About That Jack: My Story, Our Journey
I’m Jack Brody—an adopted New Yorker, author, writer, father, and survivor learning to live well with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD).
I created About That Jack as my digital home away from home: a place where I unpack the mess, the magic, and the meaning of surviving trauma and committing to healing. I write about CPTSD, trauma, relationships, fatherhood, mental health, and all the wonderfully complicated ways our past can shape who we become.
I’m also the author of The Space Between a Message and a Meaning, a memoir about childhood trauma, hypervigilance, attachment, emotional distance, and learning that surviving isn’t the same thing as living.
My Journey to a Diagnosis.
For years, I lived with a nameless noise: Anxiety. Hypervigilance. Self-doubt. A brain that never shut off. It all felt… normal. Until it didn’t.
It wasn’t until my 40s that I was diagnosed with CPTSD. That diagnosis turned everything upside down, but it also gave me:
- A language for my experience.
- Insight into the patterns that ruled my life.
- The tools to begin reclaiming my story and my future.
New here and just trying to make sense of CPTSD? Start with this breakdown, no psychobabble, I promise.
When CPTSD Finally Had a Name
In my early 40s, I was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), the result of childhood sexual abuse I experienced between the ages of 5 and 9.
I buried that trauma for years. I didn’t have the tools, or the words, to name it. But trauma has a way of making itself known, and eventually, I had no choice but to face it.
Since then, I’ve spent over a decade in therapy, learning not just how to survive with CPTSD, but how to live with it. Turns out, those are two very different things.
My Commitment: Some days are lighter. Some still knock the wind out of me. But every day, I make the choice to keep going. This site is here to help you make that choice, too.
If You’re Here…
..because you’re doing your own CPTSD work, supporting someone who is, or just stumbled in and stayed for the vibe, welcome. You are not alone here.
Feel free to reach out, I’m here to share, listen, and connect.
Let’s heal out loud. Together.
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Important Disclaimer
Please know that I am not a mental health professional, therapist, or doctor.
This site is my personal story, intended only to share my experiences, lessons, and growth. It is not a substitute for professional clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are in crisis, please seek immediate professional help.
If you don’t know where to start, check out my resources page.
Want to read more of my work?
Start with The Space Between a Message and a Meaning, or explore the essays and stories here on About That Jack.
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