Bessel A. van der KolkReviews

According to this book: childhood trauma has a lot to do with adult problems.
Trauma includes rape, incest, witnessing rape, incest, parental problems.... Even a surgery can create trauma similar to PTSD, which in WWI was called "shell shock" until the British government wanted to stop paying for treatment and forbade the use of the term "shell shock."

Traumatic memories are often repressed. When they come back they are different from a normal memory in that they are incoherent, or fragmentary.

2022-10-18: NYTimes best seller #1 & 111 weeks on the list.
The library book loan expired before I finished this book. I've now got it borrowed again, but want to get to the last section before deciding whether to buy a copy.

An interesting framework that needs more empirical support. Useful for thinking about trauma and how it can impact people. Unfortunately there was an undercurrent of misogyny and double standards regarding gender throughout the entire thing. There was a lot of victim blaming regarding sexual violence, including at one point the author stating that an incident in which a young woman was gang raped by her friends was not a simple matter than could easily be understood through roles such as “victim” and “perpetrators.” The author explained the girl’s willingness to hang out and smoke with her male friends as stemming from childhood trauma, which put her in that situation, which is what caused the violent event. Excuse me, what??? Yet, men in the book who committed horrendous acts such as murdering children in Vietnam were given compassion. Just weird.

The book also failed to incorporate the impact of experiences of discrimination and marginalization on mental health. No discussion of racism. No discussion of sexism and misogyny.

Also - the author of this book has since been fired from his position of running the trauma research center because he created a hostile work environment. He bullied his subordinates. So, I am skeptical any time he described childhood trauma as being responsible for why people feel traumatized by events in adulthood, especially when this was used as a way to explain why women become victims of violent male behavior.

TLDR; interesting framework, but the author gives me the ick

How trauma and stress affects our health

An impressive recount of a career looking after trauma survivors and the development of clinical techniques to help people regain as best as possible lives.

The book is difficult and covers some terrible case histories. It also decries the political inaction or attrition in helping trauma victims with methods shown to work. So that overall the story is depressing.

But the perspective one gets on mental health and how large organisations like government handle it is sobering and disappointing.

There is so much to be said within this book that is so informative.

The impact that trauma has on the body, is something that needs to be screamed from the rooftops.

This book took me some time to get through - partially due to writing a PhD dissertation at the same time, but it is very technical. It can be a lot to take in. And some of the stories and examples given can be confronting.

I’ve really found this book to be brilliant. I have notes all throughout the book, sticky notes everywhere! But I really recommend it for those who want to know the impact of trauma on the body as well as the brain!

Information value: 7.0 / 10
Content density: 8
Structure (Story): 9 / 10
Prose: 9

Be forewarned: This is not a personal development book. I presumed that the person who recommended it to me did so in that vain, just as my suggestions to her were. However, one of us made a mistake.
Not being the book I was expecting, nor of a genre I would consider reading, I kept waiting for some tips on dealing with trauma. Part of the psycho-therpeudical school of thought is that everyone has trauma. That was why this book was supposed to have universal relevance. However, I don't recall the author ever taking that stance, and all the techniques that were introduced, were done so in a slightly academic manner; not as useful standalone exercises.

Note that I read the book over many periods. The library loan kept expiring as I read this piece of non-fiction alongside my preferred pleasure of literary and genre fiction. As a result, my comments might have some inaccuricies. You probably know to expect that from me anyway.

My only major complaint is that the ending section on treatment is far more anecdotally-based than the rest of the book, which lays out a lot of solid research and statistics. The suggestions offered all seem to be variations of "here's things that worked in our practice, maybe try them, it's a pity there aren't any studies out there on them, though," which seems... not like a cop-out, but certainly less rigorous than the preceding building of the argument.

So much to unpack. Would recommend this to anyone dealing with trauma or knows/loves someone dealing with healing from trauma.

This is an extraordinary book about our bodies & minds working together. I learned a lot. Why do people sometimes get very depressed? What causes PTSD? What does PTSD really mean - the symptoms, long-term impacts, potential "cures"?

After reading [b:The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity|33413909|The Deepest Well Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity|Nadine Burke Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487314041l/33413909._SY75_.jpg|54173029], this title was a natural next read. Similar subject matter but a broader scope of the study of trauma. Kolk covers data on brain activity as well as a range of various treatments for trauma survivors. Now I'm curious about EMDR and Rolfing.

Initially, I found it difficult to read because I felt 1) woefully inadequate as I reflected on my parenting style and 2) reminded of the way I was parented as a child. The next day, Krista Tippett dropped an interview with Dr. Kolk. They spoke about his decades-long work with trauma. Their conversation was relaxed and engaging. Hearing his kind, curious, warmth transformed the way I read the book. It was still challenging, but no longer distressing.

This is another excellent reference for my thesis exhibition in which I revisit the stories I'm telling myself about my family of origin; how it felt to be overlooked, silenced, ashamed of my sensitive nature, and generally disconnected from my feelings when I was told I shouldn't feel the way I felt.

"...emotion is not opposed to reason; our emotions assign value to experiences and thus are the foundation of reason. Our self-experience is the product of the balance between our ration al and our emotion al brains. When these two systems are in balance, we 'feel like ourselves'." 64

"Psychologists usually try to help people use insight and understanding to manage their behavior. However, neuroscience research shows that very few psychological problems are the result of defective understanding... When the alarm bell of the emotional brain keeps signaling that you are in danger, no amount of insight will silence it." 64

"Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives." 76

"As long as a memory is inaccessible, the mind is unable to change it. But as soon as a story starts being told, particularly if it is told repeatedly, it changes—the act of telling itself changes the tale. The mind cannot help but make meaning out of what it knows, and the meaning we make out of our lives changes how and what we remember." 193

"Trauma robs you of the feeling that you are in charge of yourself. The challenge of recovery is to reestablish ownership of your body and your mind—of your self. This means feeling free to know what you know and to fell what you feel without becoming overwhelmed, enraged, ashamed, or collapsed." 205

"...finding words where words were absent before...being able to share your deepest pain and deepest feelings...such resonance...is fundamental to healing the isolation of trauma—especially if other people in our lives have ignored or silenced us. Communicating fully is the opposite of being traumatized." 237

Even when our minds won't let us think about past trauma, the body remembers in many physical ways. A very interesting book with much to consider. My used copy was obviously used as a textbook, and I can see why.

Excellent book showing how untreated trauma can metamorphosis into physical disability along with practitioner’s experiences of successful treatments. And often scientific data on outcomes.

While this can be hard to read and triggering for some, I would highly recommend checking it out. If it’s hard to read then just take it slow and do whatever works for you while reading the book. It took me a little bit of time because I had to take breaks for days or weeks to think and process some of what I read but I learned a lot from reading it and I think reading it through a second time will be easier now. I’m glad I bought my own copy because this is a book chock full of knowledge that will and can be useful to reread, or refer back to for personal or other various reasons and it can also be helpful in figuring out your characters in stories when writing as well.

Must read for anyone who carries childhood trauma.

Fascinating and eyeopening book on the physiological/neurological effects of trauma, particularly childhood trauma. The book tracks how trauma affects the functioning of the brain in lasting ways, breaking down the normal coping and processing functions. The author is especially critical of current psychological diagnostic and treatment practice for those suffering in the wake of trauma, saving his most ardent criticism for pharmaceutical reliance which only mask symptoms. He spends the last few chapters on treatments more focused on addressing trauma in unique ways that allow the sufferer to slowly begin processing things normally again. While the book is incredibly detailed, the author never overplays the science - it's an incredibly readable book.

5 bones!!!!!
Highly recommended!!!!!

A passionate investigation of the effects and treatment of trauma as a physical and psychological condition, using music, theater, and group connection.

This book is an exceptional walk through the history of the study, science behind, and resolution options for trauma. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the mechanisms and path to resolution of trauma for themselves or others.

This book was recommended to me by several independent sources and proved to be even more beneficial than was promised - highly recommended.

An excellent read. I subtracted a star solely due to the profanity used in a couple of the quotes throughout. Otherwise, it would have been a 5-star book.

I cannot express the importance of listening to our bodies when we experience any type of trauma or stress! Van der Kolk hit the nail on the head with this intense, and extremely informative self help journey (as I saw it) to help us overcome whatever trauma we are dealing with!

Treatment improvements for PTSD in a long sequence that seems to span forty years or so. The best message was the superiority of therapy over drug treatments.

This book is now six years old (published 2014 for those reading this later than 2020), but it's going to remain relevant to basic trauma treatment as long as we remain human.

I've been making my way through it since early November (I always read nonfiction slowly), and can finally report that it is well worth your time. In fact, I'd go so far as to say everyone probably should read at least parts of it. We all have trauma or know & love people who carry trauma. For me, it's given me not only ways to understand behaviors in me and those around me, but also it's given me ways to be kinder. I'm grateful for that.

It's also left me hopeful. If we can fight down the asshats who've been put in charge to serve the rich greedy and power-hungry few, there is real progress to be made for each other, with each other.

I read this to familiarize myself with PTSD and trauma because one of my characters suffers. So, writers? Do your readers a favor and use this as research. You'll learn a LOT.

Non-fiction about the history and latest research on trauma, and how to help those suffering from it, especially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or childhood trauma. The author is obviously passionate about his field, and in this book, he advocates going beyond traditional talk therapy or prescribing drugs to treat trauma victims. He outlines a variety of alternative treatments and cites research backing them up. The book is, at times, rather technical in nature, and probably will be more easily digested by those with an existing working knowledge of the scientific terminology in this field. Recommended to individuals interested in brain-related science, mind-body connections, or to practitioners dealing with trauma victims. Unfortunately, due to the inclusion of van der Kolk’s patients’ stories, this book would likely be triggering to those it is intended to help.

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has 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 neuro-feedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score offers proven alternatives to drugs and talk therapy—and a way to reclaim lives. Selected Reading Questionnaire.

This is my first book closely related to psychology
The information is way way too valuable.
The book provides a valuable analysis for various PTSD cases that shows how obvious symptoms or physical behaviour can be related to traumatic events, and how diagnosis similar to ADHD is not always the root cause for such behaviour.
Also highlights how childhood traumatic events can cause extremely long term effects even without us knowing.
I will have to keep thinking about this book for sometime.

That said, believing any narration of any writer because the writer said so, is not how we should read any book or a research.
Some points mentioned in the book are not what you can call hard evidence or easily reproducible results, which makes it hard to apply the same principle.
However I'm total stranger to the social science, it's possible that I don't get how the social science community discuss facts and details.
But still the book makes a compelling case to always look out for traumatic events even when it's not always visible.

Can't recommend highly enough.