The Effects of Trauma

The book’s primary thematic focus on the effects of trauma unfolds on an expansive spectrum of levels, ranging from the individual to the political. Individual points of consideration include the physiological effects of trauma on virtually every bodily system, a number of internal organs (including the heart), and various points within the anatomy of the brain. There are also considerations of the psycho-emotional effects of trauma, which begin with the author drawing a clear distinction between the reactions of the body and the reactions of the mind – that is, how consciousness is affected by what happens to the body. He then draws connections between all these different reactions to trauma and the effect on an individual’s emotions, capacities for interaction with other persons, and healthy development of identity.

The author also considers how these individual personal experiences of trauma affect an individual’s...