This work investigates the psychological mechanisms and clinical treatment of adult onset trauma, specifically focusing on individuals who experience severe psychological injury after reaching maturity. Ghislaine Boulanger, a psychoanalyst with extensive clinical experience, examines how trauma disrupts the established personality and sense of self in adults. She provides a framework for understanding the unique challenges of treating patients whose lives were interrupted by sudden, catastrophic events, contrasting these experiences with developmental trauma. The text synthesizes clinical observations with psychoanalytic theory to propose effective therapeutic interventions for long-term recovery.

Experts recognize this text as a significant contribution to the psychoanalytic study of trauma, particularly for its focus on the adult experience. Clinicians frequently cite the book for its depth in addressing the specific challenges of treating patients who have undergone sudden, life-altering psychological shocks.