Recognising the structural dissociation (splitting away of part of the self) that often results from trauma and proposing a plan for action that a survivor must implement in order to put his or her haunted past to rest, this book is of interest to researchers as well as therapists.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170109 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-28
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 420 pages

Synopsis
Recognising the structural dissociation (splitting away of part of the self) that often results from trauma and proposing a plan for action that a survivor must implement in order to put his or her haunted past to rest, this book is of interest to researchers as well as therapists.

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Customer Reviews

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together
Prior to reading this book, not only did I feel fragmented myself, but the different theories about what had happened to me that were put forward also seemed fragmented and disconnected, like slices at different angles to the truth. As well as advocating an method of integration in the patient, the theory of structural dissociation presented in this book also seems integrative in itself, in showing how different, seemingly unrelated diagnoses can be seen to be derived from the same underlying trauma related processes. As a patient this is not just theoretically interesting but it can help take away alot of the anxiety, confusion, and scepticism that comes from being sliced and diced in different ways by different mental health professionals. I think that the more patients and professionals that are exposed to these ideas, the better.

I thought this was a brilliant, original and beautifully written book, that expresses some very sophisticated ideas in a clear and systematic way. As well as the theoretical insights conveyed, this book also provides a integrative treatment plan, which brings together tools and ideas from across a broad spectrum of psychological paradigms. After only a few pages into the book, I got an "aha" moment and this deepened into a sense that finally someone seemed to be speaking a language that made sense to me. The book is written in a structured, iterative way. The first few chapters give you a broad understanding of what structural dissociation involves, and how it plays a core role in creating the symptoms experienced by both "classic" dissociative individuals, and those who may appear to have another mental illness (anxiety, depression etc), but who symptoms are in fact a manifestation of underlying structural dissociation. The rest of the book goes into further theoretical detail, and then explains the phased treatment programme, with a comprehensive array of information and guidance for mental health professionals on how to effectively treat patients. Depending on their current level of mental stamina and capability, patients may find that they only need to read the first few chapters to understand the basics of the ideas, but those with more energy and interest will get great value out of the rest of the book also.

While not all mental illness is caused by structural dissociation, those who have experienced problems with getting a diagnosis or effective therapy may gain value from the insights contained in this book. I strongly feel that this is the best book by far that i have found on trauma related dissociative disorders, and i recommend it highly to anyone suffering from DID, BPD, PTSD, conversion/somatisation disorders etc.