An intertwined tale of a boy's world shattered by suicide and a man's personal story being rewritten by neuroscience.
When Richard Brockman found his mother's body, the simple narrative of his childhood ended. As a young man, when he looked back upon his life, it was through the lens of pain and confusion of his mother's death. As a boy, he'd sought only to survive the aftermath of her actions without coming to terms with his shock and grief. But later, after seeking psychological guidance, he began to dig into his own denials and misconceptions around his mother. Having revaluated the story that he had created to guide his life, Richard found a path into medicine and into understanding.
“Life After Death” is a memoir of grief, growth, and biological understanding. Now an expert in genetics, epigenetics, and attachment theory, Richard chronicles his evolution from a child overwhelmed by trauma to a man who has reclaimed his past. He lays bare the core of the man who is both victim and healer in order to shed light on all the victims of a suicide. By weaving together his childhood despair and his clinical knowledge, Richard shows how those left behind can take charge of their mental and biological histories.
