The Body Bears the Burden Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease [Paperback]

When The Body Bears the Burdenmade its debut in 2001, it changed the way people thought about trauma, PTSD, and the treatment of chronic stress disorders. Now in its third edition, this revered text offers a fully updated and revised analysis of the relationship between mind, body, and the processing of trauma. Here, clinicians will find detailed, thorough explorations of some of neurobiologys fundamental tenets, the connections between mind, brain, and body, and the many and varied ways that symptoms of traumatic stress become visible to those who know to look for them.

Foreword Bessel van der Kolk  Preface  Acknowledgments  1. Concepts of Traumatization: The Role of Boundaries  2. Trauma, Instinct, and the Brain: The Fight/Flight/Freeze Response  3. The Whiplash Syndrome I: Symptoms in Search of a Meaning  4. The Whiplash Syndrome II: A Model of the Brain in Trauma  5. Bonding, Attunement and Concepts of Homeostasis  6. Negative Neuroplasticity: Does Trauma Damage the Brain?  7. Somatic Dissocation  8. Diseases of Traumatic Stress  9. Trauma Reenactment  10. Sources of Trauma  11. Trauma Therapy: Essential Ingredients  12. Case Histories: The Somatic Spectrum of Trauma  Epilogue  Notes  Index

In this groundbreaking integration of neurology, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Dr. Scaer sheds new light on the dynamics of psychological trauma and provides a way to understand and effectively treat its often misunderstood, intractable effects on the mind and body. This book is a must read for medical and mental-health professionals working with patients struggling with everything from anxiety and PTSD to chronic pain, gastrointestinal distress, and a host of other difficult-to-treat medical disorders.

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, assistant lÃê