Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation: Emerging Perspectives on Severe Psychopathology

by Andrew Moskowitz, Ingo Schafer, Martin J. Dorahy

In the 100 years since Eugen Bleuler unveiled his concept of schizophrenia, which had dissociation at its core, the essential connection between traumatic life events, dissociative processes and psychotic symptoms has been lost. Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation is the first book to attempt to reforge this connection, by presenting challenging new findings linking these now disparate fields, and by comprehensively surveying, from a wide range of perspectives, the complex relationship between dissociation and psychosis.

A cutting-edge sourcebook, Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation brings together highly-respected professionals working in the psychosis field with renowned clinicians and researchers from the fields of traumatic stress, dissociation and the dissociative disorders, and will be of interest to those working with or studying psychotic or dissociative disorders, as well as trauma-related conditions such as borderline personality disorder or complex post-traumatic stress disorder. It makes an invaluable contribution to the burgeoning literature on severe mental disorders and serious life events. The book has three sections: Connecting trauma and dissociation to psychosis - an exploration of the links between trauma, dissociation and psychosis from a wide range of historical and theoretical perspectives. Comparing psychotic and dissociative disorders - a presentation of empirical and clinical perspectives on similarities and differences between the two sets of disorders.Assessing and treating hybrid and boundary conditions - consideration of existing and novel diagnostic categories, such as borderline personality disorder and dissociative psychosis, that blend or border dissociative and psychotic disorders, along with treatment perspectives emphasising humanistic and existential concerns.

Genres: Psychology, Psychiatry

382 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2008

Reviews

[Dboyda]

Source - Amazon

"Editors Andrew Moskowitz, Ingo Schafer, and Martin J. Dorahy have amassed contributions from eminent scholars around the world who undertake a serious and thoughtful exploration of the backgrounds, development, and overlaps in the different perspectives of how the mind is disrupted by psychosis and dissociation ...Taken together, these papers demonstrate the complexity and depth of our understanding to date.

Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation: Emerging Perspectives on Severe Psychopathology is a rich resource to return to again and again. I recommend it for those who enjoy the challenge of reading some of the best thinkers to date. " (Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, October 2010) "This book is an excellent source book for historians, researchers and clinicians in the field of psychiatry interested in learning more about how the concepts of dissociation, trauma and psychosis inform one another." (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, January 2010)

"This very interesting book not only connects traumatic experiences with dissociative and psychotic consequences, but clarifies the research into the nature of these links." (Psychosis, July 2009) "This useful and interesting book is well written and lays out its arguments for the connections between trauma/dissociation/psychosis clearly and cogently."

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously for hard core psychiatry geeks only. An eye opening series of chapters exploring the parallels between dissociative disorders and psychotic disorders. Did you know that virtually all patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder also meet criteria for schizophrenia (DSM criteria), neither did I. Some chapters are a bit dry but I highly recommend this book to my psychiatric colleagues that have been puzzled by dissociative patients.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just picked it up from the post office! Can't wait to get tucked into it!!