Emotions and emotion regulation in the process of trauma recovery: Implications for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder

Anthony Charuvastra, Marylene Cloitre

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter defines and characterizes emotion regulation in the context of normative human development. It reviews some of the literature on childhood maltreatment to illuminate critical components of emotion regulation as they are affected by early traumatic exposure. The chapter describes a developmentally informed evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to childhood abuse in which both the interventions and the principles on which they are based emphasize the centrality of emotion regulation in recovery from trauma. Childhood maltreatment disturbs emotional processes in multiple ways. PTSD is an emotional disorder of particular interest because it involves contextually inappropriate over and under expressions of emotion. The ultimate recovery from a childhood marked by abuse, neglect and the perversion of meaning so often found in these situations must be a person's ability to join their communities as a loving, working and generative human being.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Impact of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease
Subtitle of host publicationThe Hidden Epidemic
PublisherCambridge University Press
Pages278-285
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9780511777042
ISBN (Print)9780521880268
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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