the traumatised framework of that childhood experience, and therefore so were the actions I engaged in towards myself and others and that explains much of its extremity. The guilt I have felt for so long over much of that I saw as deriving from an essentially flawed character I see now that it came instead from the tortured soul and shattered sense of self worth that were the bequest of my father. The blanks in my memory and the confusion over timelines, the remembered experience of childhood now all make sense to me. I am indebted to this woman for having the courage to share her life with me, it could be a traced overlay for much of my own."

By Steve Woods on Goodreads, January 26, 2012

5 stars
"I won this book in a GoodRead's giveaway. This is by far the best book on the subject of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that I have come across. I too suffer from Chronic PTSD. Although I could feel twinges of anxiety as I read sections of Marla's life, the overall story of her life and struggles gave me great comfort. I realized that I was not the only one with "quirks" and that this disorder is a life long journey. Thank you Marla for sharing your personal narrative. You continue to be a great caregiver."

By Jeannie of Goodreads, February 8, 2012.

5 stars
"Highly recommended for anyone that has or in a relationship with someone who has PTSD. It's an excellent book that explains the issues with PTSD from someone with experience. PTSD is mislabeled so much in our society but this book helped me in many ways understand and validate whate PTSD is and the hope it can bring. EXCELLENT book. "

By Jennifer Dalenberg on Goodreads, October 17, 2011.

5 stars
"I've had the idea "There is no safe place, " and was continuing my search to understand my own PTSD when I purchased this book. It's a fast read, and could easily be my own story with some changes here and there. It is written plainly and from the heart. The figures of speech used I found 'comforting,' in that I could understand myself better. I also have been able to 'translate' the author's reactions to ones that I have, and in turn try to explain to my loved ones why I "freak out" over "simple" things. There is a treasure trove of material in this book that is easy to take in, easy to relate to, and even somewhat comforting.

This book is great for someone who has PTSD or loves some one with it, particularly when the PTSD is non-combat related. There are too few books on other traumatic events causing PTSD, and this open sharing doesn't direct the reader on what to do or think-- it's just the sharing of the author's personal story, given in glimpses and peeks, not unlike what it's like in re-experiencing traumatic memories.

I highly recommend this to anyone who has suffered from abuse in any form (but know that the book may be "triggering") and who still can't put "THOSE" memories behind. I also recommend loved ones to read this, to help in understanding a person who has been through trauma and/or has PTSD as a result. The author has succeeded in sharing as if in conversation, not preachy or demanding or overly technical; she shares what your loved one may not be able to convey about what's going on inside one's mind and heart."

By Cierra Shore on Amazon, January 10, 2012

5 stars
"This book is a sensitive, intelligent, unflinching inside view of growing up in a severely dysfunctional family and violent culture with the consequence of post traumatic stress disorder. Rarely can a person who has lived through trauma reflect on it with the clarity and perspective that leads to compassion and understanding without creating another tell-all memoir seeking pity. Marla Handy has a steady hand in her writing, chooses each word carefully, making this a compelling read. I read it in one sitting, unable to put the book down. The book leaves the reader with greater insight into a life that included cruelty and violence, its impact, and how Marla courageously took the steps to make sense of the senseless and bring some peace to herself and others. It invites us all to look carefully at our own lives and to have greater compassion toward all who suffer."

By Judy Fitch Robert on Amazon, November 21, 2011.

5 stars
"I'm part of online support groups for PTSD but nothing I have experienced with those groups can compare to the way I felt after I read Marla's book. For the first time in my entire life I felt like I knew someone who understood me. I felt like she was a secret family member who I didn't even know I had. The overwhelming connection I felt just by knowing that someone else lives this life made me feel less alone and more understood.

I only wish that everyone could be on that same level of understanding.

I sat down the night I received the book to read just a chapter or two before bed time. I did not move from the couch that night until every page in the book had been read.

If you have PTSD, this book will make you feel less alone. If you have a loved one with PTSD, this book will help you understand some of what goes through our head on a daily basis and hopefully help you come to a better understanding and patience with us.

Thank you Marla, for making me feel like I had a loved one who knew all the "inside jokes" and daily struggles I go through. You brought me peace and motivation."

By M. Kudek on Amazon, July 7, 2011.

5 stars
"Marla Handy's No Comfort Zone: Notes on Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was written with emotion so strong that it makes you feel like she is sitting right next to you telling you about her life, humor so unexpected that it makes you feel like you cannot breathe because you are laughing and crying in the same breath, and truth so real that it makes you uncomfortable (but being uncomfortable will make you more aware of the people you care about and love them for who they really are and not just who you are comfortable with them being). It is a must-read, one-of-a-kind book."

By Anonymous on Amazon, June 30, 2011.

5 stars
"Reading this book was incredibly liberating for me. For years I struggled to understand and could certainly never articulate the way in which I experienced the world. Marly Handy does this in an incredibly simple and straight foward manner. Anyone that is struggling with PTSD or wishes to better understand someone that is - must read this book. There are more of us out there than you can imagine."

By "E" on Amazon, May 19, 2011.

4 stars
"Thank you, Marla Handy, for writing this gripping and timely book. The subtitle, Notes on living With PTSD is a perfect subtitle, because Ms. Handy documents her life in a very interesting format. Everyone interested in learning about PTSD will find this book helpful.

Anyone suffering from PTSD will find it validating. Ms. Handy's intimate look at how PTSD hurts makes it obvious that people who suffer from Invisible injuries need and deserve the same respect as those with physical injuries. This is not a diary but it comes close to it.

Kudos to the author for her bravery, honesty, intelligence and compassion. Ms. Handy's story exemplifies that It is not easy to live with PTSD. Her resilience displays that it is possible to accomplish goals in life in spite of having harsh, and many times painful, emotional road blocks."

By Joyce Boaz on Amazon, April 19, 2011.

5 stars
"When I opened this book and read the dedication my attention was captured. By the time I reached page 10 I was in love with this book and could hardly put it down. I felt like Marla was telling my story for me. Every expression of pain, bewilderment, fear, confusion and anger she expressed was right on with how I've felt so many times. I know, without a doubt, this is the best, most graphic, most expressive portrayal of PTSD I've read. It could be troubling or triggering for those not wanting to be reminded of their own pain. For those of us who live with daily pain, it's a welcome validation of our own particular type of suffering. For those still trying to understand what their symptoms mean, it's a God-send.

What I love most about Marla's book is her honesty. She is not afraid to acknowledge that this is who she is, that PTSD will always be a part of her, and her road to recovery will be a life-long journey. She's not afraid to admit that she often feels like a victim, not a survivor. I like that. Because that's how I often feel. She is not afraid to express her ups and downs, regardless of how low those downs have been.

It would be hard to express, in a review, how often I felt the familiarity of her words. If you could see my book, you'd notice that every page has underlines and asterisks and notes in the margins. I was sad to reach the end because I knew this was a rare gift...finding someone who knew so well how I felt inside.

I think this is the most expressive example I've seen of how PTSD affects a life. It should be in the hands of every therapist, every pastor, every person who loves someone affected with PTSD. And if you are the victim of trauma, suffering in a way you don't understand, I would highly recommend you read this book.

Thanks, Marla, for this wonderful gift of sharing your story."

By Patricia. A. Brown on Amazon, April 14, 2011

4 stars
"As a capstone for their training on trauma treatment and PTSD, the psychiatry residents at Michigan State University read No Comfort Zone then spoke with Marla Handy for 90 minutes. The book is a compelling account of life during and after violation, told in voice that combines humor, rage, frustration and hard-earned wisdom. Among doctors who are becoming psychotherapists, Marla Handy is, at once, a witness, a survivor, a person with injuries, and a peer. The residents were grateful for the chance to be with her. Being with Marla Handy by reading her book is the next best thing. There is an intimacy and honesty in these pages that confers something like friendship. Post-taumatic therapy is a form of friendship. It involves identification and caring. The sharing is one way - from the narrator to the caregiver. Whether you are a therapist, a survivor, or an interested reader, there will be benefit in meeting Marla Handy through the pages of her book."

By Frank Ochberg, MD on Amazon, April 13, 2011.

5 stars
"No Comfort Zone by Marla Handy is a beautifully written and spare book that describes the lived experience of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Once you begin reading it, you will not be able to put it down. It is invaluable for people with PTSD, and for those who care for them, whether in a personal or professional capacity. No Comfort Zone can help those who live with the symptoms of PTSD every day know that they are not alone, and it is also able to articulate an experience that many sufferers would have a hard time putting into words. This book will additionally promote understanding and compassion among those who care for sufferers of this complex syndrome. I highly recommend No Comfort Zone, and as an Assistant Professor of Social Work, I plan to use it within my courses to help students understand the impact of trauma on many of their current and future clients."

By Emily Dakin on Amazon, April 10, 2011.

5 stars
"As someone with no education or experience with PTSD, this book gave me an excellent perspective. I now have a better understanding of PTSD and how it may affect people on a daily basis. I thank Marla Handy for educating me and helping me "get into the head" of someone with PTSD and how I can be more accommodating.."

By Linda on Amazon, February 12, 2011

4 stars
"Imagine never knowing what is going to happen next, the next minute, the next day, the next week. You can make no short-term plans; you can make no long-term plans. In fact, you can't plan at all, because it is all you can do just to deal with the minute-to-minute, unpleasant surprises of your life. We all like surprises, nice surprises, good surprises, but not violent, unwanted surprise events meant to control us. That is what the book, No Comfort Zone, is about, minute-by-minute, day-by-day, nonstop stress. No Comfort Zone is a book you can't stop reading. I read it in about 2 hours. It provides a very brave, personal account of one person's experiences with PTSD, an outpouring of emotions.

Marla Handy expertly describes the fear and instability within an unstable environment. I found myself connecting with her description of a very dysfunctional family situation. Most of us will never know chronic PTSD, but the description of short-term effects hit home with me. I also connected with her description of her confusion about how "normal" people and families act. While I would have liked more concrete description of her life circumstances, the author was able to describe her situation in a stream-of-conciousness narrative that made this a powerful book. To have experienced rape, in addition to the circumstances in which she grew up, would be beyond endurance for many people. I found myself mentally cheering her on when she described the continuing survival of a lifelong ordeal. I also found myself thinking that people can seem callous and insensitive at times, even when they don't mean to be.

There are many books on the clinical and healing aspects of PTSD, but this book gives an account of "everyday" PTSD which will help many people weave through conflicting emotions and start the path to recovery. Marla was very honest when she describes that recovery is never complete. We never fully recover from our traumas; we learn to live with and make peace with them. We cannot escape our pasts, but we can reshape them to our present circumstances. Many mental conditions are simply labeled depression; this is a timely book that brings a hidden reality to light. It also offers hope that the human spirit can survive the toughest conditions. This is a good book to add to any personal or professional library."

By Karen B. Huber on Amazon and Bellaonline, February 9, 2011.

4 stars
"As a therapist, I found the information useful. It helped me look at the symptoms of my clients in a new way. For example, I saw how dissociation may be a survival technique. I knew theoretically that symptoms arise as attempts to cope, but reading this book helped to bring that idea to life, and see it from the point of view of the person attempting to make sense of the craziness around them.

As a person with my own history, I found it comforting, despite the title. It gave me a way to explain to myself some unusual reactions I've sometimes had to normal events.

As a Buddhist, I found the author's conclusions about how mind works to be very interesting. She found a way to watch the display of mind without taking it to have inherent reality, yet without dismissing the importance and impact of the harm done to her. She found impermanence to be her friend, and studied the links of cause and effect."

By Carmen M. Rumbaut on Amazon, February 7, 2011.

5 stars
"People with PTSD are everywhere. I think many of us might suspect this in an ever-so-subtle way that manifests as a certain anxiety from people we know, work with and casually meet. It's sad, but it's true and very important that we don't ignore it. Thank goodness for Handy's book, No Comfort Zone - a very accessible volume that allows us to understand PTSD so we can meet people where they are and accept what might be needed for them to live with us more openly, and hopefully a little more comfortably. This book has the potential to insert compassion and healing into our communities. I would encourage it's circulation into book clubs, discussion groups - even high school required reading."

By Barbara Brown on Amazon, January 22, 2011.

5 stars
'"As a person who shares the ongoing challenges of PTSD in day to day life, I unreservedly recommend No Comfort Zone. It is a valuable resource for understanding the root sources of PTSD and a compelling insight into the impact PTSD has on the individual and those around her/him.

Marla Handy's personal and professional background make her especially qualified to present this subject with authority and experience. Marla's courage and candor in telling of her personal journey with PTSD brings knowledge and hope to all whose lives are touched by this disorder.

My heartfelt thanks to Marla for her contribution to the understanding of PTSD as a personal journey, and for providing hope for the daily lives of others with PTSD and those around them who share their lives in a personal or professional role."

By Richard Anderson on Amazon, January 3, 2011.

5 stars
"This book will change your perspective. Those of us who have had a fairly "normal" childhood usually do not think about, or recognize, that many of the adults we encounter in our daily life may not have been as fortunate. As a casual observer of family interactions in restaurants, stores, or on the street, I now am much more aware of negative interactions between parents and children, I contemplate what happens in their home, and consider how this may effect the children as adults. I knew that abusive families existed, but this book has given me a very chilling insight into what it is like to live in one, and how lasting that trauma can be. I wonder how many people I meet are struggling with similar injuries?"

By yuccaG on Amazon, January 1, 2011.