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Being Broken

Being Broken
average rating is 5 out of 5, based on 4 votes, Readers

Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse

by

Geoffrey R. Jonas

Genre/s:

Biography / Memoir

Geoffrey R. Jonas

Subgenre/s:

Psychology, trauma, abuse, addiction, recovery, healing

Book Description

A young woman dies alone in a hotel room, her fentanyl-poisoned cocaine still on the desk. She had been missing for nearly 2 weeks. Social Services had been trying to find a place for her to live with her 3-year-old son, whom she had left with her parents. Six months later her father fights for his life in intensive care, but succumbs to his illness because of a lifelong use of alcohol and tobacco. A month after his death her mother is assessed by doctors to be unable to care for herself because of her Alzheimer's and mental health issues brought on by benzodiazepine and alcohol addiction.
The son, brother, stepson is the only one left to pick up the pieces. He begins a journey of the self and finds out the truth of his family. After going over letters, notes, emails, videos, and text messages, he uncovers a disturbing picture of the abuse his sister suffered at the hands of their parents. He also begins to better understand his own struggles with mental health and substance addiction because of the trauma and abuse he also suffered from their parents.
Follow the son as he looks through his family history to discover the generational abuse that trickled down through the years. Learn about how parents who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder emotionally abuse and manipulate their children. See how the abuse and trauma becomes mental illness in the abused, and how they fall into vicious traps of addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Witness the transformational change of the son as he works on the recovery of his inner child and tries to become the man he was meant to be.

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5 Stars1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Emotional, educational, and unforgettable

Jonas manages to weave science, psychology, and raw memoir into something truly unique. At times it reads like a journal, other times like a therapy session you didn’t know you needed. It’s not light reading, but it’s honest, intelligent, and full of heart. Anyone interested in mental health, trauma, or human resilience should read this.

Posted by
Molly
On
Jun 2, 2026
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Essential reading for survivors of family abuse

This book is not an easy read — and that’s exactly why it’s so important. Jonas combines personal storytelling with psychological insight in a way that feels both intimate and educational. His discussion of narcissistic parental abuse and CPTSD is powerful and validating. I saw parts of my own story mirrored in his, and that sense of understanding is priceless.

Posted by
Isaiah
On
Mar 30, 2026
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A heartbreaking yet hopeful journey

I picked this up thinking it would be heavy — and it was — but also deeply hopeful. Jonas doesn’t just describe pain; he shows what survival looks like after it. His reflections on addiction, recovery, and forgiveness stayed with me for days. This is one of those books that changes how you see family, love, and healing.

Posted by
Declan
On
Mar 30, 2026
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Raw, courageous, and painfully honest

This book shook me to my core. Geoffrey R. Jonas lays bare his life with such brutal honesty that you can’t look away — even when it hurts. Being Broken isn’t just a memoir; it’s a roadmap for understanding how abuse echoes through generations. I found myself underlining passages about trauma, healing, and responsibility. If you’ve ever struggled to make sense of your past, this book will speak to you.

Posted by
NBR
On
Mar 30, 2026
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