The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog: And Other Stories From A Child Psychiatrist's Notebook--What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, And Healing (2007)
About book The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog: And Other Stories From A Child Psychiatrist's Notebook--What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, And Healing (2007)
A thorough, interdisciplinary book about childhood trauma written with compassion and eloquence, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog amazed me with its depth and insight. Bruce Perry, an experienced psychiatrist, shares many case studies about kids who have suffered horrible adversity, and he discusses their development and recovery with intelligence and an apparent kindness. One quote that stood out to me about how we should treat people who self-medicate and self-harm with understanding instead of judgment:"While self-mutilation, too, is often seen as an act of rebellion or attention-seeking, in most cases it is probably better understood as an attempt at self-medication as well. Cutting releases brain opioids, which makes it especially attractive to those who have been previously traumatized and found relief in dissociation. The same is true of people who use drugs like heroin or Oxycontin. Contrary to popular belief, most people who try these drugs do not find them overwhelmingly blissful. In fact, most people don't like the numbing sensation they produce. But those who suffer the after-effects of severe stress and trauma are likely to find the substances soothing and comforting, not deadening."Perry weaves together neuroscience and human relationships throughout The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog. He discusses the brain's malleability in the early years of development, and he also provides perspective into how healthful relationships can ameliorate people's neurological, physical, and mental health. By delving into a wide array of scenarios - unintentional neglect, constant sexual abuse, cult upbringings, and more - and by treating every child's story with seriousness and tact, Perry reveals his skill as a doctor and as a kind human being. Another passage that stood out to me, about trauma and human relationships:"Trauma and our responses to it cannot be understood outside the context of human relationships. Whether people have survived an earthquake or have been repeatedly sexual abused, what matters most is how those experiences affect their relationships - to their loved ones, to themselves and to the world. The most traumatic aspects of all disasters involve the shattering of human connections.As a result, recovery from trauma and neglect is also all about relationships - rebuilding trust, regaining confidence, returning to a sense of security and reconnecting to love. Of course, medications can help relieve symptoms and talking to a therapist can be incredibly useful. But healing and recovery are impossible - even with the best medications and therapy in the world - without lasting, caring connections to others."Overall, one of my favorite Psychology reads thus far. Perry offers an astute, humane look into the therapeutic process while also encouraging productive change in the way our society cares for traumatized children. Recommended for anyone interested in kids, psychology, neuroscience, and post-traumatic growth.
So, I started this book LAST summer. I went in blind and I had been expecting detailed case studies about the children and how Perry treated them.That is not what this book is, whatsoever. Which is why I put it down last summer. But when I came back to it this summer, with different expectations, I couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a set of case studies about traumatized children, this is NOT for you. This book is more of a narrative in which Perry recalls some of his cases and relates them back to his own research(which I did some research on and he is HIGHLY respected). I found the cases heartbreaking but interesting. I was intrigued by everything Perry had to say, and I did learn quite a bit. As long as you go in with the right expectations, I think this book is fantastic.Perry picked a fantastic journalist, Maia Szalavits, and it shows. The writing in the book is perfect. The language is simple, but effective. Even when Perry is explaining difficult or detailed theories and research, it is always understandable. At first, I found the book to be repetitive, Perry would restate what he had just said two pages earlier. However, when he would repeat himself he was ALWAYS repeating difficult concepts he had previously explained AND I noticed that the second time around the descriptions were easier to understand. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose, but I feel like it might have been. Also, I love that a lot of the psychology jargon Perry uses is explained immediately after. It makes the book extremely readable to those who may be unfamiliar.As far as content, I would have liked more details about the treatment process and the actual cases, but I can't fault the book for that. It's just a personal preference. BUT, I think Perry gives wonderful insight throughout the book. There are several passages I want to go back and highlight.I would recommend this for anyone who works with children or has children, as well as anyone in the mental health field. This book might seem like a review for seasoned clinicians, but I still think it's worth a read.
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I liked this book WAY more than I thought I would. WOW!!!! When I finished it, I just wanted to reach out and hug all the children in my life. I also wanted to rewind and have some do-overs with my own children. If you have any children in your life, you should read this. It reminded me that there is nothing more important than putting children first, over dishes, over vacuuming, over any of the small stuff we have in our lives. Children are the most important thing. It is amazing how the brain works and how nurturing contact is needed for proper development. But even so, the brain is also extremely resilient. I truly felt sad for some of the cases discussed in this book. I don't know why people, who should know better, prey upon the young and helpless.
—Donna
Bruce Perry treats children who have suffered childhood trauma using a neurosequential approach. This approach supposes that as the brain grows from the most basic deep structures to the most complex outer structures (basically from the inside out and from the bottom up) in the first 3 years of life, trauma at any phase of that development shapes or prevents the proper physiological development of the brain area that is developing. Because the higher brain structure development depends on development in the areas beneath it, trauma in childhood can affect brain development long after. The treatment of these children depends on determining how the trauma sensitized the stress response system and how the children coped with the trauma, such as disassociating, and retraining the brain beginning from when the trauma occurred. This may include rocking, music and movement classes, life skills training, CBT etc. The final chapter gives suggestions for minimizing childhood trauma in our society emphasizing that the breakup of the EXTENDED family and our increasing social isolation are increasing our risk. Appreciate the author's assertion that humaneness is learned, not inborn, that we cannot love ourselves unless we are loved by someone else, and that the key to healthy individuals and society lies in numerous strong relationships. Excellent insightful book.
—Melissa
This is the sort of fabulous book you insist on telling your oldest friends and the people you just meet all about. It reminded me of the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: the sort of non fiction book that rearranges your understanding of a subject you thought you already knew. Perry is a psychiatrist who has specialized in working with children recovering from trauma. His research and practice synthesize both neurobiological and the sociological aspects of development. I've found this exploration of how our minds are shaped by our environment and how our minds then shape our actions to be rich territory for understanding child development- both that of my children, but also of the students I teach.Though Perry doesn't discuss this in detail, I've often struggled with how students are labelled with learning disabilities and/or ADHD. These students are disproportionately students of color who have had difficult experiences. On one hand it seems the educational system is simply labeling children it has always struggled to support. The label places the blame on the student, and relinquishes teachers and schools from ensuring this student's success in a mainstream classroom. However, being in the classroom, I've seen plenty of students who do need extra support. My understanding of what Perry argues would explain it along these lines. A young person experiences trauma. That can (certainly not always) lead to interruptions in their brain development- what Perry calls their neurosequential development. This trauma can manifest in ways such as lack of empathy or impulsivity. Then caring adults and community (therapist and psychologists can help, but are not required) need to provide that missing stage of development. With this intervention, the brains can then continue its neurosequential development. Back to labels and schooling.... thus it makes sense then that students targeted by racism and capitalism would suffer from higher incidences of trauma... leading to greater incidences of academic and emotional struggle... however schools can and must provide the environments for healing and progress. Labels such as ADHD or "emotionally disturbed" should exist only the sense it engenders the awareness and will power to intervene and heal. If the healing happens, the concerning behavior should diminish. One of Perry's observations that I've found most hopeful is that it is caring adults who can provide this healing space. It is not the work of psychologists. It is the work, and potential, of all of us.
—T.R.
