The opening words to the first chapter of this heartbreaking and courageous Memoir from Gabrielle Pelicci, All This Healing is Killing Me, say ‘Nobody tells you how to become an adult’, which is absolutely true. If you have parents who guide you through the trauma of growing up, you are very fortunate: if not you have to find your way through what frequently becomes a battle ground, littered with bad choices, failed expectation and the detritus of human life.
In Gabrielle Pelicci’s case, she grew up in a horrifically traumatic family with a father who was at the very least a homicidal maniac. Her parents eventually divorced and her mother died at a young age, leaving her bereft; an emotionally delicate woman in her early 20’s.
From an ethereal or out of body experience at her mother funeral, to a serious rift with her brother Joseph, she decided the way forward was to study Psychology, which lead onto her study of many more subjects such as Energy Healing, Massage and over the years, many areas involved within the healing modalities.
She staggered from one toxic relationship to another, each time destroying a little more of her fragile self-belief. Over the years she saw a raft of therapists who all encouraged her to face her fears; basically face her truths about her childhood, the trauma associated with this and by doing so beginning to heal.
Fearful and terrified, she moved from one needy relationship to another, changing locations often, depending on what she was studying, either learning or involved in various healing disciplines, each time believing she was on the pathway to happiness, only to be cast aside once again, until she could go no further. She reached the end of her various routes of ‘escape’ and had, with the help of a very skilful therapist, to face her demons; to begin to heal.
For anyone who has walked the challenging pathway of destructive relationships, mental and physical health issues, substance abuse and much more, Pelicci’s words will offer hope and understanding, as can only come from someone who has already travelled the pathway of self-destruction.
Beautifully written with no sense of self-pity at any stage, All This Healing Is Killing Me is an unflinching Memoir, which shares the hard work, challenges and immense courage it takes eventually to walk away from a destructive life pattern and be able to live a freer and happier life.
