The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease

By Robert C. Scaer

Book Overview

Measure the neurophysiological changes associated with PTSD and whiplash Using the clinical model of the whiplash syndrome, this groundbreaking book describes the alterations in brain chemistry and function induced in individuals by what is known as traumatic stress or traumatization--experiencing a life-threatening event while in a state of helplessness. The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease presents evidence of the resulting and relatively permanent alteration in neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and neuronal organization. This book convincingly demonstrates that these changes create lasting effects on the emotional and physical well-being of the victim--changes correlated with many of the most common, yet poorly understood, physical complaints and diseases, including whiplash, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and other painful, difficult-to-treat conditions. Further, the causes and effects of retraumatization are explored, clarifying the reasons some patients suffer fresh trauma over relatively minor incidents while others handle major traumas more easily. This groundbreaking volume backs up its new theory of PTSD neurophysiology with cogent theory and persuasive evidence, including: case studies correlating clinical features of trauma and dissociation with compelling physiological rationales for the symptoms solid documentation drawing from the medical and psychiatric literature of PTSD, whiplash, brain injury, epidemiology of trauma, and a variety of disease processes linked to trauma in-depth discussions of medical traumatization of patients, including the results of pediatric procedures and ineffective anesthesia demonstrations that somatization and conversion are not imagined symptoms but result from measurable autonomic physiological alteration of the affected organ a well-documented exploration of the effect of prenatal and neonatal trauma on later emotional development, response to traumatic life events, and disease and mortality This impressive empirical evidence that body, brain, and mind are a continuum offers a powerful new paradigm to medical and mental health professionals, as well as new hope to sufferers from trauma. With a foreword by Bessel van der Kolk and helpful figures, The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease is an essential resource for the in-the-trenches professionals who confront the effects of trauma and resulting somatic consequences. It will be of compelling interest and usefulness to family practice physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, speech and physical therapists, counselors and psychotherapists, and any medical or mental health professional who treats physical or emotional trauma.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789012456
• ISBN13: 9780789012456
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

A tough climb for us non-professionals ... but worth it

Yes, as other reviewers have noted, this book has lots medical terminology. Yes, parts are repetitive, perhaps written more like a consultant's report than an easily digestible media bite. But the contents are well worth the effort. I am in therapy, working on trauma issues, and this book brought so much together for me, and served as a guide to issues in my life that are very relevant. If you're looking for another "flavor of the month" self help book, this is not for you. If you are struggling with PTSD, or think you may be, or are interested in MyoFascial Release, Somatic Experiencing, and other new therapies, this provides a great scientific grounding. Highly recommended.

Should be in the library of healthcare providers

I like the first edition and this edition is even better! I work in OB and have seen so many people who have been traumatized by the birth experience- both patients and healthcare givers alike. I speak on "When Birth Causes Trauma" alot and this is one of the books that I refer my audience to. This book should be in the library of everyone who deals with patients who have had a traumatic experience and any healthcare giver who has had a traumatic experience. Paulina Perez, RN, BSN

The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease

I have been studying and working with trauma for over 15 years. This is the best book to this date which describes the neurological, emotional, and therapeutic indices of working in this field. Helen Resneck-Sannes, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist authors of Father's Rooms

The body does bear the burden

When a thoughtful individual takes the time to summarize 30 years of experience, I view this as a great gift. When his insights allow us to help in treatment, it is a blessing. His major thesis is that trauma, when it produces a chronic stress disorder, can manifest in peculair physical ways. This is the key insight and Dr. Scaer backs his observations with lots of clinical and research data. No doubt some will find this a rigorous read, but it is well worth the effort. I had the opportunity to try this theory. A teacher in a rough part of town ( I live in NYC) witnessed in his class a fight where a student viciously punched a girl in the head, when the teacher interevened, the next blow was to the back of his head sending him into the chalk board and breaking his glasses. He presented 5 days later with classic post concussion syndrome of impaired memory, inablility to read and other congnitve deficits. Before I read Dr. Scaer's book, I would have have not been able to treat him, for, from a medical point of view, it was all the brain banging aroung in his skull that caused this. However, Dr. Scaer made me think that this was instead a PTSD from having witnessed a vicious attack. I treated him with EFT and remarkably two days later he was normal! (This would have usually taken many weeks). We are all searching for ways to treat PTSD, but at least we can now view some mystifying symptoms in a model for which hopefully soon we will be able to fix. Kudos, Dr. Scaer.

Explains PTSD Like Nothing Else

Here finally is the neurological basis for the weirdly persistent, highly distressing, ever-cycling symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Don't let the medical terminology stop you from reading this book. It's a stunning revelation to see how physiologically based this syndrome really is, rooted as it is in the survival imperative of the freeze response and it's cognitive partner, dissociation. Makes those diagnostic categories which most of us therapists got trained on pretty irrelevant! I leaned heavily on the fabulous info in this book to write my own chapter on the physiology of PTSD. It's a must read for people with PTSD, their family, friends and counselors.