The Body Keeps the Score : : Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Facing trauma -- The rediscovery of trauma. Lessons from Vietnam veterans ; Revolutions in understanding mind and brain ; Looking into the brain : the neuroscience revolution -- This is your brain on trauma. Running for your life : the anatomy of survival ; Body-brain connections ; Losing your body, losing your self -- The minds of children. Getting on the same wavelength : attachment and attunement ; Trapped in relationships : the cost of abuse and neglect ; What's love got to do with it? ; Developmental trauma : the hidden epidemic -- The imprint of trauma. Uncovering secrets : the problem of traumatic memory ; The unbearable heaviness of remembering -- Paths to recovery. Healing from trauma : owning your self ; Language : miracle and tyranny ; Letting go of the past: EMDR ; Learning to inhabit your body : yoga ; Putting the pieces together : self-leadership ; Filling in the holes : creating structures ; Rewiring the brain : neurofeedback ; Finding your voice : communal rhythms and theater -- Choices to be made -- Appendix. Consensus proposed criteria for developmental trauma disorder.
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat on a daily basis; one in five Americans have been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Such experiences inevitably leave traces on minds, emotions, and even on biology. Sadly, trauma sufferers frequently pass on their stress to their partners and children. Renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain's wiring--specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Excellent source of information on trauma submitted by jbranski on June 16, 2018, 9:36pm Really enjoyed this book. Dr. Van der Kolk gives great background information on trauma and the brain before going on to explain the types of therapies that help (or hurt) those who have lived through severe trauma. With decades of experience in the field, he provides excellent information on non-pharmacological approaches to treating PTSD and similar conditions.

Authority on PTSD submitted by howarde on August 8, 2019, 1:11pm This book is long and thorough but worth the read. Dr Van der Kolk helps us not only understand trauma itself, but the history of PTSD treatment since the 1970s and gives an overview of the many unconventional but effective treatments for it. There is a lot of medical information here, but it is humanized with stories and personal accounts.

Makes the research completely accessible submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 17, 2020, 8:31pm I’m a community mental health social worker doing case management with families with developmentally disabled children, so I don’t do therapy. Nonetheless, trauma is universal and affects both children and parents, and a deeper understanding of the causes, effects, and supports is critical in my line of work (and, y’know, maybe everywhere). Van der Kolk writes clearly and well, making enormous amounts of research easily accessible to non-academic readers. He talks about widely varied aspects of trauma, focusing on the deep neurological changes that occur and evidence-based treatments for recovery. He addresses functional impairments, and balances anecdotal stories for reader engagement with genuine academic and research driven foundation.

My one deep concern is that his final offering is biofeedback, which I do not feel that he sufficiently identifies as not having evidence-based support at this time. The few tiny studies he cites do not compare biofeedback with a placebo (this seems like an utterly necessary step). He does not have a lot of research for the theater work he cites, either, but he is clear about that, and provides research parallels to why theater work makes sense for trauma processing, so I don’t feel that he is making the same kinds of subtly misleading claims that it feels like he is making for biofeedback.

Nevertheless, an outstanding book and utterly worth every teacher, pastor, social worker, therapist, and counselor’s time.

Really enjoyed the history of therapy in the book submitted by JennJenn on July 31, 2020, 4:44pm As a social worker, I love the way the author brought us through the timeline of the way that we have treated people who have experienced trauma.

Disappointed and Disturbed by Graphic Violence, including animal lab testing descriptions & lack of any new insights into trauma submitted by bf on January 13, 2022, 1:38pm I was really not prepared for in the first paragraphs graphic content about one of his patients. First we are told he was a war veteran who later had issues. This initially elicits empathy but then we are told in a very matter of fact way, that it took him awhile to explain that after his friends were killed, he went on a "frenzy" and murdered children, elderly, and r**** women. As a trauma survivor this was extremely awful to read. Also, it was just stated so matter of factly and explained that it was due to trauma, and how he helped him. I'm sorry but trauma does not make you murder multiple people in a horrible violent ongoing way, and then r*** young women in a war torn country.

There are also graphic and disturbing descriptions of dogs in laboratories being harmed and tormented, and what the results were. Again matter of factly. Also several other disturbing, detailed graphics about other abuse of children, etc. With just odd, sterile presentation.

Then at the very end it is only about the usual mindfulness tips we all know, meditation, yoga, etc. The disturbing coldly presented horrific events combined with little helpful, new or insightful information makes me really unsettled and confused. The fact that our bodies store trauma is hardly new. We've known this for a very long time. If you look at amazon at the lower star reviews there are a few with a thousand "likes" to do with warning people who have themselves suffered trauma to be prepared or avoid. I would never recommend this to anyone I care about. It should come with a warning. And I am still having anxiety today from what I read. I wish I'd never picked it up.

Inspiring submitted by CarolSeidl on July 8, 2022, 4:43pm Although it is hard to learn about how devastating the effects of trauma are and how pervasive they are in modern society, hearing about ways to help survivors is astonishing and inspiring. Bessel Van Der Kolk clearly is such an advocate for traumatized voices that have been ignored, and I highly recommend reading his work.

Great information in a readable format submitted by Xris on July 21, 2022, 3:41pm Since I work in a school, this information will be helpful in knowing what students might be dealing with in their lives. I hope our society soon sees the benefits of universal health care, including mental health and therapy, so my students will get the care they so desperately need.

Highly recommended, but be aware... submitted by journeyhawthorne on August 7, 2022, 11:07am This book is about trauma from the perspective of a health professional, and as such it discusses certain traumatic incidents at length. While I HIGHLY recommend it for folks to learn about trauma and PTSD, more sensitive readers (like myself!) should steel themselves before picking it up to read. There's a lot of good stuff in there, but you've got to be ready for the terrible, too.

a dense volume that nonetheless is making the rounds among members of my acquaintanceship submitted by lisa on June 12, 2023, 5:15pm It's rare that I see people I know from various parts of life all reading the same book, but this one's been like that lately. It's a thick read and has a lot of potentially challenging stuff to offer, for those for whom research into PTSD is calling their names. Go ahead and give it a go, though, if you are among them.

Great submitted by Bookeepers on June 19, 2023, 4:02pm Covers a full gamut of trauma related content. Great read!