How is anyone supposed to read and comprehend these dense, academic books on theory? Any suggestions to help someone as simple-minded as myself?

I am currently on this slow grind reading "Affect regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self" by Fonagy and gang, and it's hurting my brain. The topics they talk about, while abstract, align with how I organically view the world, but the way they write about it is well above my level. It has led me to use AI to help me summarize what I'm reading. There has to be a better way. Social workers are not exposed to this level of academics, but that doesn't mean I can't learn and adapt lol. Has anyone else who doesn't have this background been able to find a system where they can actually learn some of this stuff and deepen their understanding? Can anyone tell me why there is a need for such complex writing, anyway? Is this the stereotypical gatekeeping they talk about in academia, and more specifically, the field of psychoanalysis? If it is, it is very effective, lol.