BECOMING REAL: Defeating The Stories We Tell Ourselves That Hold Us Back by Gail Saltz, MD

Publisher Riverhead/Putnam, May 2004

The key to fulfilling relationships, a satisfying work life, being authentic, confident and comfortable with yourself is simple, says Gail Saltz, MD. The stories we told ourselves as children to make sense of the world around us are the cause of most of our adult problems. BECOMING REAL shows how to find those stories and rewrite them so that we can be free of the past, of repeating history, and start down the road of taking control, being stronger, and having the best relationships of our lives.

Not many psychiatrists combine the imaginative insights of Gail Saltz with a TV personality and a flair for good writing. What’s more, Saltz dares to take us beyond the usual feel good quick-fixes -yes, through emotional pain! -but she rewards readers by demonstrating how to recognize the false stories we may have internalized about ourselves, and shows us how to rewrite them. An enormous contribution.
-- Gail Sheey, author of “Middletown, America: One Town’s Passage from Trauma to Hope”

“In BECOMING REAL Dr. Gail Saltz challenges each of us to explore the stories we tell ourselves to explain who we are, account for our behavior, and deal with pain and fear. While necessary for our psychological survival, if left unexamined, these stories can limit seriously our capacity for living and loving. Not only is this remarkable work in line with the contemporary views of the narrative structure of consciousness, but it speaks in plain language to everyone engaged in the ongoing struggle to live more fully and more authentically.”
-- Jack D. Barchas, M.D.

"Gail Saltz has written a wonderful book that is important, interesting and fun to read. She captures the essence of how to make our past improve our lives today. A must read for everyone who wants the most out of life.”
-- Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, Author of More Than Moody: Recognizing and Treating Adolescent Depression

“Gail Saltz, a psychoanalyst by training, brings to life her deep understanding of the human condition. Using real words and poignant stories Dr. Saltz helps us understand the inner world of our minds and how unconscious stories influence who we are - our vision, our struggles and our joys. A profound and valuable book written about real people and using a real voice.”
-- Newell Fischer, M.D., President, The American Psychoanalytic Association