The Traumatised Society

The author was the first to forecast (in 1997) the events that ruptured the global economy in 2008 by applying an analysis that exposes the fault lines in the structure of the market economy. Now, he extends his analysis to the future of the West, to evaluate fears from distinguished commentators who claim that European civilisation is in danger of being eclipsed. He concludes that the West is at a dangerous tipping point and provides empirical and theoretical evidence to warrant such an alarming conclusion. But he also explains why it is not too late to prevent the looming social catastrophe. Attributing the present crisis to a social process of cheating, he develops a synthesis of the social and natural sciences to show how the market system can be reformed. He introduces the concept of organic finance, which prescribes reforms capable of delivering both sustainable growth, with a more equitable distribution of wealth, and respect for other life forms. To explain the persistent failure to resolve protracted social and environmental crises, the author introduces a theory of social trauma. Populations have been destabilised by the coercive loss of land to the point where they have lost their traditional reference points. No longer able to live by the laws of nature, they are forced to conform to laws that consolidate the privileges of those who had cheated them of their birthright: access to nature’s resources. Many pathological consequences flow from this tearing of people from their social and ecological habitats. To recover from this state of trauma, the author argues, people need to use the new tools of communication, such as social media, to regain control over their future destiny through a kind of collective psychosocial therapy. The author challenges the view that the West can climb out of depression by applying the financial measures known as “austerity”. He outlines a new strategy that would restore full employment and reverse the decline in midd

Professor Dr Franz Ruppert's latest book is part personal account and part an update of his theoretical thinking, specifically as it relates to our society. Identity-oriented Psychotraumatology Therapy (IoPT), developed by Professor Ruppert over the last 25 years, is established as a new way of thinking about trauma, and its influence on our individual lives, and now, this new book looks at its influence on society as a whole. We know through Professor Ruppert's work, that trauma, particularly traumas that happen at the very beginning of life, have a profound influence on the lives of most of us... and we are our society. All of our societal institutions, such as our political system, our legal and justice systems, our physical and mental health systems as they currently are, are made up of us and people like us, and so have an influence on our lives, that often is in fact traumatising. Professor Ruppert makes a specific focus on the dynamics of perpetration and victimisation as the cyclic forces that hold us in a continually traumatising and re-traumatising world that it is hard to step away from. However to recognise within ourselves our ability to function as a perpetrator, as a way of not connecting with our trauma, brings us to a responsibility for our place in society and our connection with others, and is beneficial for our own well-being. At the end of the book Ruppert discusses the idea of having a clear psyche, and thereby connecting with others who also work with their traumas to clear their psyches, and suggests that by this means we can create the society that we want.

This book explores the psychological trauma affecting soldiers and civilians who have encountered the violence of war or terrorism, arguing that the enigmas surrounding war trauma are rooted in culture, collective memory and social norms. Focusing primarily on a large-scale sociological study in Israel, chapters detail the ideological, political, historical and economic factors that shape the multifaceted connection between individual and collective trauma, probing the exterior layers of Israeli society and exposing the complex relationship between society and emotionally scarred individuals everywhere. Divided into three main parts, particular attention is paid to the treatment of soldiers and civilians, and the tension between the medical and societal approaches to PTSD, shedding light on the intricate relationships between war trauma and society worldwide. Part 1 looks at traumatized soldiers and the changing attitudes towards CSR and PTSD; Part 2 explores civilian trauma and shock, including the first published research on the implications of war trauma in Israeli Arab society; and Part 3 analyses the deficiencies and contradictions in current international definitions and discourses of trauma, and the profound consequences of war trauma in society as a whole. Psychological War Trauma and Society will be of key value for academics and postgraduate students in the fields of psychology, sociology, history, Jewish studies, military studies, social work, terrorism studies and political science, as well as professionals who work with traumatised individuals, either directly or indirectly, including psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers. The Hebrew edition of the book was the winner of the 2012 AIS (Association for Israel Studies) Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies.

Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.

The edited volume, Trauma in Medieval Society, draws upon skeletal and archival evidence to build a picture of trauma as part of the literary and historical lives of individuals and communities in the Middle Ages.

Much has already been written about trauma psychotherapeutic methods. However, little research has so far been done on how psychodynamic traumatic incidents are psychologically mapped and coded into symptoms of the body and into mental images – although this topic is extremely exciting! How is psychological stressful data saved and stored by humans depending on their age, the cruelty level of the incident or the accumulation of terrible events? Which variants of remembrance are available to the body and mind? How can encrypted data be later retrieved and decrypted, so it is therapeutically effective and emotionally acceptable? This book is a collection of theoretical and practical contributions that can be understood by psychotherapeutic colleagues and affected clients alike. The illustrative case examples are also interesting for anyone who wants to experience the logic and contradictions of the fascinating unconscious.

This book explores the psychological trauma affecting soldiers and civilians who have encountered the violence of war or terrorism, arguing that the enigmas surrounding war trauma are rooted in culture, collective memory and social norms. Focusing primarily on a large-scale sociological study in Israel, chapters detail the ideological, political, historical and economic factors that shape the multifaceted connection between individual and collective trauma, probing the exterior layers of Israeli society and exposing the complex relationship between society and emotionally scarred individuals everywhere. Divided into three main parts, particular attention is paid to the treatment of soldiers and civilians, and the tension between the medical and societal approaches to PTSD, shedding light on the intricate relationships between war trauma and society worldwide. Part 1 looks at traumatized soldiers and the changing attitudes towards CSR and PTSD; Part 2 explores civilian trauma and shock, including the first published research on the implications of war trauma in Israeli Arab society; and Part 3 analyses the deficiencies and contradictions in current international definitions and discourses of trauma, and the profound consequences of war trauma in society as a whole. Psychological War Trauma and Society will be of key value for academics and postgraduate students in the fields of psychology, sociology, history, Jewish studies, military studies, social work, terrorism studies and political science, as well as professionals who work with traumatised individuals, either directly or indirectly, including psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers. The Hebrew edition of the book was the winner of the 2012 AIS (Association for Israel Studies) Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies.

This guide provides practical information on the care of patients with blunt injuries that will be invaluable for emergency personnel, trauma surgeons, orthopaedic traumatologists, and anesthesiologists. The management of both truncal injuries (head, chest, abdomen) and fractures of the extremities, the pelvis, and the spine is covered in a condensed fashion, emphasizing key information. Care is taken to highlight associated injuries that may alter the decision making in patients with polytrauma. The new, revised edition takes full account of three major developments of recent years, namely the increasing economic pressure on health care systems, including trauma care, the changes in trauma systems and related education, and the improved survival of polytrauma patients. In view of the greater recognition of the physical and psychological long-term sequelae of major injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder is discussed in depth in this new edition.