Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

by Judith Lewis Herman

When Trauma and Recovery was first published in 1992, it was hailed as a groundbreaking work. In the intervening years, Herman’s volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events and trauma victims.

In a new afterword, Herman chronicles the incredible response the book has elicited and explains how the issues surrounding the topic have shifted within the clinical community and the culture at large. Trauma and Recovery brings a new level of understanding to a set of problems usually considered individually. Herman draws on her own cutting-edge research in domestic violence as well as on the vast literature of combat veterans and victims of political terror, to show the parallels between private terrors such as rape and public traumas such as terrorism. The book puts individual experience in a broader political frame, arguing that psychological trauma can be understood only in a social context.

Meticulously documented and frequently using the victims’ own words as well as those from classic literary works and prison diaries, Trauma and Recovery is a powerful work that will continue to profoundly impact our thinking.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Self Help, Feminism, Social Work, Counselling

247 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 1992

About the author

Judith Lewis Herman is an author, psychiatrist, researcher, and teacher whose work has dealt with understanding and treating the effects of traumatic stress and incest.

Reviews

[jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just taught this for the first time. for some reason, this time around the book had a tremendously disruptive impact on me. it was, simply put, like going through a trauma experience. the last part, about the three stages of recovery, gave me palpable relief, as if i were going through recovery myself as i read the book with the class.

reading it with a group made a huge difference. at least some of the students experienced some level of traumatization. it was important to debrief at the end. some felt compelled to share stories. all reported discussing the book outside of class. the level of attentiveness during discussion was so high you could tell who had done the reading and who hadn't.

this book is not about a generically traumatizing world; it's about regularly misdiagnosed mental pain. the number of mental health professionals who are willing to journey with a patient to the roots of trauma is minimal. the number of those who have the competence, training, and wisdom to do so safely and successfully is so tiny, if you find one it's a miracle. most mental health professionals will misdiagnose post-traumatic syndromes. most mental health professionals will slap demeaning and belittling diagnoses on you and declare you sick for life and doomed to a lifetime of maintenance-drug use. most won't even feel the need to talk to you. it's amazing the way trauma imposes its stealth on the world of healers. the refusal to recognize it and deal with it is as persistent in healers as it is in sufferers.

a student was brave enough -- and healed enough -- to discuss a traumatic experience of their own in class. gently, we asked questions. gently, we helped them see how they were reproducing in their narrative the telltale symptoms of the traumatized person ("it was nothing;" "people have it much worse;" "i am ashamed of my reaction;" "i am trying not to give in to weakness and fear"). it was pretty intense, and i hope healing, for all of us. the student's openness helped us see that they are okay. one can experience trauma and be okay. after reading the horrors depicted in this book -- what a relief.

there are mental health professionals who know how to deal with trauma and if you have a traumatized past you should look for them. at the very least, you should look for a survivor group (the internet will do in a pinch). trauma doesn't heal in isolation. trauma is a dramatic break in relationship (with the world, with others, with the self, with god) and can only heal in relationship.

there are aspects in which this book is dated. its feminism is a bit black and white, and ignores the myriad ways in which gender-related trauma cross-pollinates across gender boundaries (such as they are; they constantly reshape themselves anyway). men get beaten, threatened, and raped too. women go to war. violent men are often themselves trauma victims. the low-level traumatization in which all women are steeped qua women has a low-level traumatic correspondent in guys. if 1 in x women will be raped in their lifetimes, 1 in x guys will be raping a woman in their lifetimes. as JH demonstrates when she talks of war, the perpetration of violence leaves the perpetrator scarred. yet, she does not extend this observation to civilian life. this is a mistake. we try to understand and forgive the horrors soldiers perpetrate under orders on the battlefield (whatever that is; that specific spacial designation no longer exists), but we are loath to understand the pressures that push men to take their rage out on women, children, other men, and, increasingly, strange bystanders in our civilian communities.

what lies behind school shootings and other civilian rampages? diagnosing and medicating mental pain away, clearly, is not working. we have to restructure our culture of psychic healing from the ground up. it has to be based on deep listening, deep investigation, and a genuine, long-term commitment to the well-being of the patient. too few graduate programs in psychology train therapists in the arts of deep listening and deep therapy. this is a crisis we can no longer afford to ignore.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first fanboy squealed on page 11, when Judith Lewis Herman created a connection between mental illness and feminism, two of my favorite topics. In the first third of Trauma and Recovery, Herman discusses the history of trauma and how trauma relates to many other concepts, such as politics and warfare. In contemporary society people insulate and isolate the topic of mental illness with alarming speed, so delving into its pervasiveness in all areas of life brought its magnitude back into focus. Depression, for example, is not just an illness that affects people because they might feel sad out of the blue: depression and its symptoms have a rich history and an unfortunate stake in several domains.

Herman also writes in-depth about trauma itself, which made me love Trauma and Recovery, even as it tore me apart. With fluid and poignant prose, she sets forth a tripartite recovery model: establishing a safe environment for the victim, unearthing the trauma and working through its emotional wounds, and moving forward to maintain a new post-trauma life that expands upon the experiences of the victim. As someone who has dealt with trauma and wants to one day work as a therapist, this book resonated with me more than any textbook or piece of nonfiction I've ever read. Herman explains concepts with confidence and clarity, and her guiding tone shows that she empathizes with victims and wishes to support them throughout the recovery process.

So many little things added to my affection for Herman's most well-known work. As an English and Psychology double major, I felt joy every time she used books written by authors like Woolf and O'Brien to provide examples for psychological ideas. She drives home the idea that mental health and politics remain connected because mental health intrinsically relates to oppressed people and the blows they suffer. Herman ends the book by commenting on the influential role of therapists: not only do they help victims regain control of their lives, but they also act as witnesses to victims' stories. They testify to the truth, and they fight for the clients they work it, no matter what the cost.

Overall, an inspiring and enlightening read. Trauma and Recovery was published quite awhile ago, which shows through its use of gender pronouns (men are also abused, and women serve in the armed forces as well) but the book still raises a wealth of information and understanding. It has revitalized my passion for psychology and the field of mental illness, and I'm certain I will revisit it in the future.

*review cross-posted on my blog, the quiet voice.

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

update on this review: 15 Sept, 12017 HE, about 2 years or so after first read: at the bottom...

So I guess I'm in Stage 3, now !!! :-)




Original review, circa. 2010:5
This book, for me, was a horrible read. Horribly accurate. Yet hopeful as well.

Horrible to see that I am not so different after all -I see myself in every comment she makes on adults who survived long-term trauma as children.
Horrible to see that my experience is not so different.
Yet hopeful to see that there are ways of solving the problem, living 'normally' -just that ignoring it is not one of those ways.
Most irritating.
Especially after burn-out has twice stopped me from working enough to distract myself from my distracting memories.

She mentions The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma in her 2015 epilogue, and that book seems to recommend both movement and writing -both of which helped me until I had to get back to sitting in a chair looking for a job all day long.

I seem to be stuck in Stage 2, and worst of all, I read over and over again that either in writing or in talking therapy, I must now stop "living in my head" and move back into my body. I have always found it easier to forget to eat then to bother about my body. Work has always been a useful form of escape, until now. Ok, not so much -once I get to about the intermediate level of just about anything, it seems no longer to hold my interest, and I find myself assaulted by unwanted memories that refuse to go back into their Blankety-Blank-Blank!!! boxes.
Irritatingly enough, this is the first place I have seen such a thing predicted.
She even has the gall to predict and counter my 'unique' perspective on my right to choose when to die, and how. Apparently this too is normal for folks like me. Huh. So much for being misunderstood. I guess she has us pegged, finally, Thank the non-existent God!! Finally someone actually documents what we go through, and tells us it is a normal response to a hideous start in life. Ok, now, on to how to fix the problem: start with saftey (years of martial arts did help some), get a good therapist, talk, write, and move your body. And remember that faking functionality will not work forever.

Peace,
Shira
27.10.12015 HE

... update, 15.9.12017 HE
I see what a difference a perceptive, attentive and flexible therapist can make: first of all, one does not have to sit and purposely relive the entire series of traumatic events, which in any case is impossible to do on a conscious level for dealing with childhood abuse, as there are just too many events.

Perceptiveness: What my newest therapist told me that made a difference was that there was no need to go back through all of those events, because I was already reliving my traumas every day, each time I am triggered: it remained, however, to follow those triggers back to the originating event(s) and deal with those.

Naturally, I tried to squirm out of it by skipping past whenever possible, and that is where the attentiveness comes in: she always redirects me where other therapists let or even encourage me to avoid sitting with that trigger, and following it back to the source event(s) to figure out what is happening to the child-me, and then

Flexibility: this therapist had to dispense with Affirmations, as I pointed out that they are very counter-productive for me. So instead, she had me develop an 'imagination' I had years ago of myself as several people, one very young (4 yr old), one about 15, another about 17, and another older, maybe 23 or so years old. She added a Parental figure, and told me to look for the frightened 4 year old, and find out where she was, and what she wanted, and then have my own Inner Parent explain to my wounded 4-year old that she/I would take care of it, and keep her/me safe.

After some time, this works. Now, I know that when fireworks/loud noises/shouting happens, it is not just me there and then, but my inner 4-yr old hiding while hearing my mom being beaten, and my adult-me can say 'I got this, you are safe.' and excuse myself to keep from being further triggered.

Finally, after months of work, and then being told that mourning the loss of childhoon, protection by parents, etc, is in fact necessary, I began a long web search (which seems to confirm), and found this website as a nice To Do List to check off (because I like to know when I'm done!):
http://outofthefog.website/toolbox-1/...

Hope this helps others,
Shira

[Tinea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't do this book justice with a review. Feminist, short, and packed with information about what PTSD is, how it comes about, and how to heal it. Applied philosophy resulting in the sort of "holy shit!" moments that had me dragging friends out on long walks around lakes and organizing two-person slumber parties just so I'd have a chance to share some of these lessons learned. To adequately summarize this info, I'd basically need to copy the whole book here, so just go out and read it. This book is hella old and revolutionized the diagnosis of "women's problems" (hysteria/borderline personality disorder) as world problems. Thank you Judith Herman, I recognize a debt of gratitude! This world is super fucked, and it's really important that we have some skillz to understand that and deal with how it manifests in our bodies!

See also Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World: A Guide for Activists and Their Allies for a more practical manual.

[Lightreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah-ha, there it is. I've been looking for this book for about five years now. Not this book, I mean, but a book that frames a discussion of post trauma pathologies with feminist discourse without being . . . what's the word I'm looking for? Annoying. This book does that. It's fascinating, actually, starting in with the history of trauma's emergence into public consciousness in connection with successive political movements (secular humanism, postwar relief, feminism). Then on through symptomology, case histories, and treatments. There are two central arguments. The one about trauma research and treatment as politically charged acts isn't particularly new to me, but it's one of those things that doesn't so much need repeating as shouting from the rooftops. And the argument that the complex post traumatic response to prolonged violence is pathologically distinct from classic single-trauma PTSD is also familiar, but nicely presented.

The whole thing is solid, deftly told, agonizing in places. And she talks about soldiers and battered women in ways that are illuminating, rather than pat or oppositional. This is one of those books about gender that spends all it's time talking about people, if you know what I mean. The only flaw isn't actually one – this was written in the mid-90's, so it's missing both a boatload of pharmacological and neurological data and insights on the most recent developments in the political aspects of trauma.

Highly recommended.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for work purposes and found it a helpful and thought-provoking resource, a book I’ll likely want to refer to again in the future. First published in 1992, this was apparently a ground-breaking work, but while there’s been plenty of research into trauma since then (if you can recommend a good follow-up to this one, please let me know!), it has stood the test of time so far. Certainly it rings true to my experience.

As you would expect from the title, the primary focus of the book is on describing the effects and symptoms of psychological trauma, and the stages of a successful recovery. It can at times be tough reading emotionally, even though it’s not a book focused on case studies or anecdotes (indeed, my only quibble with the book is that I would’ve liked to see the specific cases, set off in short blockquotes, expanded and integrated more into the book). But the educated reader will find it accessible; this is an academic book, but of the best kind, written in clear and engaging language. It would make worthwhile reading not just for therapists and students, but also for trauma survivors, their loved ones, and other professionals. The author sees the big picture – only a small part of the book is geared specifically to therapists – and I found that very helpful in providing a framework for understanding things I have seen and heard from various people.

Another aspect of this book that bears mentioning, and which I appreciate, is Dr. Herman’s unabashedly feminist perspective. The book addresses and draws on research from many sources of trauma, from combat to concentration camps, but the author’s experience seems to be primarily with survivors of sexual abuse in childhood, and it is the unfortunately more everyday sorts of trauma that the book comes back to. She makes no bones about the fact that recognizing trauma brought on by rape, domestic violence, or child sex abuse is political; admitting that these things happen, primarily to women and girls and in large numbers, and that those experiences matter, that it is serious, is political. And that affects everyone involved.

At any rate, this is an excellent book, very informative and thorough. Reading it gave me a better understanding of people I work with and made me think about areas where I might do better. Now, off to apply this knowledge without overstepping and pretending to be a therapist (which I definitely am not!).

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was assigned reading in my first year of graduate school, and eight years later, I still refer to it. It's my professional bible. Judith Herman has written the quintessential book on trauma. She somehow has managed to convey all the complex elements of this phenomenon in less than 250 pages. She also (as far as I know) was one of the first to differentiate between single incident trauma and ongoing trauma. She writes in a style that is simple enough for anyone to read but does not sound simplistic. She illustrates her points with poignant examples drawn from diverse sources, from Elie Wiesel to Winston Smith. I love this book.

[Oleska Tys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це найкраща книга про психологічну травму, яку я коли-небудь читала! Зберусь з думками і напишу розлогий відгук згодом.

[Eleanor Cowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early in her career, Dr. Judith Herman, an American psychiatrist, author, teacher, and researcher, began to make a link between political violence and individual brutality. While she also studied trauma from accidents and natural disasters Herman began to link political trauma to personal anguish.

Herman contends that in a patriarchal world - which means an unequal world - the causes of PTSD, such as violent aggressiveness, will continue until equality exists for everyone. She and her team examined PTSD stemming from cumulative acts of terror forced upon innocent, unsuspecting people, terrorist behaviour for which the US gov't is despised worldwide. For example, Herman and her team studied Vietnam war veterans, soldiers who slowly came to realize that the war they were fighting was an illegal aggression and could have ended far, far sooner than it did. Yet, under orders to obey their superiors, innocent young American soldiers became complicit in political crime. Betrayed and sold out by those few who richly profited - yet locked into obedience and subservience, 50,000 young American youth were killed in Vietnam. Long after ‘Nam, American war vets were scorned for participating in an unjust war. These hoodwinked soldiers were supposed to have 'seen through' the lies from their superiors that they 'fell for' (literally). The US tossed their own propagandized youth to their deaths for political gain and continues to do so by the hundreds of thousands.

At the same time, Herman also studied the children of pedophiles, a victim group also tethered to the adults in charge and utterly dependent on their abusers for a home, food, and family. In further twists of complex PTSD, abused children often enshrine, idolize, buy gifts for, and remain pathologically loyal to their abusers, often long into adulthood when they grow up and attach themselves to familiar 'parental' figures, only to be duped yet again. Both the war vets and incest victims learn that their repeated trauma is utterly irrelevant to the narcissists in authority over them.

Herman’s work emphasizes that what happens in the broader world of politics and society is always paralleled and mirrored in the particular lives of its citizens. A giant part of the problem of ongoing terrorism is the complicity of those who are aware of the abuse – and do nothing. (This does not include those frozen in dissociation.) For example, while abusers alone stand trial for their crimes, all those who knew all about it, colluders paid to cover up - remain unpunished. Codependent collusion allows evil to persist unchecked....until colluders wake up and commit to change.

Recently, a powerful sports icon died tragically. Facebook posts stating that this married man and father had raped and choked an innocent young hotel clerk were met with indignation. Even though he’d vehemently denied his crime - until his DNA was found - huge outcries shamed those who dared to mention the rape. How dare anyone allude to the crime of a wealthy icon whose fame far surpassed his abuse of a teenager - a mere nobody?

Herman states that through shaming and silencing, victims of trauma are often re-traumatized when they dare to tell their stories. On the other hand, chronic suppression of terror can cause dissociation, freezing of the full personality, disconnection, chronic low-grade depression, or more profound depression and illness. Sometimes, through another shock or even a tiny moment of insight, some brave souls can finally crawl out of decades of freeze. Others simply never can.

Actress Rose McGowan, who accused a notorious sexual predator, is among today’s “silence breakers.” She disclosed the rape despite her dread of backlash. Fully aware that truth-telling is a dangerous business in our society, McGowan defied patriarchy’s permission to abuse without consequence.

For years, Herman and her psychiatric team listened to the stories of appalling human evil – from thousands of molested children in city shelters and refugees from all over the world.

And healing themes emerged.

Herman learned that recovery from trauma can happen - but with conditions: The traumatized individual must be able to enter a recovery zone. Many are so flattened by shock that they end their lives. Others endure long-term and severe physical complications that stall recovery.

Healing is a gift not every traumatized individual can receive. Herman’s team learned that successful rebuilding entails three critical conditions:

The first is reliable, secure safety through one loving family member or trusted friend, an open-door recovery program or shelter, or all three. These free rescue centers welcome families of murdered children, refugees from all manner of US-backed dictatorships, trafficked and tortured slaves, the homeless, abused elders, war vets, and animal/pet groups.

Another essential condition is remembrance and mourning. Telling the trauma to someone who cares, believes the speaker, and understands that the blood-red threads of grief take time to weave into the tartan of a revised life.

Concealing trauma keeps it alive and fermenting within, a psychosis waiting to be triggered. When ready, each survivor tells in a preferred way, some by writing, some by sharing with a caring friend, or one loving family member, others through activism, song, or art. One famous art piece, Guernica, was painted by Picasso after the innocent civilians of Basque were aerial bombed in 1937.

The third imperative to recovery is that traumatized individuals connect with like-minded others for mutual comfort and support. Together, they recycle the energy of their pain to establish new policies and laws to advance an imbalanced society. One noteworthy example is that the Saskatchewan police now alert former victims of stalkers weeks before the stalkers are released from jail. The police contend that jail time doesn’t mean healing time, and physical incarceration doesn’t guarantee changed behaviour.

In November 2015, Maria Fitzpatrick, a former Canadian Track and Field sprinter, a trustee on the Lethbridge Labour Council, VP of the Canadian Federation of University Women, and Chair of the Regional Women's Committee of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, addressed the Alberta legislature about her former husband’s terrible abuse of her.
She earned a standing ovation, and the bill to improve support for victims of in-home violence unanimously passed its second reading. Fitzpatrick, like McGowan, recycled her trauma to break the silence taboo, connect with like-minded others and support the traumatized in her community.

Dr. Herman is deeply inspired by PTSD individuals who succeed, no matter how late, in reclaiming their lives.

A simple hello, a cup of tea, a chat by the mailbox, signing a petition, attending a recovery group, reading or writing a brave book, or volunteering in groups is vital.

In this way, we also receive incalculable rewards in personal happiness.

We, the citizens on the ground, can set high standards and invest our goodwill—not as codependent pawns for fraudulent users, but as committed activists holding the standards bar high.

Eleanor Cowan, Author of A History of a Pedophile's Wife: Memoir of a Canadian Teacher and Writer

[Hadiyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a challenging read. I had so many thoughts and reactions to it. After reading the first few pages, I immediately wanted there to be a connection made to the history of enslaving Africans in America. I found myself constantly webbing that narrative into this text. I was disappointed at the end of the text because I realized that the only thought given to chattel slavery and it's lasting impact was a reference to police brutality in California. Chattel slavery was the most traumatizing human experience inflicted in the world to date, and the most horrific event to occur on American soil. To speak of the history of violence, trauma and recovery and completely dismiss that experience is shameful, hypocritical and intentional.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explicitly feminist, common sense approach and language, practical, grounding. I meant to read this for 10 years and I'm glad I read it now. Even a psych/therapy critical madwoman like me can appreciate this methodology and approach and it's very easy to apply this knowledge to daily life and community building with peers. Just a wonderful book.

[Lore LongSoulSystem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trauma, gender, feminist movement, dissociation, peer support for survivors, new model of PTSD, Pierre Janet vs Sigmund Freud, and lots of hope. What more could you ask for?
10/10
Will reread again. Much better than The Body Keeps The Score xD

Must read for therapists, survivors of any trauma, social workers, child workers, and even writers writing about fictional PTSD and "multiple personality disorder" or the current Dissociative Identity Disorder.

[Giedre Kazlauskaite]

Daugelis pažįstamų socialiniuose tinkluose išpažino, kad šiuo metu negali skaityti nieko, išskyrus karo naujienas. Sirguliavau, todėl galėjau: pasirodė labai aktualu. Ne vien dėl to, kad dabar pasipils karo traumos ir PTSS (Herman kaip tik ir analizuoja karo veteranų/išprievartautų moterų atvejus). D. Gailienė jau yra daug kartų apibrėžusi, kas bendrąja prasme yra trauma: pandemija nebuvo trauma, karas yra trauma. Kariškių ir prievartautų moterų patirtys susijusios, nes pats karas grubiai „įlytina“ vyrų ir moterų vaidmenis. Trauma, pasak Herman, yra fundamentalus neteisingumas - žmogaus piktadarystė (todėl gamtos stichijų sukeltos katastrofos nepalieka tokių baisių pasekmių). Prasmingas paties prievartos mechanizmo narstymas: stadijos, santykis su agresoriumi, gijimo etapai ir galimybės. Svarbi mintis, kad agresorius prikuria daug taisyklių, kurių visų laikytis neįmanoma, ir nukentėti galima vien dėl to, kad „pažiūrėjai kvailu žvilgsniu“. Agresorius bijo tiesos, kitaip tariant - atvejo viešinimo. Herman pateikia pavyzdį, kaip visuomenės reagavo į „Me Too“ bangą ir kunigų pedofilijos skandalus.

[Erin Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is easy to see why Judith Herman’s visionary book Trauma and Recovery is considered a classic in the field of psychology. In her work, Herman describes the conditions that create posttraumatic stress and then details a path of recovery. She explores the many manifestations of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder within the human mind, body and spirit then identifies the interwoven and overlapping stages of trauma recovery with clarity and purpose. Most notably, Herman describes the difficulty of telling the truth of suffering and the complementary difficulty of hearing the truth and helping those in pain to tell their stories. She understands that human beings naturally recoil from pain of any kind and cautiously emphasizes the importance of community in healing traumatic grief.
In the second half of this book, the author suggests that recovery typically follows a process during which the survivor attains safety, goes through a period of remembrance and mourning, and reconnects with himself or herself and the world around him or her. Herman continuously emphasizes that these stages are not fixed and predictable, but rather individual in nature, significantly influenced by one’s environment, and can occur simultaneously. She also reasons that since the effect of the trauma is to disempower and disconnect the victims from others, healing from the effects of the trauma means that the victim becomes empowered and is able to form new, healthy attachments. In considering the role of community in the recovery process, Herman suggests that group psychotherapy can provide survivors with a needed sense of commonality. She is, however, very careful to point out that survivor group composition and focus be based largely on the client’s present stage of recovery. I found this warning difficult to fully accept as I wondered – if recovery is so multi-faceted and its stages are so intermingled, who could determine just where a person is “at” in their recovery? And wouldn’t the benefit of belonging to a community of others with similar experiences outweigh the psychological risk of being re-traumatized by a person in an earlier stage of recovery? I still don’t have an answer for this one but overall, Judith Herman’s work presents fresh new ideas about trauma, survival, and healing with a bold and fearless voice. This book is an intelligent resource for people who work with trauma survivors though some chapters may be too academic to be used as a self-help tool.

[Zeynep T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tecavüz mağdurları için hiçbir kamusal anıt yoktur."

"Bastırma, çözülme ve inkar, bireysel bilinç fenomeni olduğu kadar sosyal bir fenomendir de."

"Hukuk sistemi erkekleri devletin üstün gücünden korumak için dizayn edilmiştir; kadın ve çocukları erkeğin üstün gücünden korumak için değil."

Şimdiye kadar okuduğum en iyi psikoloji kitabı. Neredeyse 30 yıl önce yazılmış olmasına rağmen hala başucu rehberi yapılmayı hak edecek kadar değerli. Literatürü derinden etkilemiş bir eser.

"Psikolojik travmayı çalışmak, hem doğal dünyadaki insanların yaralanabilirliği hem de insan doğasındaki kötülük kapasitesiyle yüz yüze gelmektir. Psikoloji travmayı çalışmanın anlamı dehşetengiz olaylara tanık olmaktır."

Kitap, yazarın çalışma alanı olan cinsel ve ev içindeki travmalardan ve buna bağlı olarak feminist bir perspektiften doğsa da savaş gazileri, soykırımdan sağ kalanlar, ensest mağdurları gibi örnekleri de işin içine katarak travma konusunu enine boyuna tartışıyor. Konunun tarihsel sürecini anlatmakla işe başlayan yazar herkesin anlayabileceği akıcı bir dille birey - toplum ilişkisini, travmanın kamusal alanla ilgisini göz ardı etmeyerek siyasi alana dair çıkarımlardan da kaçınmıyor. Özellikle çocuk istismarı bölümünde anlatılanlar adeta bir tokat gibi çarpıyor yüzünüze.

İyileşme ve travma söz konusu olduğunda uygulanan tedavilerle ilgili bölüm benim için çok aydınlatıcıydı. Örneğin, kimi zaman medyada alay konusu edilen terapide hastanın sadece yaşadığı olayları değil hissettiği duyguları da ifade etmesinin önemini bu kitapla kavramış oldum.

Travma konusunun tamamen ayrı bir başlık olarak gereği gibi ele alınmasının bu kadar geç gerçekleştiğine inanamıyorum. Vietnam gazileri kendilerine gerekli desteğin sağlanması için dava açmak zorunda kalmışlar. Öncesi peki? Bomboş bir karanlık mağdurlar için.

2015 baskısı için yazılan önsöz konuyu günümüze bağlıyor. Burada özellikle bilimsel alanda elde edilen yeni bulgular, travma uzmanlarını bekleyen sorunlar gibi hususlara yine siyasi ve toplumsal bağlam ihmal edilmeden değinilmiş.

Çok ama çok sevdim. Psikoloji okumalarına bu kitapta da ismi geçen Beden Kayıt Tutar isimli eserle devam ediyorum.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the rating lead you to believe that this book is not essential and extremely helpful reading on trauma and the challenges it poses to individuals in healing. The reasons I did not rate it higher was the pathologizing use of diagnostic categories, an emphasis on the healing relationship that tended to the therapist 4x more than the survivor (16 pages to 4 respectively, but arguably because of the intended audience and the expertise of the author), and the distorting separation of the stages of recovery. I suspect that, like the stages of grief, or any other psychological/emotional/spiritual process, these stages overlap and spiral and are not distinct. Although I don't remember reading her saying so, perhaps she meant the emphasis shifts among the main tasks in the progression she describes.

The text does not stray as far from dominant narratives about the nature of those traumatized as I would personally prefer, but it provides a fabulous resource to those who wish to understand the nature of trauma and to glimpse possibilities of what healing may look like. In a time when still many would claim that those who have experienced trauma are irrevocably damaged and seek to separate them off from "sane" society, this text stands in defiance to that view and testifies to the terrible widespread nature of trauma, the courage and determination of survivors and the commitment of therapists in seeking to provide help and hope.

[Dr. K · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it took me about a year and a half to read this book. Not because it's bad - it's excellent. Not because it's technical - it's extremely accessible. But this book is immensely painful and I sometimes needed several days to recover from 3 pages.

This is an incredibly detailed, compassionate, and raw deep-dive into trauma. Dr Herman was the first to propose the existence of complex ptsd as separate from "regular" ptsd, and in the book narrows in particularly on the vulnerability of children and women to violence and its enduring effects.

This book has two sections, as the title indicates: trauma and recovery. Both are harrowing in their own way. Dr Herman doesn't shy away from using the big words or from quoting honest patient testimonies. There's a sorrow that reverberates in each page of this book along with a defiant hope.

Ultimately, this is an emotionally taxing comprehensive book on the enduring effects of chronic and/or interpersonal trauma, be it childhood abuse, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, political terrorism, long term captivity, etc... it reminds the reader continuously of how devastating the aftermath of these crimes are and how much work remains to be done in supporting survivors. But the take-home message is one of hope: not hope of a quick fix all erasing cure, but hope of a rewarding journey of recovery.

[Joseph Harriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. If you just read one book on the rise of the psychoanalytic world view, just read this one. The first chapter is a devastating critique of how Freud, understandably, abandoned the women that taught him the talking cure, and invented the Oedipus complex to explain away their disturbing stories of sexual abuse. Herman also explains how 1950s American women, freed from domestic drudgery to have time to discuss and question some of their abusive experiences, and then the returning Vietnam Vets with their desperate need to process their gruesome experiences together drew out from American society what we now think of as psychotherapy and counselling. Of course Freud's groundwork was essential.

[Tristan Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty underwhelming. This book has a feminist perspective which is all good and fine except it’s not marketed as such. As a male who has sustained trauma, a lot of the prose felt alienating since most of it focused on the trauma that women suffer because of men. The injustices that women survivors faced because of the legal system etc. This is interesting and has value of course but just wasn’t what this book proposes to be.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a classic. I don't dispute that. But it read as outdated, and had a very male perpetrator/female survivor narrative about it. Some of it was fabulous, but most of it wasn't. I give it a meh and a glad I read it anyway.

[Netta · Rating 5 out of 5]

זהו הספר שהגדיר לראשונה את המונח פוסט טראומה מורכבת, ולכן נחשב ובצדק לאבן דרך של המטפלים בתחום. עם זאת, למי שמבקש ללמוד לעומק על טראומה מורכבת ושיטות הטיפול בה, אשר פותחו ויושמו בשנים שחלפו מאז ספרה החלוצי של הרמן, ישנם ספרים רבים אחרים מתאימים יותר.

[Vlada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Корисна книга не лише про психологічні травми, а і про психологію в загальному. Було цікаво читати історію створення таких відомих нам усім термінів як невроз, депресія та ПТСР.

Книга більше підійде психологам і усім, хто працює з травмами, зокрема, із військовими, які повернулися з фронту та полону.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

As some friends know, to help keep me occupied during the pandemic, I've been doing a year-long reading project to try to understand more about authoritarianism. Some subtopics within the project that particularly interest me are: connections between the mindset of domestic abusers and authoritarianism; how intimacy relates to authoritarianism; and the kinds of damage that authoritarianism does - that is, the question of why authoritarianism is a bad thing.

This book on trauma, by an expert in the field, explores a set of closely related questions. The author spends a lot of time exploring the commonalities between trauma experienced by victims of oppressive political regimes, military combat veterans, and victims of domestic abuse. These types of trauma involve settings where people are subjected to control and coercion through means such as fear, pain, bodily violations, and coerced participation in doing harm to others. These abusive settings essentially break down people's sense of their own identity and humanity, and often the only way for victims to cope is to engage in dissociation or "doublethink," where they learn to detach themselves from reality. Survivors often struggle with the aftermath for many years, and may have enduring difficulties with trust, intimacy, self-esteem, and with regaining a sense of moral order and meaningful autonomy.

Recovering from trauma, in the author's experience working with survivors, involves three broad stages - recovering a sense of safety and empowerment, forming healthy and healing relationships with others, and processing traumatic experiences through mourning and remembrance.

In terms of my own questions, there is definitely a lot of evidence to support the idea of a close relationship between the mindsets of domestic abusers and political oppressors, particularly in the obsession with controlling others in exploitative and dehumanizing ways. It also supports my theory that authoritarianism is bound up with intimacy through the medium of control and coercion - its psychological effects are profoundly invasive and jealously disruptive of healthy forms of intimacy as well as of a healthy relationship of the self to the self through privacy and autonomy. And this book bolsters my conviction that the main reason authoritarianism is a bad thing is because it tends to be dehumanizing, no matter how much it may begin with the noblest of intentions and the loftiest of ideals, and even when it is relatively small-scale or mild.

This book is definitely a tough read emotionally (it felt like it took me forever to get through), and may certainly be triggering for some - but it has become a classic for good reasons and I think has many important insights for political theory and philosophy, psychology, and sociology.

[Marta Mokhnatska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Українське суспільство після початку повномасштабного вторгнення рф проживає досвід складної перманентної багатовимірної травми: травми чинних військових та ветеранів/ветеранок (через жахи війни, соціальну реінтеграцію, систематичне споглядання насильства та постійне перебування їхнього життя під загрозою); травма тих, хто втратив близьких, які брали участь у воєнних діях або були вбитими під час терористичних атак на цивільне населення; травма тих, хто чекає близьких із полону, або тих, чиї рідні вважаються зниклими безвісти; травма постраждалих від фізичного чи сексуального насильства як політичного знаряддя російських військових; і врешті – колективна травма постійного перебування у війні, яка, на мою думку, більшою чи меншою мірою відбивається на кожному та кожній з нас.

Саме тому розуміння історії вивчення травми, природи травми, стадій відновлення, значення травми у політичному вимірі критично необхідні українському суспільству для каталізації механізмів суспільного самозцілення. Сьогодні ми змушені навчитися розпізнавати травму в собі, в тих, хто нас оточує, та в тих, чия травма раптово нам проявляється. І не тільки розпізнавати, але й засвоїти алгоритм дій для допомоги, згладження проявів, не-завдання шкоди. Це великою мірою вирішальні навички, необхідні для суспільства, яке перебуває у стані війни.

Герман починає дослідження травми з аналізу її історичного контексту, що бере початок від Шарко та Бройєра з Фройдом, оприявлює всі їхні професійні поступи та похибки. Зокрема, озвучує мотивацію Фройда змінити вектор досліджень після виявлення кореляції між так званою істерією та наявністю досвіду сексуального насильства в дитинстві. Далі Герман говорить про зміщення в полі досліджень посттравматичного синдрому внаслідок Першої та Другої світових воєн, а також (грубо перестрибуючи – я про себе, а не про виклад Герман) – Вʼєтнамської війни. І лише тоді науковиця пояснює всі особливості та труднощі досліджень травми від насильства у сімʼї та сексуального насилля.

Впродовж пояснення історичної динаміки Джудіт Герман постійно доповнює та видозмінює сприйняття механізму травми дослідниками та дослідницями. Авторка знайомить читачів та читачок з такими групами симптомів ПТСР як гіперзбудження (залежність від загрози), інтрузія (повторне переживання, непоправний відбиток), констрикція (заціпеніння, уникнення) та їхньою природою. Вже на цьому етапі робота Джудіт Герман починає нагадувати складний та болючий акт саморефлексії (спойлер: в підсумку книжка має логічний у своїй послідовності ефект зцілення). Зʼявляється (якщо воно досі не було кристалізованим) бажання почати психотерапію. І не лише бажання, а й аргументована мотивація.

Джудіт Герман заглиблюється у кожен з рівнів «розривів», яких завдає травма: у втрату усвідомлення самості, стосунків зі світом, оточенням, у втрату віри. Ще до розповіді про процес видужання Герман пояснює, наскільки взагалі важливим є засвідчення травматичного досвіду і наскільки руйнівним – як для жертви зокрема, так і для суспільства загалом (в перспективі) – є його замовчування. Зацитую уривок про значення свідчення, який актуальний не лише в особистісному вимірі, а й всесуспільному, особливо, якщо говорити про російську агресію:

«...Коли подія є стихійним лихом чи "діянням Бога", то очевидець легко співчуває жертві. Проте коли травматичні події є справою людських рук, їх свідок утягується в конфлікт між жертвою та злочинцем. З погляду моралі в такому конфлікті годі залишатися нейтральним. Спостерігач змушений стати на чийсь бік.
Існує велика спокуса стати на бік зловмисника. Все, що злочинець просить від свідка, – нічого не робити. Він апелює до притаманного всім бажання не бачити зла, не чути зла і не говорити про зло. Жертва ж, навпаки, просить свідка розділити тягар болю. Жертва потребує дії, співучасті та пам'яті. [...]
Злочинець, аби уникнути відповідальності за свої злочини, робить усе від нього залежне, щоб посприяти забуттю. Таємниця та мовчання є його першою лінією оборони. Якщо ж таємницю втримати не вдалося, злочинець атакує правдивість своєї жертви. Якщо йому не вдається змусити її повністю замовкнути, він робить так, щоб її ніхто не слухав...»

Крім безпосередніх наслідків, які завдає травма, докторка аналізує також гетерогенність розладів, які вона спричиняє чи ускладнює. Так, наприклад, ми можемо дізнатися, як інтрузивні симптоми посттравматичного стресового розладу перетинаються з вегетативними симптомами депресії. Таким чином Джудіт Герман підсилює свою тезу про важливість діагностування травматичних розладів, особливо – залежно від повторюваності травми (авторка суворо диференціює наслідки одиничної та систематичної травм).

Від розпізнавання механізмів та симптомів Герман переходить до процесу відновлення після травми. Ми дізнаємося кроки, які необхідні в пропрацюванні травматичного досвіду: відновлення безпеки, встановлення контролю, заглиблення у травму, оплакування, інтеграція травми у теперішнє, відновлення соціальних звʼязків. Герман докладно аналізує кожен із цих етапів психотерапії, а також наголошує, наскільки важливим є індивідуальний підхід у кожному випадку. Тут ми дізнаємося про психотерапевтичний контракт, а також про винятки з нього. Наприклад, мене вразила історія сеансу психотерапії, під час якого пацієнт попросив терапевтку сфотографувати її. Хоча допустимі межі було переступлено, індивідуальний підхід клініцистки взяв гору і допоміг їй виявити та дослідити складну мотивацію пацієнта в цьому проханні, – що в підсумку стало для пацієнта каталізатором відновлення після травми.

Якщо говорити про інші конкретні уривки з цього дослідження, які ще довго залишатимуться зі мною, то опишу кілька згаданих Герман клінічних випадків. Вразили такі механізми психіки як побутова непристосованість після тривалого досвіду увʼязнення. Герман ділиться історією чоловіка, який протягом довгого часу не міг усвідомити, що дверні ручки мають сенс – що вони «відмикають» простір. Він не користувався ними і опинявся кожного разу під замком, тоді як міг просто прочинити двері. Серед способів контролю під час ув’язнення мені запам’яталися такі приклади, як добровільне голодування і самогубство – чи не єдині можливості приймати власні рішення як акт спротиву і демонстрація кривдникам не-влади над собою. Також не можу викинути з голови аргумент на користь того, що памʼять про насильство залишає непоправний слід на дитячій психіці: Герман описує гру хлопчика, який у віці до 2 років пережив сексуальне порушення кордонів тіла, і потім у пізнішому віці до дрібниць монотонно відтворював вчинене над ним зі своїми іграшками, не маючи при цьому жодних спогадів про те, що сталося з ним.

Попри глибину та всеохопність роботи Герман, важливо вказати на її застарілість. Я достеменно не знаю, що змінилося у вивченні травми за останні 25 років, але припускаю, що «Травма та шлях до видужання» – точно не окреслює актуального стану, оскільки ця робота написана ще в 90-х. Також не можу оминути тієї особливості, що в цій книжці немає гендерного балансу (Герман описує сексуальне насилля як травму жінок та дітей – аналогічні травми чоловіків не згадуються; ПТСР через воєнні дії – травма винятково чоловіча, хоча вже у Першій світовій війні у війську однієї лише Британської імперії було залучено понад 80 тис. жінок). Звісно, варто враховувати, що акцент Герман на жіночому досвіді травми відображає тогочасні феміністичні дослідження, які мали на меті висвітлити «невидимі» специфічні форми насильства проти жінок.

Все ж Джудіт Герман настільки чутлива до чужого болю та ретельна в пізнанні вимірів травми, що її робота, я впевнена, надовго залишиться чимось сакральним як для тих, хто з травмою працює, так і для тих, хто хоче краще розуміти себе та оточення, а надто – в контексті війни. До того ж український переклад, виконаний Оксаною Наконечною, Оксаною Лизак та Олександром Шлапаком, настільки якісний, що багатьом художнім перекладам до нього далеко.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the events are natural disasters or “acts of God,” those who bear witness sympathize readily with the victim. But when the traumatic events are of human design, those who bear witness are caught in the conflict between victim and perpetrator. It is morally impossible to remain neutral in this conflict. The bystander is forced to take sides. (pp. 14-15)

Unfortunately, people tend to want a world that makes sense and is fair (a Just World) and, further, align with power (e.g., parents, men, authority figures). As a result, bystanders often have a difficult time believing trauma victims, especially those experiencing interpersonal trauma.

Imagine being accused of causing your own abuse. Imagine people blaming and shaming you for what you do to survive. Remember, level of social support is one of the strongest predictors of a range of positive outcomes. As she wrote, "Traumatic events destroy the sustaining bonds between individual and community" (p. 307).

Herman reminds readers that trauma is not an equal opportunity destroyer. People who had early adversity (including early trauma), were less well-educated, have family members with drug and alcohol problem or in prison, and have fewer social supports post-trauma were more likely to develop chronic PTSD.

Despite being first published in 1992, Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery does bit feel dated; she outlined the dominant narrative that continues to control conversations on trauma. She continues to be referenced regularly, with people filling in the details rather than drawing a whole new picture. Most treatment still emphasizes the roles of the therapeutic relationship and traditional talk therapy. People continue to aver that effective treatment follows three stages (Safety, Remembrance, Reconnection) – although therapists do not invariably follow this process.

My edition of Trauma and Recovery has afterwords from 2015 and 2022. Herman's updates remind us of what changes there've been in the 30 years since her first publication: changes in placement of PTSD in the DSM-5 and an addition of complex posttraumatic stress disorder to the ICD; a focus on the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in poor physical and mental health outcomes; the role of attachments with early caregivers in preventing/reducing trauma; early intervention programs to improve outcomes; and more.

Trauma and treatment of trauma continue to be a source of productive writing and research, but as much as anything, we need to focus on advocacy. You and I have the ability to make the world a safer place for children, women, members of the military, and other trauma survivors.

6/17/2025

If anything, I liked this book more in this reread.

[Anna Ustynova · Rating 5 out of 5]

ця книжка Джудіт Герман простояла на моїй поличці кілька років. колись навіть починала її читати, але після кількох десятків сторінок розповідей авторки про витоки дослідження явища, що в ті часи отримало назву "істерія" (хто ж тоді знав, що істерія в підсумку виявиться психотравмою), мій інтерес до книги "здувся". однак в часи переживання психологічної травми цілим українським суспільством закладені в книзі знання стали мегаактуальними. тому я знову до неї повернулась.
читати книгу було непросто, а іноді навіть нестерпно. від деяких розділів відверто нудило, адже описане в них просто не вкладалось в голові. але про це потрібно знати, щоб мати хоча б певне уявлення про те, з чим стикнулись люди, що пережили насильство і травму. бо рано чи пізно усім нам доведеться давати з цим раду.
залишу нижче декілька цитат з тих, що нотувала для себе:
- Існує велика спокуса стати на бік зловмисника. Все, що злочинець просить від свідка - нічого не робити. Він апелює до притаманного всім бажання не бачити зла, не чути зла і не говорити про зло. Жертва ж, навпаки, просить свідка розділити тягар болю.
- Злочинець, аби уникнути відповідальності за своє злочини, робить усе від нього залежне, щоб посприяти забуттю. Таємниця та мовчання є його першою лінією оборони. Якщо ж таємницю втримати не вдалося, злочинець атакує правдивість своєї жертви. Якщо йому не вдається змусити її повністю замовкнути, він робить так, щоб її ніхто не слухав.
- Першим принципом відновлення для постраждалої особи є здобуття влади над своїм життям. Вона повинна бути автором і головним суддею свого відновлення. Інші можуть давати поради, підтримку, допомогу, любов і турботу, але не зцілення.
- Травматичні події руйнують зв’язок між індивідом та спільнотою. Ті, хто вижили, дізнаються, що їхнє відчуття себе, цінностей, людяності залежить від відчуття зв’язку з іншими. Групова солідарність надає найсильніший захист від жаху та відчаю, - це найпотужніший антидот від травматичного досвіду. Травма ізолює; група відновлює відчуття причетності. Травма соромить і таврує; група співпереживає та підтримує. Травма збиває з ніг; група піднімає. Травма дегуманізує жертву - група відновлює її людяність.

[Hazel West · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part the information in this book is solid but I had a few problems. One was that this wasn't really what I needed for the research I was doing (into PTSD). There is information about that in this book, but not as much as others that specifically discuss that subject. This is also written to therapists for the most part, which is not what a novel writer looks for unless they are writing a character who is a therapist, so I would not recommend this book to writers.

The other issue I had is that, while the information given is pretty solid to my amateur knowledge, there are some glaring omissions. Mainly the fact that the author (a self professed feminist) seems to labor under the delusion that the only trauma men can suffer (aside from the rare case of childhood trauma) is combat trauma and the only trauma women can suffer from is rape, or domestic abuse. In fact I did not see one mention of the existence of male victims of rape of domestic abuse in this book, and while that wasn't what I read it for, that still bothers me. Especially since men who suffer such things are a lot less likely to search out or find help and suffer even more stigma for it than women. And the borderline "toxic masculinity" outlook in this book was frustrating to me. (I.e. Men can only suffer combat trauma and only do so because they are violent creatures) and Men are the only perpetrators of domestic abuse, which is very untrue. At least these are the opinions I got from the author while reading this. So long story short, this "acclaimed" work, is not one I would recommend.

[Christina Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undoubtably, one of the most important books I’ve read for my life and career. As opposed to the Body Keeps the Score, Herman is explicitly anti-war and feminist from the outset. The first chapter alone was one of the most brilliant pieces of political, historical, and psychological writing I’ve ever read. It’s remarkable how well a book written in 1992 has held up. Even as trauma becomes a buzzword and over saturated in the culture, she shows how actual trauma therapeutic work is under attack by U.S. political and economic institutions which create trauma through wars, patriarchy, and racism and then make it impossible to treat due to austerity and capitalism.
It’s honestly a shame that this book is not required in social work school. It’s required reading for anyone working in behavioral/mental health!

[Merve Büker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Herman tarafından kaleme alınan, travmayı tıp literatüründe bir hastalık olarak kabul ettiren ve tarihin en önemli psikiyatrik çalışmalarından biri, Travma ve İyileşme.

Kitap temelde iki ana bölümden oluşmakta. Travmatik bozuklukların anlatıldığı oldukça kapsamlı ilk bölüm ve iyileşmenin evrelerinin anlatıldığı ikinci bölüm. Ev içi şiddet, tecavüz, çocuk istismarı, ensest ilişkiler ve savaş gazileri yazarın ele aldığı ana konular.

Bence kitaba dair en güzel şey, bölümden olmasanız da, kitapta anlatılanları kavramakta asla zorluk çekmeyeceğiniz. O kadar sade ve açıklayıcı bir kitap kaleme almış ki yazar, böylesine zorlayıcı konuları bu kadar yalın anlatmak ve herkese ulaşabilmek takdir edilesi bir yetenek.

Eğer konuya merakınız varsa ve kapsamlı bir metin arıyorsanız mutlaka kitaba bakmalısınız. Okuyacak olan herkese şimdiden keyifli okumalar diliyorum.

[Melissa Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in June 1992, the nonfiction book, "Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence -- From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror," by Judith Lewis Herman, is a seminal work in the field of trauma study, and this book remains every bit as spectacular to read thirty years after it was first published.

This is the book that first introduced Complex PTSD into the medical lexicon, and thank god for that.

"Trauma and Recovery" is a brilliant, concise, and infinitely compassionate book.

Five million stars. Recommended to all.