We easily understand how beating a child may damage the
developing brain, but what about the all-too-common
psychological abuse of children? Because the abuse was not
physical, these children may be told, as adults, that they
should just “get over it.” But as developmental
neuropsychiatrist Martin H. Teicher reveals, scientists are
discovering some startling connections between abuse of all
kinds and both permanent debilitating changes in the brain and
psychiatric problems ranging from panic attacks to posttraumatic
stress disorder. In these surprising physical consequences of
psychological trauma, Teicher sees not only a wake-up call for
our society but hope for new treatments. We know that the abuse
or neglect of children is tragically common in America today.
Nor are most of us surprised when studies point to a strong link
between the physical, sexual, or psychological maltreatment of
children and the development of psychiatric problems. To explain
how such problems come about, many mental health professio