I so appreciate the book The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog: And other stories from a child psychiatrist’s notebook by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Maia Szalavitz. This book covers trauma, and the profound impact. It also discusses healing from trauma. It must be noted that this book may be too triggering to read if you have experienced childhood trauma. If you choose to pick it up, take breaks and honor your process along the way. It is a wonderful book and here are a few quotes from the book.
“The most traumatic aspects of all disasters involve the shattering of human connections. And this is especially true for children. Being harmed by the people who are supposed to love you, being abandoned by them, being robbed of the one-on-one relationships that allow you to feel safe and valued and to become humane—these are profoundly destructive experiences. Because humans are inescapably social beings, the worst catastrophes that can befall us inevitably involve relational loss. As a result, recovery from trauma and neglect is also all about relationships—rebuilding trust, regaining confidence, returning to a sense of security and reconnecting to love. Of course, medications can help relieve symptoms and talking to a therapist can be incredibly useful. But healing and recovery are impossible—even with the best medications and therapy in the world—without lasting, caring connections to others.” ― Bruce D. Perry
“For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else will love you.”…The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation” ― Bruce D. Perry
Please click the links below for more information.
Website
Interviews
Bruce Perry, Early Childhood Brain Development
Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D. – Growing Into a Healthy Brain: Neuro-Development & Childhood Trauma
