Being Broken is a deeply emotional memoir. The author examines how childhood abuse and addiction, along with trauma, affect people in a dysfunctional family. Geoffrey R. Jonas experienced three tragic deaths in his family: the fentanyl poisoning of his sister, his stepfather's death from a lifetime of tobacco and alcohol use, and his mother's succumbing to Alzheimer's from substance addiction. Jonas remains the lone survivor of his family while he discovers the devastating secrets of their past by reviewing the letters and messages together with his reminiscences. He traces the passing of narcissistic abuse across multiple generations to mental illness development and discovers its impact on his substance abuse and complex PTSD.

In this memoir, he shares his life story and supplements it with educational essays about trauma mechanisms and explanations of addiction science and emotional abuse consequences. The author presents this work to guide those who find themselves trying to understand similar situations. Geoffrey R. Jonas's writing is clear and straightforward. He is transparent and relatable as he shares his journey. The format of Being Broken — a combination of personal accounts, interspersed with factual essays — might help readers get a sense of the emotional and mental components of abuse and recovery. The book does a great job of exploring addiction and family challenges, along with self-discovery and healing processes. The narrative also demonstrates healing tools for overcoming self-sabotage and helping readers to find the strength necessary to grow. Being broken is not only a strength but also a way for individuals who have experienced abuse to thrive.

Being Broken: Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse by Geoffrey R. Jonas is a raw and harrowing memoir that delves into the devastating effects of narcissistic parental abuse and its generational consequences. Through a deeply personal lens, Jonas recounts the heartbreaking events that shattered his family through addiction, mental illness, and tragic deaths as he embarks on a journey to uncover the painful truth about his upbringing. As he sifts through letters, notes, and memories, he pieces together the emotional manipulation, trauma, and cycles of abuse that defined his childhood. With unflinching honesty, Being Broken sheds light on the profound impact of toxic parenting, the struggles of mental health, and the difficult path to healing. A powerful and eye-opening account, this book is a testament to resilience and the fight to reclaim one’s identity.

Author Geoffrey R. Jonas puts everything on the line in raw, vulnerable detail in this deeply moving and brutally honest memoir of survival and healing. It’s a book that is not for the faint of heart, but every courageous moment of the author baring his soul feels like a necessary exploration of generational trauma and recovery, and no part of it was gratuitous or treated too lightly. It was interesting to see how different elements and ‘scraps’ of his past came together like a metaphor for rebuilding and putting the pieces back together, and how that bigger picture forms for readers to stand back, observe, and heal from it. The clever construction of the memoir itself and how different ideas gradually have an overall impact delivers some heavy lessons by the book’s end. Overall, Being Broken is an eye-opening, emotional, and ultimately empowering read that I highly recommend to anyone who has been through narcissistic abuse and for others to open their eyes to these behaviors and gain a better understanding.

It is every child’s right to grow up in a loving, safe, and healthy environment. Unfortunately, not every child experiences this. It is even more unfortunate when the child’s parents are responsible. After the death of his young sister—who dies alone in a hotel room from fentanyl-laced cocaine—Geoffrey R. Jonas decides to look into his family history. Especially because shortly after, his father died from substance abuse complications, and his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other mental health issues brought on by benzodiazepine and alcohol addiction. In Being Broken, Jonas recounts his life living in the care of parents suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), revealing his discovery of generational abuse that trickled down in the family through the years. Jonas spares no detail of the abuse he endured, its impact on both his and his sister’s lives, and his recovery journey.

Being Broken is a must-read memoir for those dealing with family and relationship-related trauma and those looking for self-help books. Jonas uses a raw and authentic tone, delving deep into his childhood experiences. While most of the experiences brought me to tears, they opened my eyes to the untold struggles kids go through and how these affect them. I could relate to every aspect of the story, especially the confusion and rage Jonas felt when subjected to and dealing with the abuse. Kids can easily mistake their parents’ actions or words for parental obligations, mainly because of their limited exposure. This is why they often have no idea they are being abused or do not dare to seek help. The comprehensively detailed breakdown of types of narcissistic personality disorders gave me a keen understanding of the whole subject of narcissism. I applaud Geoffrey R. Jonas for sharing such a poignant yet remarkable and enlightening story. Being Broken is one of the most touching memoirs I have read in a long time.

Being Broken by Geoffrey R Jonas is a collection of essays describing his dysfunctional family and the tragedies that resulted from their behaviour. Even today, he is still working through both grief and guilt from the death of his sister, thirteen years younger than him, as the result of a drug overdose. Both his mother and his stepfather were alcoholics, and despite hiding this from the outside world, behind closed doors, chaos reigned. The author himself crossed behavioral lines, drinking, taking drugs, and breaking the law. Like many victims in a similar situation, the pandemonium in his family life was not apparent until much later in life. Only then, after much therapy and counseling, could he understand how his experiences impacted his own behavior, and he is still struggling to come to terms with his family’s past.

What an amazing read! Being Broken by Geoffrey R Jonas lays bare the truth about narcissism, toxic behaviour, and substance abuse. He has included very helpful descriptions that lay out how the brain’s chemistry responds to the effects of various medications, legal and otherwise. His story is harrowing, but I learned so much as he told the story of his family breaking apart and his later guilt over his inability to save his sister. This is a book that should be widely read to help anyone understand how alcohol and drugs can destroy normal living and interaction with the world. It is a lesson in how to forgive and live with past events. The author makes it easy to understand how and why physical and mental responses can be generational. I applaud the courage it has taken for him to share his story with the world. I sincerely hope it will help many readers to understand and cope in a similar situation.