Hope For Secondhand Suffering - by Camille Block (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Discover deeper sources of comfort, hope, and purpose while enduring hardship.

We have all felt the effects of emotional pain when seeing someone's trauma first-hand. Whether on the news or in our day-to-day lives, witnessing pain takes its toll on our hearts. For those in the trenches with loved ones experiencing deep pain, Secondhand Suffering(TM) is the silent anguish, the heavy emotional burden that grips our hearts. Characterized by an overwhelming sense of helplessness and hopelessness, this often invisible heartache is felt when someone we're close to suffers an illness, disability, or a life-limiting condition we can't fix. Being riddled with guilt for appearing "just fine" when a loved one is visibly not can wear us down, especially when our secondary pain goes unnoticed and undiscussed.

In Hope for Secondhand Suffering(TM), Camille Block shares heartfelt reflections on her life as the sister of a person with cerebral palsy quadriplegia. Her relatable journey invites us to find our own purpose in the midst of enduring emotional pain. We can discover an empathy that transforms us, a hope that renews us, and a curiosity that frees us. Through the lens of experience, Camille takes us on her journey, offering practical and spiritual answers to some of life's toughest questions.

Review Quotes

"This book sends forth flares in the dark night skies to all who are burdened with their own or a loved one's harrowing pain and suffering . . . disrupting the darkness, lighting the path forward . . ." - Kristen Cummins, EdD, Traumatology; Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist

". . . a masterpiece of empathy, resilience, and advocacy . . . tackles a tornado of emotions . . . guilt, sadness, and the pursuit of hope." - Ian I.T. Armstrong, M.D., American Board of Neurological Surgery, LTC USARMY Reserves

"If you have ever struggled with the unanswerable 'whys' and 'where is God?' . . . this book offers you hope and tangible help for navigating life's painful hallways." - Brad Cummings, Co-author and Movie Producer of The Shack; General Editor, The Founders' Bible

"Empathy and love are inextricable from one another, and though this interconnectedness can be the source of so much of life's deepest meaning, it can also be the source of its deepest pain. Any parent of a sick child, any friend of someone with chronic pain, or, in Camille's case, any sibling of someone with a physical disability knows the challenge of watching your loved one struggle and not being able to take it away for them. How do we care for our loved ones' hearts in the midst of their struggles and take care of our own simultaneously? How do we deal with feelings of guilt for living in a healthy body while others don't have that same privilege? How do we have an abiding relationship with God and keep gratitude as our anchor when pain and anger are sometimes all we feel? Each one of us will face these questions at some point in our lives, and when they come, they often come in shouts, not whispers. Camille so gracefully walks us through each of these moments in Hope for Secondhand Suffering (TM) in a way that is not only extremely comforting but also highly applicable and practical. The book felt very therapeutic as Camille's heart is postured not just to tell her story but to minister to people. It's real, vulnerable, relatable, hope-filled, and perspective-changing, with beautiful bits of advice and spiritual insights throughout. - Foreword by Chelsea and Kirk Cameron