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An Apparently Normal Person
Bonnie R. Armstrong
Award-Winning, Newly Released Best Seller! Available Now!
New Release
An Apparently
Normal Person
Hi and welcome.
I chose the title "An Apparently Normal Person" for my book because that's what I was for most of my life. I lived into my 50s knowing nothing about the internal dissociative community that supported me and hid huge chunks of my childhood from me. They gave me, on the outside, an apparently normal life as a happy wife, mother, friend, community activist, change-maker, glass-ceiling breaker, and advocate for children and families. This book is the story of the medical mystery that struck during my 50s and the healing journey it led me on to find my superpower, my dissociative disorder. That's why the subtitle is -- From Medical Mystery to Dissociative Superpower. Hope you enjoy reading it.
-Bonnie
Fearlessly, I speak my truth with love.
Amazon Best Seller!
International Firebird Book Award
First Place!
An Apparently Normal Person takes you on a captivating journey through the mysteries of
trauma, resilience and the power of the human spirit. In this inspiring memoir, Bonnie
Armstrong unveils the uncharted territory of her dissociation, a survival mechanism that
became a catalyst for healing.
At the height of an accomplished professional career, an inexplicable illness hints at a
connection to a forgotten suicide attempt decades earlier. The author is led to unravel
the enigma of her past. What follows is the revelation of a secret internal community
that helped her function in the face of unspeakable suffering.
This book offers hope to the two-thirds of adults who have experienced some type of
childhood trauma. Bonnie’s quest for physical, emotional and spiritual healing draws on
ancient wisdom traditions, as well as the latest in neuroscientific research. More than a
story, it’s a testament to the transformative power of the path from pain to wholeness.
Brave, raw and ultimately uplifting, An Apparently Normal Person serves as a beacon of
hope for anyone looking for greater authenticity and resilience in the face of life's
challenges.
Bonnie Armstrong’s book An Apparently Normal Person is a tour-de force of information and courageous storytelling, a memoir that offers a path to hope and healing for those who suffer from buried traumatic experiences. Bonnie reveals her personal story, her quest for healing, and the spiritual and scientific ways that mind, body, and soul can be reconnected.
--Linda Joy Myers, Founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers, author of Don’t Call Me Mother and Song of the Plains.
Praise
& Reviews
Of the many published personal works on dissociative disorders, there’s not a better, more insightful account than this one. Engaging, sincere, and sometimes shocking, I was hooked from the start and wanted every detail. The author shares her extraordinary and complex life with clarity, sincerity, dignity, and love.
--Dr. Chris Downs, psychologist and author of "Author of Solo Consulting: Insider Tips for Success!" (2023), (under the penname Christopher Ringle)
Author of The Patriarch (2021) and The Different Son (2022)
This is an incredibly powerful book for the field of psychology and all human services fields that serve clients. It not only carefully lays out the less understood symptoms of severe trauma that every professional needs to be able to recognize, it demonstrates the incredible resilience that people can experience, especially when given the appropriate tools to do so. I hope it also serves as a reminder to everyone that we have no idea what others are dealing with and why leading with compassion is so important.”
Carrie D. Miller, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Bonnie Armstrong lives a full life, devoted to a career in child advocacy. But when she’s plagued by a series of physical ailments unresponsive to treatment, she begins a journey of uncovering and unraveling unspeakable childhood trauma.
Armstrong provides readers with an in-depth look at a world unknown to most. Through the sharing of her story, Bonnie leaves us with an important legacy of breaking down the stigma of a mental health diagnosis.
While difficult to read some of the painful details of what was done to Bonnie Armstrong, her vulnerable and honest writing makes it an easy read. This fascinating, enlightening, and profound memoir has moved me to my core. Above all, she has shown me the resilience and power of the human spirit. - Merle Saferstein, Author of Living & Learning My Legacy Vols I & II
An Apparently Normal Person is a searching memoir of medical mystery, self-discovery, and
harrowing honesty as Bonnie Armstrong works to uncover the source of her physical and mental
afflictions.
As her life is upended, it becomes clear that overwhelming trauma has reshaped both her body
and her brain. Armstrong’s searing story invites the reader into a struggle to learn the terrain of
complex trauma and recovery. We share her disbelief and her determination as her story unfolds
in page-turning advances and setbacks.
Armstrong’s writing is personal and steeped in deep feelings as she understands her dissociative
disorder has saved her life. The stigma of speaking out about one’s lived experience with a
mental health diagnosis is transformed by Armstrong to her Superpower in her triumphant
memoir, An Apparently Normal Person.
- Catherine Klatzker RN, author of You Will Never Be Normal
An Apparently Normal Person is a courageous and empowering book that takes the reader on a harrowing journey. Bonnie shares her truth and illustrates along the way just how the dissociative mind is not only creative but a powerful tool for trauma survival. A must read for anyone in need of validation, deeper knowledge, or encouragement to stay the course.
- Larry Ruhl, artist and author of Breaking the Ruhls
I couldn’t put this book down! With each page of An Apparently Normal Person, Bonnie’s unique story unfolds into a journey of self-discovery that anyone can relate to. Through accounts of trauma and adventure, she balances educating the reader with keeping them inspired and hopeful. I learned so much and would highly recommend Bonnie’s story to therapists and anyone who is in therapy as a resource for understanding the role of dissociation as an adaptive response to trauma.
- Andi Fetzner, PsyD, partner in Origins Training and Consulting
Bonnie Armstrong is a well-respected educator and advocate for those living with childhood trauma, dissociation and dissociative identity disorder. She continues her advocacy work with her memoir, An Apparently Normal Person. Bonnie takes us on a raw and real journey from the unknown physical manifestations, to the eventual diagnosis, and through her incredible healing journey.
- Jaime Pollack, founder and director of An Infinite Mind
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