The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook -- What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, and Healing

by Bruce D Perry, Maia Szalavitz

Overview

In this classic work of developmental psychology, renowned psychiatrist and the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller What Happened to You? reveals how trauma affects children—and outlines the path to recovery.

"Fascinating and upbeat.... Dr. Perry is both a world-class creative scientist and a compassionate therapist." –Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia

How does trauma affect a child's mind—and how can that mind recover?

Child psychiatrist Dr. Bruce D. Perry has helped children faced with unimaginable horror: genocide survivors, murder witnesses, kidnapped teenagers, and victims of family violence. In the classic The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Dr. Perry tells their stories of trauma and transformation and shares their lessons of courage, humanity, and hope. Deftly combining unforgettable case histories with his own compassionate, insightful strategies for rehabilitation, Perry explains what happens to children’s brain when they are exposed to extreme stress—and reveals the unexpected measures that can be taken to ease such pain and help them grow into healthy adults. Only when we understand the science of the mind and the power of love and nurturing can we hope to heal the spirit of even the most wounded child.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465094455
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	08/29/2017
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	11,231
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., is the senior fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy, a not-for-profit organization which based in Houston, TX, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is also the co-author of What Happened to You?, with Oprah Winfrey.
 
Maia Szalavitz is an award-winning journalist who specializes in neuroscience. She is the author of Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction and Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts. She lives in New York City

Table of Contents

Author's Note xiii

Preface to the 2017 Edition xv

Introduction xxiii

Chapter 1 Tina's World 1

Chapter 2 For Your Own Good 29

Chapter 3 Stairway to Heaven 59

Chapter 4 Skin Hunger 87

Chapter 5 The Coldest Heart 107

Chapter 6 The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog 137

Chapter 7 Satanic Panic 171

Chapter 8 The Raven 199

Chapter 9 "Mom Is Lying. Mom Is Hurting Me. Please Call the Police." 227

Chapter 10 The Kindness of Children 241

Chapter 11 Healing Communities 259

Chapter 12 A Picture, Not a Label 277

Appendix 293

Chapter Commentaries for the 2017 Edition 305

Study Guide and Comments for Group Leaders 349

Group Leader Comments for Discussion Questions 361

Acknowledgments 385

Notes 389

Index 403

Editorial Reviews

"Filled with compassionate, caring stories by a wise healer and scientist, this book will appeal to all who are interested in understanding how children heal."—Lynn Ponton, MD, author of The Romance of Risk

"This book demands and deserves attention from parents, educators, policymakers, courts, and therapists. Highly recommended."—Library Journal, starred review

"Perry has learned a thing or two about how not to raise a prospective sociopath.... He makes a powerful case for early intervention for disruptive children to prevent adult sociopathy."—Booklist

"In beautifully written, fascinating accounts of experience working with emotionally stunted and traumatized children, child psychiatrist Perry educates readers about how early-life stress and violence affects the developing brain. He offers simple yet vivid illustrations of the stress response and the brain's mechanisms with facts and images that crystallize in the mind without being too detailed and confusing."—Publishers Weekly

"I have never encountered a child advocate with a better mind, a bigger heart, or a more generous spirit than Bruce Perry. This book captures the essence of his insights and the heroism of his actions on behalf of children who have encountered the dark side of human experience."—James Garbarino, PhD, author of Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them

"For many years, Bruce Perry's work has been deserving of our highest praise. This book is his crowning achievement, the ultimate combination of science and humanity."—Joel A. Dvoskin, PhD, ABPP, University of Arizona College of Medicine, and President, American Psychology-Law Society

"In this harrowing but profoundly humane book, Perry and Szalavitz provide an all too timely, utterly engrossing account of traumatized children's lives.... Once I opened it, I could not put it down."—Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species

"The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog is Bruce Perry's finest achievement.... Anyone who wants to understand childhood trauma and its heartbreaking consequences must read this book."—Andrew Vachss, best-selling author of Mask Market and founder and national advisory board member of PROTECT: The National Association to Protect Children.

From the Publisher