The Worst Is Over: What to Say When Every Moment Counts--Verbal First Aid to Calm, Relieve Pain, Promote Healing, and Save Lives

Your child has a bike riding accident. A friend undergoes surgery. Your father has a chronic pain condition. One day, maybe sooner, maybe later, someone close to you will experience a medical emergency. Health issues escape no one. Knowing CPR and other “techniques” is great – but not enough. What do you say when you’ve done all you can?

The Worst Is Over is Verbal First Aid to calm, relieve pain, promote healing, and save lives. It will give you the words to say to let the healing begin. We all know that the words we chose can raise our blood pressure, make us smile, or bring tears to our eyes. It only makes sense that the power of works can also positively affect a person’s heart rate, temperature, breathing, cardiovascular, limbic, endocrine, circulatory and respiratory systems during an emergency situation.

This groundbreaking work, substantiated by medical science, and already being used by emergency care professionals across the country, will become a standard in every home. Endorsed by professionals across the country, it is already in demand by the media.

What does one say to an injured person after calling 911? According to therapist/crisis counselor Acosta and therapist/consultant Prager, the magic words are "the worst is over." Then one continues to administer what the authors call "Verbal First Aid" soothing words that will promote psychic and medical healing, even before the ambulance arrives. Verbal First Aid, say the authors, arose from the needs of crisis and rescue personnel, to whom they have taught their technique, and was designed to complement medical care. Offered here are sample scripts for a wide variety of situations for various populations (e.g., children) and emergencies (e.g., car crashes, bleeding, panic attacks, and childbirth). They also offer techniques such as guided imagery to deal with nonemergency situations like chronic illness, as well as suggestions for self-care for both professional and nonprofessional caregivers. Though there is an extensive bibliography, many statements are presented without references to medical studies. The authors frequently refer to their web site, www.theworstisover.com, as a source of more information; however, at press time, it was little more than a site from which to sell the book. Large public libraries may want to purchase for self-help collections; otherwise, buy where interest warrants. Martha E. Stone, Treadwell Lib., Boston
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.