Aftershock: Surviving the Delayed Effects of Trauma, Crisis, and Loss

Slaby, a New Jersey psychiatrist specializing in crisis therapy and prevention, here details the etiology of aftershock, i.e., delayed reaction to emotional upheaval, and illuminates the advances in treatment that can change the ways stressful events affect people. Post-traumatic shock disorder (PTSD), which may mimic or mask other conditions such as depression and anxiety, can be triggered long after the precipitating crisis, emphasizes the author in this helpful, informative guide. Aftershock (a term borrowed from geology), if undetected or untreated, can create physical as well as psychological problems, we're shown in case studies drawn from Slaby's practice. Dramatic evidence of cure through pharmaceutical and psychiatric intervention is presented, as well as self-help preventive measures. (Apr.)