The Body Bears the Burden

Book excerpt: 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.