Trauma: Culture, Meaning and Philosophy

Inthepasttwentyyearstherehasbeenaremarkablegrowthofinterestintheareaoftraumawithinthedisciplinesofpsychologyandpsychiatry.Thisprofessionalinterestbothreflectsandcontributestoawiderculturalconcernwithtrauma.ThesyndromeofPostTraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD)liesattheheartofthecurrentdiscourseontrauma.Thisbookarguesthatthereareseriousproblemsinherentincurrentconceptualisationsofhowpeoplereacttotrauma,andconsequentlyinmanyofthetherapeuticresponsesthathavebeendeveloped.ThebookoffersaradicalcritiqueoftheconceptofPTSDandquestionstheassumptionswhichunderpinthe'traumaindustry'thathasemergedaroundit.However,thebookisnotjustaboutcritique.Drawingonanthropology,philosophyandhisownclinicalexperienceandthatofothers,theauthorpresentsaverydifferentunderstandingoftherelationshipsbetweentrauma,meaningandculture.Posttraumaticanxietyispresentedasaproblemwithstrongsocialandculturaldimensionsandnotsimplyanissueofindividualpsychopathology.Thusthereaderisequippedwithanewframeworkforhelpingtraumatisedindividualsandcommunities.Thisverydifferentconceptualisationofposttraumaticsequelaewillchallengetherapists,aidanddevelopmentworkersaswellastheoreticalworkersinpsychologyandpsychiatry.Dr.Brackenarguesagainstthemedicalisationofdistressandforthestrengtheningofcommunitiesandseekstoconnectdisputesabouttheframingoftraumawithawiderdebateaboutthesocialcontroloftechnologyandexpertise.Thisbookwillalsobeofinteresttophilosophersandotherswishingtounderstandtherelevanceofphilosophicalanalysistomedicineandpsychology.