"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 clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems
"In The Body Bears the Burden, Dr. Scaer boldly demystifies the profoundly debilitating impact of trauma by forcing new conceptualizations that move treatment toward an integrated biobehavioral approach, emphasizing the adaptive functions of our nervous system as it communicates, often outside awareness, between brain and body."
--Stephen W. Porges, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation
"Dr. Scaer brings the best of medical science and scholarship to his study of trauma-related disease. He understands the effect of trauma to be its grip on the autonomic nervous system, which alters blood flow, hormonal secretion, and neurotransmitter balances of the brain. This lasting disturbance underlies the majority of diseases listed in the DSM in addition to a large number of baffling medical conditions. This volume is great for the most up-to-date understanding of trauma."
--Louis Tinnin, MD, coauthor of The Instinctual Trauma Response and Dual Brain Dynamics: A Guide for Trauma Therapy
"A fascinating and informative book that has the potential to greatly expand awareness of pertinent issues when working with trauma."
--Liz Jeffries, Private Practice, Winter 2014
Reviewer: Philip Khoury, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This historically and biologically oriented presentation of trauma is written by a neurologist who is an expert on whiplash injury.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide evidence for a biological root for somatic and emotional consequences of traumatic stress. It is a timely subject, given recent events. The author largely achieves the goal.
Audience: The target audience includes professionals in the fields of rehabilitation and psychotherapy, patient care, and general medical practice. The book is not intended for lay people.
Features: Using the example of the whiplash victim, the author delineates the biological changes caused by trauma as the root of somatic sensations and alterations in mental status. What is best about the book is that it presents this evidence in a well organized and compelling style. There are few figures, which are of little pedagogic value. The index, concluding remarks at the end of each chapter, and a large endnote section are very useful.
Assessment: This is a well written presentation of the available evidence linking mental status to biological changes caused by trauma. However, this information is adequately covered in other sources, such as in the chapter on Stress and Psychiatry in Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 7th edition (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000). The book's usefulness would be much greater if the section on treatment was expanded.
