Audiobooks by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Guided Journal: Neuroscience-Based Writing Practices to Rewire You

Trauma and its effects can feel like a never-ending storm, and there's no safe harbor in sight from the thoughts and emotions that toss and turn so violently and unpredictably in your head. But healing is possible. Your brain can actually rewire these thoughts and emotions. And you can direct that powerful healing process through journaling. By putting your thoughts to paper, you can identify, choose, and permanently adopt new ways of responding to stress. You can create a new narrative of your life—one that breaks you out of your most deeply ingrained and self-destructive thoughts and behaviors. In this powerful guided journal, internationally acclaimed neuroscience journalist and author Donna Jackson Nakazawa outlines her inspiring, innovative, trauma-informed, and mindful Neural Re-Narrating™ program to help you: acknowledge your past while engaging in the present moment; create a new and empowering written narrative you can revisit again and again; release worry and trauma from your body by putting it onto the page; reduce your anxiety and alleviate symptoms of depression; and access inner calm—even in stressful situations. The act of unburdening oneself is essential when working through troubling or traumatic experiences. Through thoughtful, guided writing experiences, you'll find the strength to live authentically—with hope and optimism for the future.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Author), Margaret Strom (Narrator)

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The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine

A thrilling story of scientific detective work and medical potential that illuminates the newly understood role of microglia-an elusive type of brain cell that is vitally relevant to our everyday lives. "The rarest of books: a combination of page-turning discovery and remarkably readable science journalism."-Mark Hyman, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? Until recently, microglia were thought to be merely the brain's housekeepers, helpfully removing damaged cells. But a recent groundbreaking discovery revealed them to be capable of terrifying Jekyll and Hyde behavior. When triggered-and anything that stirs up the immune system in the body can activate microglia-they can morph into destroyers, impacting a wide range of issues from memory problems and anxiety to depression and Alzheimer's. Under the right circumstances, however, microglia can be coaxed back into being angelic healers, able to repair the brain in ways that help alleviate symptoms and hold the promise to one day prevent disease. A fascinating behind-the-scenes account of this cutting-edge science, The Angel and the Assassin also explores the medical implications of these game-changing discoveries. Award-winning journalist Donna Jackson Nakazawa began her investigation with a personal interest-when diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder years ago, she was convinced there was something physical going on in her brain as well as her body, though no doctor she consulted could explain how the two could be interacting in this way. With the compassion born of her own experience, she follows practitioners and patients on the front lines of treatments that help to "reboot" microglia-from neurofeedback and intermittent fasting to transcranial magnetic stimulation and gamma light flicker therapy. She witnesses patients finding significant relief from pressing symptoms-and at least one stunning recovery-offering new hope to the tens of millions who suffer from mental, cognitive, and physical health issues. Proving once and for all the biological basis for the mind-body connection, the discovery of the true role of microglia stands to rewrite psychiatric and medical texts as we know them. Hailed as "riveting," "stunning," and "visionary," The Angel and the Assassin offers us a radically reconceived picture of human health and promises to change everything we thought we knew about how to heal ourselves.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Author), Melinda Wade (Narrator)

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Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal

The emotional trauma we suffer as children not only shapes our emotional lives as adults but also affects our physical health and overall well-being. Scientists now know on a biochemical level exactly how parents' chronic fights, divorce, death in the family, being bullied or hazed, and growing up with a hypercritical, alcoholic, or mentally ill parent can leave permanent, physical "fingerprints" on our brains. When we as children encounter sudden or chronic adversity, excessive stress hormones cause powerful changes in the body, altering our body chemistry. The developing immune system and brain react to this chemical barrage by permanently resetting our stress response to "high," which in turn can have a devastating impact on our mental and physical health. Donna Jackson Nakazawa shares stories from people who have recognized and overcome their adverse experiences, shows why some children are more immune to stress than others, and explains why women are at particular risk. Groundbreaking in its research and inspiring in its clarity, Childhood Disrupted explains how you can reset your biology-and help your loved ones find ways to heal.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Author), Callie Beaulieu (Narrator)

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The Last Best Cure: My Quest to Awaken the Healing Parts of my Brain and Get Back My Body, My Joy, a

One day Donna Jackson Nakazawa found herself lying on the floor to recover from climbing the stairs. That's when it hit her. She was managing the symptoms of the autoimmune disorders that had plagued her for a decade, but she had lost her joy. As a science journalist, she was curious to know what mind-body strategies might help her. As a wife and mother she was determined to get her life back. Over the course of one year, Nakazawa researches and tests a variety of therapies including meditation, yoga, and acupuncture to find out what works. But the discovery of a little-known branch of research into Adverse Childhood Experiences causes her to have an epiphany about her illness that not only stuns her-it turns her life around. Perfect for readers of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, Nakazawa shares her unexpected discoveries, amazing improvements, and shows listeners how they too can find their own last best cure.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Author), Karen Saltus (Narrator)

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