This week on Messy Social Work, Rich and Tim take a deep dive into Darren McGarvey’s The Trauma Industrial Complex — a book that pulls no punches about how society packages, sells, and performs trauma.

We explore McGarvey’s core argument that trauma has become a kind of cultural currency, often stripped of nuance and turned into content. We talk about the emotional labour placed on lived-experience workers, the myths of the “hero’s journey,” and the three layers of victimhood: victimhood, victim mentality and the victim complex.

We also reflect on McGarvey’s honesty about his own narrative, including the four fundamental flaws he uncovered in his story and what this means for real recovery.

If you work in social care, mental health, youth work, or community settings — or you’ve ever felt the tension between compassion, truth and accountability — this episode will stay with you.

You can purchase the Trauma Industrial Complex here

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/
Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practice-programme
Rich Devine's blog: https://richarddevinesocialwork.com/about/
Tim Fisher LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/timfisher101/
Rich Devine LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-devine-181763177/