unexpectedly raw ~ heartbreak unfiltered

heartbreak unfiltered by milan vohra

genre: self-help, short stories

My 💭:
[9/1/26 12.19 AM]

Wow... reading this book was truly an experience for me. Thank you @rupa for bringing this book to me!

This book was the most unique read I've read in recent times, for it is a unique combination of self-help, journal prompts and even a collection of short stories based on the topics discussed. And kudos to the author for writing everything in such a friendly tone that it felt like a friend was talking to me throughout. In fact, despite being a chronically closed book person, I was unexpectedly feeling my emotions and thoughts unraveling a few chapters in, so much so that I felt like I would be comfortable enough to talk to the author about my personal life. Her words convey that she is a very warm accepting person.

This book is fully focused about heartbreaks and all the tangled emotions revolving them. The author explains everything in a very warm friendly tone, starting with the root cause of our attachment styles and love language and the general nature of emotions to the impact people have on us since childhood, that leaves an impression throughout our life. Most of the time life goes on, people enter and exit our lives, so many chapters closed and so many new open - at the end, it's us who go through all the transformation. That's the point of life : lessons. Now, it's on us, and all the wisdom we carry to know how to use that transformation cycles to better ourselves, not self-annhilate.

The book gives such valid advice about love and relationships and being a human who is healing, learning and evolving. The short stories at the end of each chapter were really heart-touching and with valuable lessons. Whether it's the guilt of getting out of a long relationship that felt like the endgame or getting closure from a 'something' after getting left abruptly or repeating a cycle of getting attached to narcissists or avoidant personality people or trauma bonding or staying in abusive marriages in the hope of a better day or using someone as a benchmark for every relationship or the horrors of a best friends to lovers breakup or the simplest thing, falling out of love - this book literally talks about everything. And with such eye opening explanations.

I have tried to follow the journal prompts give by the author throughout the chapters and I ended up journaling for 2 hrs non stop about my own life experiences. Yes, it was a very cathartic experience and brought clarity to a lot of things, but it also unearthed a few unpleasant memories and a few tears along with them. It's very weird that despite all the self help and growth, there's always something that still remains to poke at you. The whole thing is a constant work in progress and inspite of feeling exhausted at times, I feel grateful at how much I grew and how much I have learnt. Maybe like a few characters in the story, I too will find peace and companionship in myself for life and my acceptance in the form of my biggest blessing, my parents.

I would recommend readers to read this book 1 chapter at a time, lest you guys also end up feeling too much emotional like me at the end. I will conclude my review with a few lines dedicated to Edward (the soulmate I had waited for since my school days) from the BTS song 'Let Go' :

"To the person I loved too much
To the red thread that got too entangled in itself
I couldn't reach you, so I'll walk a separate path
For that reason, I'll say goodbye"

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