Psychological Trauma

Book excerpt: How many of your psychiatric patients have a history of severe physical or psychological abuse or other psychological trauma? These patients often present diagnostic dilemmas, get a variety of diagnoses, and frequently prove difficult-to-treat. They may have syndromes that are reminiscent of the post-traumatic sequelae in adults, such as physiological hyperactivity, a sense of loss of control, passivity alternating with uncontrolled violence, and sleep disturbances including nightmares. Investigating the impact of the traumatic event in connection with the development of the disorder is essential to an effective treatment approach. Psychological Trauma provides a basis for understanding human response to trauma. The consequences of specific traumas have usually been described as separate entities. This is the first book to examine human response to trauma as a whole. In this thorough study of the biologic, psychodynamic and social consequences of trauma, separate chapters explore: * The impact of separation from the parental figure on a child's development, including cognitive and neurological disturbances* The psychobiology of traumatic response* Traumatic antecedents of borderline personality disorder* The effect of trauma on the family unit* Amnesia and dissociation as response to trauma* A stress management approach that can be incorporated into the treatment of patients