What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedAftermath
Susan J. Brison · Book · 2002
If you loved Aftermath, start with I Survived — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Aftermath across media.
If you loved Aftermath, you will appreciate these stories that explore how survivors integrate traumatic memories into their personal narratives.
Films on the same thread
Hope
Film · 2013
Explores: Trauma recovery, Family resilience, Justice.
Like Aftermath, this film examines the grueling process of trauma recovery, focusing on the essential role of family support and resilience while navigating the long path toward healing.
The Sweet Hereafter
Atom Egoyan · Film · 1997
Explores: Grief, Community Trauma, Loss of Innocence.
This film mirrors the community-wide impact of tragedy explored in Aftermath, showing how collective grief and the search for justice can either fracture or bind a group together.
Sophie's Choice
Alan J. Pakula · Film · 1982
Shares 2 threads with Aftermath: Trauma, Memory.
Echoing the psychological depth of Aftermath, this story portrays the burden of memory and the haunting, non-linear ways that past trauma continues to shape a survivor's present life.
Rashomon
Akira Kurosawa · Film · 1950
Explores: unreliable narrator, subjective truth, moral ambiguity.
Much like the philosophical inquiry in Aftermath, this narrative deconstructs the reliability of memory, highlighting how subjective perspectives complicate the search for truth after a violent event.
Series on the same thread
Unbelievable
Susannah Grant · Series · 2019
Shares 2 threads with Aftermath: Resilience, Trauma.
This series captures the systemic failure survivors face, reflecting the advocacy for bearing witness and validation that Susan J. Brison emphasizes throughout her work in Aftermath.
The Haunting of Hill House
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Aftermath: Trauma.
This story uses the metaphor of a haunted house to illustrate the same themes of fragmented memory and generational trauma that are central to the analysis in Aftermath.
Sharp Objects
Marti Noxon · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Aftermath: Trauma.
This narrative dives into the psychological aftermath of violence, mirroring the way Brison describes the return of repressed memories and the difficult task of confronting one's history.
Marvel's Jessica Jones
Melissa Rosenberg · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with Aftermath: PTSD, Trauma.
This series portrays the daily reality of living with PTSD, connecting directly to the themes of survival and the struggle to rebuild a future found in Aftermath.
Podcasts on the same thread
I Survived
Podcast
Shares a thread with Aftermath: trauma.
These personal accounts of endurance provide a real-world parallel to the memoir elements of Aftermath, centering the importance of survivors speaking their own truths to facilitate recovery.
The Resilient Mind
Podcast
Explores: Mental Resilience, Adversity, Thought Leadership.
This podcast explores the mechanisms of mental resilience, offering a practical extension to the theoretical discussions on recovery and psychological transformation presented in Aftermath.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Aftermath a book about the psychological impact of trauma?
Yes, Aftermath is a 2002 book by Susan J. Brison that examines how trauma disrupts memory and severs the connection between a survivor's past and present. It provides a detailed account of how these experiences incapacitate one's ability to envision a future.
Does Aftermath explain how survivors can recover from trauma?
Aftermath argues that the act of bearing witness is essential for recovery. Brison explains that sharing one's experience helps integrate the trauma into the survivor's life story, which is a necessary step for healing and moving forward.
What is the central theme explored in Aftermath?
The central theme of Aftermath is the disruption of memory and identity following a traumatic event. Brison explores how trauma isolates the survivor from their own history and future, and how the process of storytelling serves as a mechanism for integration and recovery.
How does Aftermath describe the process of healing?
In Aftermath, Brison describes healing as a process of integrating a traumatic experience into the broader context of one's life story. By bearing witness to the event, a survivor can begin to bridge the gap between their past and their future.