Understanding Trauma:  How To Overcome Post Traumatic Stress, by Dr. Roger Baker

For somewhat obvious and understandable reasons, I read a lot of books on PTSD [1].  Perhaps the most obvious reason is that I have dealt with it for my entire life, sometimes stronger and sometimes less irritating, but always an aspect of my interior life.  This book is different from most of the books on the subject I have read because it is written by a British clinician who has some criticism of the DSM-IV (the version used in this volume) and with a great deal of varied experience in treating trauma survivors and also being involved as an expert legal witness.  There are a lot of mentions here of various solicitors, something American reading audiences would be less likely to be familiar with, unless they had some level of personal experience or intellectual interest in the legal system of other countries.  At any rate, the book is a worthwhile one and at under 200 pages of material, it will not present difficulties by its length, even if its subject matter is not something that many people would read for fun unless they had some compelling to read for their own benefit or for the help of a loved one.

The contents of this book are somewhat varied, a mix of case studies and personal reflections as well as self-help assessments and historical and psychological analysis.  The 175 pages or so of this book are divided into 17 short chapters in 5 sections.  Section I deals with defining and describing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, giving a case study of a life spoiled, a chapter that seeks to define it according to the DSM-IV, an account of the author’s experience in the dock, or what Americans would say in the witness stand [2], and an exploration the common question “why me” to the experience of trauma.  Section II of the book contains an exploration of the psychology behind PTSD, including emotional processing, the problem of burying traumatic memories, and a call for people to openly deal with emotions.  Section III of the book looks at the need for therapy, starting with a case study of a lady named Susan, a discussion of healthy and unhealthy reactions to trauma, and the benefits of emotional processing therapy.  Section IV of the book, recognizing that not all readers will want to enter therapy, gives a self-help program (spelled in the book in the customary British way), including a case study of a man named Max, providing a guide on preparing for therapy, discussing the various emotional processing style people, and bringing up the difficulty many people have in facing the memories at the base of PTSD.  The fifth and final section of the book looks at various stumbling blocks to recovery, gives a case study of a businessman whose pursuit of “the deal” was derailed by a horrible case of appendicitis, and closes on an optimistic note about post-traumatic strength and growth.  The book then closes with extensive references and an index.

What makes this book a success?  Let us make no bones about it, although this book is written for a British audience, it is accessible to sufficiently Anglophile Americans, who will be rewarded for the read.  For one, the author includes a plethora of case studies that indicate different matters of PTSD, including a detailed description of the process of therapy by a skilled clinician—admittedly not an easy thing to find—as well as the way it feels like for someone in court as an expert witness.  Few books combine both the details that allow the reader to enter the shoes of a clinician as well as other sufferers of PTSD, and also contain thoughtful and intelligent discussion of PTSD as well as therapy options.  The author makes a strong case that a strong social network and competent help is of vital importance in helping people overcome PTSD, and that one of the most important aspects of whether someone will recover from PTSD is their ability to directly face the painful and traumatic thoughts and wrestle with their emotional content.  Despite its short size, the book is a worthwhile one that has hopefully helped many readers in the UK and beyond.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/02/09/book-review-many-faces-of-ptsd/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/book-review-anxiety-and-avoidance/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/05/23/book-review-journey-to-heal/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/book-review-the-evil-hours/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/book-review-haunted-by-combat/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/book-review-resilience/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/15/book-review-the-compassionate-mind-guide-to-overcoming-anxiety/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/13/book-review-why-are-you-so-scared/

[2] Saying something is in the dock is a very common English legal expression.  See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/book-review-god-in-the-dock/