When the Past Is Always Present: Emotional Traumatization, Causes, and Cures

A practicing internist in Manhattan, Ruden devotes resources to his research interests, which include the neurobiology of addictive behaviors, but since 2003 has focused on traumatization and here consolidates and advances material from his articles in Traumatology. He presents a therapy that cures suffering from trauma, is rapid, has no side effects, and can be self-applied. It uses touch and other sensory input as one of its primary therapeutic tools like ancient shamans and modern faith healers, placing it in a class of somatic therapies that Western medicine views with skepticism. He came to it investigating the neurobiology of tapping on acupuncture points. Among his topics are the role emotions play, causes and consequences of traumatization, havening, and stories and cures. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)