5 Steps To Completely HEAL your BODY & MIND to achieve SUCCESS

Please buy this book and start loving your life

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2016

A Trauma Survivor Must Read

Of all the non-fiction books I've read, this is by far the best one ever. I grew up in a tough way. Lots went wrong. My brother and I believed we were unwanted and we had plenty of evidence to back up our sentiment. We suffered shared abuse and individual abuses of every kind imaginable. When I became an adult, I subscribe to the concepts of people like Rush Limbaugh and drove around listening to his radio show proclaiming that there is no such thing as post-traumatic stress disorder. I believed I could gut it out, that the past was the past and that only weak people needed to talk through their problems. I believed only losers behaved badly as adults due to anything in their childhood or past and that claiming you were affected by any past problem was a crutch to allow you to embrace failure. Frankly, for a time, that approach worked for me. I got married, had some great children (still have them thankfully), built a company. But it didn't take too long until it all came crashing down. And, when it did, I spent nearly 1.5 decades down. The anxiety that was always in my throat and chest was, to put it mildly, a distraction. It's very hard to be kind to people, to focus on your work, to love others when all your power is spent trying to pretend you don't feel like s***. When you can't sleep because your heart is beating so forcefully that the entire bed is vibrating - at least it feels that way - you not only lose the joy of sleep, but you feel hopeless and miserable and even more so when you're not able to understand why you feel this way. When you see everything you have go away and can only occasionally find the strength to take care of yourself and your business and need others in your life to carry you from time to time (much to your embarrassment) and yet you think you're smart and capable and have no understanding of why you are where you are, life becomes a slog. You trudge through it wishing you were dead or that something would kill you even if, like me, you'd never kill yourself. Literally, when I was a believer, I went to bed every night and my prayers went something like this, "Dear Jesus, please have a bus run over me. I will never kill myself but I'm miserable. Please let me die so my family won't hate me for killing myself but so that I can stop hating the sun coming up. In Jesus name, Amen." If you're like I was (and it's hard to tell you how I was and hold the tears down even now), this book will help you change all that. It will describe in detail what you're going through and it captures so many of those subtleties as to make it absolutely amazing. For the first time, I don't have depression (and I don't take pills). I don't have anxiety (it still bubbles up on occasion but using mindfulness, it goes nearly as fast as it comes). My life is pointed in the right direction, my business future is hopeful, my love-life is stabilizing, I know I'll no longer lose friends. I'm finally on track to getting what I want in every area of my life from women to money to friends and deep connections with my family. While I can't attribute every part of my success to this book alone as it takes many things to get where you want to go (mostly you), I can absolutely attest to the power of this book. If you've suffered any sort of major and/or persistent trauma in your life, please buy (and read) this book. You will one day thank yourself for doing so.

3,665 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2017

It was the title “The Body Keeps the Score Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” that caught my attention. Having been a survivor of childhood onset trauma who has been striving to live a life beyond my past, this book really resonated with me.

Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., who has been in the field of psychiatry since the 1960’s, chronicles his experience working with veterans with PTSD, survivors of child sexual abuse, and adults with other body related trauma. From traditional talk therapy to medications for depression and anxiety, to yoga and neurofeedback, Dr. Bessel gives case study examples of the effectiveness of various types of treatment with the focus being on the nervous system, the brain, the mind, and the body combined.

Over the past 20 + years I have utilized many forms of therapy for the trauma I experienced with moderate success. Despite the time and energy I have applied, there have been areas that have proven to be resistant to letting go, and despite my best efforts, have been unresolved. I found myself feeling very frustrated until I read “The Body Keeps the Score”. At long last, I feel like someone heard me, understood my deepest inner conflicts, and could give me answers as to why I was thus far unable to let go and move on. In chapter 3 under the section “Speechless Horror,” Dr. Bessel describes an area in the left hemisphere called Broca’s area (speech center) that shuts down when trauma is experienced. In fact, according to Dr. Bessel, trauma shuts down most of the left hemisphere which controls out logic and being in the present while the right hemisphere where our emotions live, goes unchecked putting both hemispheres in conflict. It’s like walking several large dogs (the right hemisphere) whom all want to go a different direction at the same time while the dog walker (the left hemisphere) tries to maintain control; chaos ensues. Having this new understanding of how my brain was affected by the trauma, I now can consciously be aware of when the dogs won’t follow my commands.

In chapter 19 Dr. Bessel writes about neurofeedback. The type he refers to is different from the Low Energy Neurofeedback Sessions I have received. Traditional neurofeedback is interactive where LENS is passive, however, both are very effective for trauma, anxiety, and depression.

What a relief it has been to read this book and apply some of his suggestions. Dr. Bessel speaks about “top down and bottom up” regulation in Chapter 5 whereby focusing on breathing while engaging the left hemisphere of the brain, one can learn to consciously manage their anxiety. I have applied this concept with great success. That something so simple could have such a profound impact on me is wonderful. I have also incorporated yoga and neurofeedback. And again I have experienced tremendous results. I feel more aware and able to identify when my past neural patterns are influencing my present and then make a choice as to whether or not I want to follow the past or move forward into the present.

I highly recommend this book for therapists and survivors of trauma. The insights Dr. Bessel has put into this book are enlightening and helpful, especially to those who are not familiar with the persistent aspects of trauma.

1,037 people found this helpful

Opened my eyes to how to truly heal depression and anxiety

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2017

I have read close to 20 self-help books in the last 4 months. This book is the best book I have read about emotional issues due to childhood trauma, including emotional trauma that did not involve physical abuse. Van der Kolk's message that many diagnosed mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, and ADHD, are really just the results of and reactions to childhood trauma, stored in the body and the brain, was like getting hit by lightning. No more do I believe that there is something wrong with how my brain was wired from birth, or the chemicals in it. No longer do I have to feel despair that talk therapy has never helped me after 20 years. No longer do I worry that I am hopeless because meds or herbs or acupuncture or exercise haven't helped me. Now I know there are concrete things I can do to help heal my wounds, such as meditation, neurofeedback, and the right kind of therapy (not plain vanilla talk therapy). I have learned more about myself in the last 3 months than I have in 20 years of therapy, and already feel like I have improved my ability to interact with other people. Thank you, Dr. van der Kolk. The other book I would highly recommend is: https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Children-Alcoholic-Dysfunctional-Families/dp/0978979702/

645 people found this helpful

The new Bible for Trauma

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2014

Incredible Source for Healing

This is the new Bible for anyone affected by trauma, or who works in the field. Van der Kolk has synthesized the most important new breakthroughs in neuroscience, psychology and body-centered therapies, to create a coherent blueprint for understanding and treating trauma. He writes simply and lucidly, and brings his deep insights to life with engaging anecdotes.

I suffered PTSD and severe anxiety for many years, and tried all the usual therapies (CBT, medication, analysis, diet, exercise, acupuncture, vitamins, group therapy etc.). Frankly, nothing really worked until I discovered - and applied - the somatic (body) techniques espoused by van der Kolk, and other luminaries such as Peter Levine, Pat Ogden, and Eugene Gendlin. It took me a long time to understand – and accept – their message that trauma impacts the more ancient (reptilian) part of the brain where talk-therapies just can't reach, let alone affect.

The only way to ‘communicate’ with this pre-verbal system is through the body, which can signal to the brain stem that it is OK to begin the process of unfreezing the emotional paralysis that has plagued us for decades. So much depends on our willingness and capacity to feel and experience what is going on inside us - not just think about it.

Of course, it is also important to understand what is going on at a cognitive level in order to make sense of things. So there is certainly a role for traditional talk therapy, but it is not the main game. By combining a bottom-up (somatic) and a top-down (cognitive) approach, as van der Kolk suggests, it is possible to move towards genuine healing - not just a suppression of symptoms. This is not theoretical for me. I have experienced it.

The other truly great book on this subject is Peter Levine’s ‘In an Unspoken Voice’, which explains his ‘somatic experiencing’ (SE) therapy. Levine’s book is arguably narrower in scope than van der Kolk’s, but his writing has such a poetic quality that it communicates more than the words themselves. The first time I read Levine’s book I felt my body respond to his truths at a visceral level. It is a deeply healing and magical work.

2,227 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2017

My Life-Saving Trauma Bible

I rarely write reviews, but this book has been so life changing for me that I feel the need to review it in the hope that others who are searching for answers might be led to read it. For decades I felt less-than, broken somehow, plagued by guilt, shame, and confusion about why I was so stuck in a paralyzing rut of self doubt that kept me from the sense of self I craved. Intellectually I understood that I felt the way that I did because of past and ongoing trauma, but I could never fully bridge the gap between knowing and actually FEELING. For example, no matter how many times I told myself that my traumatic feelings were valid, no matter if I knew it to be true, I couldn't stop the voice inside berating me as weak, too sensitive, dramatic, undeserving, etc. which was a source of constant stress and triggering. This book helped me to be able to detach enough to observe what triggered what emotional responses and enabled me to practice understanding self care in a manner that seemed impossible before. The book is also incredibly well written and interesting for just about anyone with an interest in body-mind connection and trauma. I recently sent a copy to a veteran with PTSD since the author has so much experience and knowledge with that population. This is a book I will keep and reread regularly. This is a book with great healing potential and I am truly and fully excited about my future for the first time in a long while.

368 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2021

Hitting the nail right on the head

“I think this man is suffering from memories.”

So, this book changed my life. No, really. In fact, it’s *saved* it.

I have severe PTSD. And despite years of therapy, it seemed to be getting worse instead of better. My flashbacks were occurring more and more often. I was becoming more and more lethargic and frozen in time. And suicide was constantly just *there* in my mind. Constant. I’d even set a date.

And then my insurance quit paying for my therapy.

As a last, desperate grasp for help, I started to read this book.

I have never read anything more validating and more hopeful. To see the brain scans and hear the science that explained *exactly* what has happened to my brain, what is going on during my flashbacks and why I’m always physically sick—all the times I’ve gone to a doctor in pain or feeling like I’m having a heart attack or a stroke only to be told they can’t find anything wrong—brought me to tears. It gave me all the answers I’ve been searching for. It gave everything a scientific, medical explanation—and a path to *healing*.

He explained why all of my EMDR therapy wasn’t working—it was because my therapists (bless them!) were doing it wrong. And I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned from my therapists and this book and do EMDR on my own, and today... today I feel more like my old, genuine self, than I have in *years*. The shadow of suicidal thoughts no longer follows me. I feel *light*. And I have *hope*—genuine *hope*—that I actually *can* get better! I’m always telling people *they* can get better and there’s hope for *them*... but I haven’t felt that way about myself. Now, I do. I haven’t had that hope in a long, *long* time. And I even think, after years of struggling and finally making such great progress in such a short time, maybe—just maybe—I can be cured. I never thought I’d say that! The future is so exciting to me now!

If you have trauma, do be warned—Dr. van der Kolk talks a lot about his clients and their traumatic experiences and it can be very triggering. Some of the details I felt he definitely could’ve left out, honestly. However, the scientific information, the validation and the information on how to heal trauma, has made this book absolutely *priceless* to me. It’s my trauma bible. I’ll be re-reading it in the future and constantly referring to it.

Edit: I keep seeing reviews on here from people who were super upset by the story of the Vietnam vet who murdered a family, raped the mother and left her to die. Honestly, I flipped out at that part, too (aka, had a flashback), in large part because I misunderstood what Dr. van der Kolk was trying to say. I thought for a moment that he was trying to justify what the man did, and had to email my old therapist about it. Of course, she had the book and was able to read the scene. She encouraged me to reread his conclusion, and pointed out to me that he’s actually saying how difficult it was to try to treat him objectively because what the man had done was an absolute atrocity. He never actually justifies it. He calls it an atrocity. It’s just worded weird, and if you’re already triggered by what you’ve just read, it is *easily* misunderstood. I hope he clarifies this in future editions. You have to keep in mind that, van der Kolk’s target audience is actually other therapists. For this reason, it *was* difficult for me to read. I was violently attacked and molested at 5-years-old and repeatedly raped and abused as a teenager. His going over other people’s abuse is overly detailed at times and I had to skip many of those scenes.

However, I don’t hold any of this against him at all. The information in this book has changed my life, I feel seen and validated, and I stand by that almost a year after reading it. I keep it right on my writing desk where it’s easily found for reference. Am I cured yet? No. Did my flashbacks stop? Nope. This year has been an unexpected nightmare full of triggers. But I’ve made *so* much progress. And I have hope. And that’s what I need to make it through each day. I sincerely believe that, through a lot of work (which I’m willing to do!), I can be cured in time. And all of that started with this book.

33 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2018

The challenge is that insurance companies and big pharma don't want things like "developmental trauma" (which would be a diagnosis for kids) ...

When three years ago I started looking for "answers", I had no idea what the "question" even was. I just felt that it had been there for a very long time and I could ignore it no longer. And this, for me, resulted in a lot of trial-and-error, bouncing around various self-help, psychology, psychotherapy and spirituality centered books. And last month I came across "The Body Keeps the Score". I spent a whole month with it not because I am a particularly slow reader or because it is a particularly long book. But because at almost every page turn I felt that I needed to highlight one or more paragraphs or make a note. Having finished reading it today and looking at the number of highlights and notes this resulted in - for context, I'm an e-reader user - I realize there's literally hundreds!

Now, I refrain from using the phrase "this book changed my life". I sincerely believe that only one's own choices have that power. But what I can say is that I have been given so much information that I was previously missing and so many of the puzzle pieces fell into place, that I can finally hit the nail right on the head when it comes to understanding the "question" that drove me in the first place: can things, those fundamental and deeply embedded into your emotional core "things", be different? In the author's own words, "people can learn to control and change their behavior, but only if they feel safe enough to experiment with new solutions".

Developmental trauma disorder is a very real thing and it requires very real attention, both inward and outward. And, among others, that's exactly what this gem of a book is all about.

52 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2018

THE BEST BOOK WRITTEN ON PTSD & TRAUMA

Incredibly enlightening! I learned a lot about the effects of trauma when left untreated, and numerous treatment modalities. The neuroscience is fascinating and educational. NOTE: This IS written for the layperson! You don't need to be an MD or PhD to understand. This is such important information and should be incorporated into our mental health diagnostic and treatment standards. The challenge is that insurance companies and big pharma don't want things like "developmental trauma" (which would be a diagnosis for kids) included in the diagnostic manuals. They would lose too much money. Instead, kids continue to be misdiagnosed (ADD/ADHD, ODD, EBD, CD) and medicated with drugs that have no chance of fixing the problem. If you've had a trauma in childhood that was never resolved, if you are raising a child with challenges (attachment, trauma, adoption, etc.), if you've had trauma as an adult that you just can't shake - THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

56 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2016

One of the Most Important Book to read

This is the greatest book ever written on trauma and especially PTSD. This book has changed my life even after 23 years of dealing with this problem which included 8 years of counseling with 4 different counselors. It explains what you are going through in a compassionate way and gives you a means to heal, change and become who you want to be! Just DO NOT BUY FROM TOTAL BOOKS-It did not arrive even after 30 days.

85 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2018

As many others have written, Bessel did an amazing job in explaining the experience of traumatic person in a way that make sense. If I had purchased this book a long time ago, I think I would have cut out a lot time spend foe healing.

The most important thing I got from this book however is how people aren't the sum of their actions. There is more to what you see. Our lives are interconnected, our actions especially at home with our own family have a huge impact on society as a whole. Mother Theresa was right when she said for us to go home and take care of our family. If we are to become an enlighten society, this is the source of the problem.

Side Note:

When I say take care of family, I don't mean just providing food, clothes and shelter or force guidance or no dicipline. Also there are ways we can traumatized ppl by non-physical means. Parenting without a doubt is the most difficult job a human can possibly do. I just wish we took this as seriously as society claim to be. With the whole kids getting separated due to deportation, we are looking at possibly breeding traumatized children that will later be deemed as society "troublemakers". We sure love to point finger at anything but ourselves.

Don't act surprise or innocent the next time you hear mass shooting it wouldnt be the gun fault. We have failed as a whole to stop traumatizing each other starting from our children.

30 people found this helpful

Charlotte

Can't praise this book highly enough, truly amazing work

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2016

The mark of truth is simple elegance.

This book has helped me tremendously. I wish I could put into words how much this has changed my outlook on my PTSD and helped me progress.

There's something about understanding the physiological symptoms of PTSD that makes you feel validated in your experience. Whether you have PTSD from a traumatic childhood, military experience, or a single traumatic event, this book will give you that validation. The book offers many insights into new therapy techniques for treating PTSD, along with examples of the many people that have successfully combatted it.

I truly feel compassion and empathy coming from the author as I read, and I am impressed by his extensive career in helping people. He does a great job building trust as you read and providing scientific proof for treatment methods so that you feel confident that what he's saying is true. This isn't a wishy washy book about having the right attitude. It's a science-driven description of how PTSD symptoms occur, why they occur, and the many treatments that you can choose from to work through it. For me, reading this book was a treatment in itself.

62 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2018

The dialogue of this book is so cohesive and to the point of trauma's consequences that it feels like a locked door finally open

Ive heard so much rubbish in my time about why I am so sad about things and it all just didnt sound right to me. I didnt believe the cruddy therapists I always seemed to find when they told me i had a biological depression because anti-depressants did nothing for me. And cognitive behavioral therapy came across to me as a particularly moronic form of mind control. I knew the reality of my misery but I didn't have the words to explain what I had gone through . The worst was when I finally found an affordable clinic and the intake person said I would have to attend dmestic violence class because "a lot of people dont realize that yelling is a form of domestic abuse." I was diagnosed with ADHD only at the advanced age of 46 which made me curious because I never was identified as having a learning disability . I stumbled upon a definition of C-PTSD which then landed me on van der Kolk's youtube videos. When I heard him say that instead of the typical response of telling them to not kill themselves , we should instead help them have a happier life, I knew I was listening to a very wise man. Because I have learned in my many years that is known by how simply elegant it is, and its true all the time, not some of the time. I find this explanation about the origin of much mental illness to be lack of connection, first in the family and then in society. This is such an inconvenient message for a materialistic world where money and lifestyle are more important than children. I've read this book cover to cover very fast, then started it again. But I realized that this book is so important that I must give copies to all the people I know who are traumatized: a girl who I befriended because I couldn't stand how she was getting bullied so bad. We are still friends to this day! A new acquaintance whose wife is really suffering and it sounds like she is traumatized. One of my brothers who was always the golden child in my mom's eyes so he doesnt think my mom was bad, but i was born too sensitive. But I told him to just read the book because it talks about disassociation and minimization. The truth is simple: bad parenting causes so much trauma. And this seems like an inconvenient truth that wont be supported enough. So I just keep talking to people and pass along this amazing insightful book.

23 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2016

A very insightful book of the mind and body after trauma. The dialogue of this book is so cohesive and to the point of trauma's consequences that it feels like a locked door finally opened wide. I was assaulted in college and have been plagued with PTSD as well as many other emotional, mental, and physical symptoms since then. I had conquered the majority of it, or so I had thought, until I went to a hotel that looked oddly familiar to where my attack occurred, in the same city. Although I wasn't afraid and wasn't even thinking of my trauma in any way, my body remembered, and I started shaking, sweating, and was unable to make coherent thoughts or statements for the next 3 hours. It frightened me, that my body was saving this panic for triggers I didn't even know I had. I felt a bit helpless, unknowing of when or why I would flip out again. I came upon this book in a bookstore, just on chance. It intrigued me that someone was addressing the bodily issues of mental trauma- you don't see that often, and it's exactly what I wanted to understand. This book has given me hope and motivation to address all aspects of my trauma, and I've passed it around my family so they can finally begin to understand. It's worth it.

54 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2020

I bought this book several years ago, and just now getting around to reading it because I've known for quite some time that I was dealing with the effects of childhood trauma in my present life- I just wasn't ready to deal with it back then. Now 5 years later, I'm finally ready and signed up for therapy. I picked this book up because I thought it would be a good segway into my trauma therapy. This book is triggering. Some nights I'd be reading and have to put it down because I'd just start crying and having flashbacks. I am already seeing the bodily effects, as I was diagnosed recently with an autoimmune immune condition which I have no family history of and it effects the EXACT organs mentioned in this book- im already a psychology geek, so to me it was fascinating learning how your brain processes and keeps processing unsolved trauma. This book goes in to great detail with that. I would definitely recommend this book in conjunction with professional therapy, it's a life changer! So glad i finally dusted it off 😊

15 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2017

Review of The Body Keeps The Score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk

Jerry Woolpy

We learn that trauma may imprint a memory that is registered in the emotional brain in sensory but not in rational terms because it is blocked from reaching consciousness in the pre-frontal cortex. This is what is meant by traumatic memory, which is distinctly different from regular memory. The non-traumatic memory we are familiar with can change to fit our presumed history or whatever we convince ourselves of. Traumatic memories are not readily controllable and may recur when presented with an associated sensory experience or dream. They erupt like nightmares reliving the original experience. Traumatic memories are common in people who have experienced sexual or other abuse or neglect early in their lives or as youngsters or adults. They may result in soldiers who have experienced the horrors of war. Accident victims or any extremely terrifying event can result in a traumatic memory. But the same experience may result in very different memories in different people—some traumatic and some not. “Having a good support network constitutes the single most powerful protection against becoming traumatized.”

Historically, among those who profess psychology, traumatic memories have cycled between recognition and denial. But like Sigmund Freud, even practitioners who recognized traumatic memories have had limited ability to treat them. Others, like the American and British military, until recently, have seen fit to deny them in the interest of recruitment and their failure to cope effectively with afflicted veterans.

However, with the advent of the latest neuroscience, we can localize particular events in specific parts of the brain and so develop a new understanding of trauma. Now we can measure precisely the impact of various treatments on the physiology of traumatic memory. What works to bring to consciousness one person’s traumatic memory may not work for another, although certain types of trauma are more likely to respond to similar treatments.

The book reviews case histories of various traumatic memories and their successful and unsuccessful treatments. Drugs may help patients cope with trauma but are not curative. Cognitive therapy and desensitization may help a patient to understand the traumatic problem but also are not curative. “Recovery from trauma involves the restoration of executive functioning and, with it, self-confidence and the capacity for playfulness and creativity.”

The rhythmic movements of yoga, tai chi, qigong, drumming, aikido, and judo help many. For some, neurofeedback is effective, as is learning to breathe calmly in a relaxed state. Taking the part of an actor in a theater production can be helpful. The touch of a person with favorable personal connection can help. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has been useful to many in search of bringing a traumatic event to consciousness.

Trauma victims are detached from the usual body sensations so body awareness is essential to put them in touch with their inner world. Mindfulness helps trauma victims get in touch with the ebb and flow of emotions and to control them. “Becoming aware of how your body organizes particular emotions or memories opens up the possibility of releasing sensations and impulses you once blocked in order to survive.”

As a result of neuroscience and numerous trial and error approaches described in this book, we are becoming capable of treating traumatic memory as never before.

30 people found this helpful

Rural ID.nurseTop Contributor: Pets

Tremendous

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017

This is a tremendous volume of great information. I eagerly read it page after page, chapter after chapter. There is such good progress being made in the treatment of trauma and it is here to learn about. The brain changes and challenges of those who have experienced trauma is laid out to be easily understood as are the things that do work and why as well as the things that don't work (and why). I would love to have this psychiatrist treat me and my trauma issues!!

42 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2021

I think part of what others did not like about this is that it truly doesn't have a lot in the way of "do this". Which is fine because that space is already overloaded. What this book has that no other seems to is the actual SCIENCE behind why trauma survivors, particularly those with childhood trauma, may not respond as well or at all to conventional therapy. I'm one of those with both childhood and adult trauma. It's been a long journey and Brainspotting (like EMDR) was a lifesaver for me. Had I read this book before therapy, I think it would have been hard to read as so much hits close to home and ironically could make you feel helpless and that nothing will work for you if you don't actually finish the book. I read this post-therapy and was able to fully engage and be grateful for the additional insights and understanding of why my brain doesn't work like it is "supposed to". I will be forever grateful for this book and the place it has had in my journey to healing. If you are a trauma survivor or love someone who is, this book may be life changing for you as well. Please find a qualified trauma specialist and read this book (in that order).

8 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2017

One of the first steps in getting past trauma is understanding what has happened and why we cannot experience peace and joy - th

This was suggested to me by a friend and I was skeptical. Trauma. That's only for war veterans right? While war vets do come by the PTSD diagnosis rightfully, this book made me see just how acutely all humans are effected by trauma to some degree or another. It's just part of our experience in this realm. And as we heal ourselves, we heal the world. Dr. van der Kolk provides many, many examples from his practice throughout the years, and even from his own personal experiences. Some examples are slightly disturbing to take in, but necessary to the whole of this work. He lays out his years of research and progress and explains all of it in terms that anyone can understand. I have been profoundly moved, and will never see the world the same. And I mean that in a good way. This book has broadened my understanding of my past and it's residue, and has allowed me to see my fellow humans in a more compassionate light. Everyone should read this book. Seriously.

30 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2016

Everything makes sense now.

Everyone on earth should read this book whether you have experienced trauma or not. For those who haven't experienced trauma, this book will help you understand why some (traumatized) people are the way they are. For those who have experienced trauma (chronic or acute, childhood or adult), this book will explain what the mind and body do to survive and the injury (PTSD) that follows. One of the first steps in getting past trauma is understanding what has happened and why we cannot experience peace and joy - the mind turns off its emotional capability to survive through horrifying despair, but in turn the positive emotions shut down as well. If you have chronic pain (i.e. fibromyalgia or any autonomic dysfunction), fatigue, anxiety, and/or depression, please read this book. Those symptoms are the body's signals that the emotional record (score) that it has kept track of needs to be emotionally experienced - with that, the emotional mind comes back online and after much grieving, rage, sorrow, and fear are felt, the room for peace and joy opens up. This book will remove the doubt and guilt you've condemned yourself with because you can't 'snap out of it' or 'you just gotta move on' or 'time heals all wounds.' Those who give such superficial advice have had the fortune of an easy life. To those who have not had such fortune: You can heal from this. Don't let a doctor tell you you're screwed for life - they also do not understand trauma unless their name is Bessel van der Kolk.

82 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2021

I adopted a teenaged boy from China in November 2017. He was 13.5 at that time. We were both woefully unprepared. I did not know that most of not all of these children had been repeatedly abused, in every manner possible. He thought America was an endless game, where he would be safe and able to do anything he liked.

If I had been properly prepared, I doubt that I would have gone through with the adoption. It failed almost exactly a year after he came home. He would have done much better if he stayed there. The hustle of trauma would be unchanged, but at least he wouldn't have to deal with his entire life being charged. New country, language, school, people, language - and his triggers. He wanted to make it work, but he couldn't. And I had no idea how to help him.

Now we are both sad, with no recourse.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ADOPTION.

Think of the trauma these kids have survived, and then add ripping them from everything that know. What

Alexis Houck

a must read for our times

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2016

I am not surprised that Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's book on trauma has received so many, so accurate and informative reviews from the professional community...people generally know a good thing when they see it. So do read the professional reviews for the specifics of the book so you understand what content and philosophy youZ be entering into with him. For me, I think Jon Kabat-Zinn comes the closest to what I find so enthralling about the book.....the empathy, compassion, the understanding of what it means to be human and the non diagnostic approach to an individual are the gems contained therein as well as the knowledge and science. I am a retired RN (specialty in psychiatry) and LPC (counselor or psychotherapist) who worked in mental health for my career. I am used to both the client manual approach and evidence based treatments but that is not all we human beings are. When you are "in the trenches" of a therapeutic journey with someone, I tend to pay attention to what resonates with the individual, which supports the belief that people have an intuition within about what is healing for them. While there are some cautions about pacing and preparation and re-establishing safety, the basic intuition of someone points in the direction of healing. This is a book that I couldn't wait to pick up again and find out what the next chapter would reveal;a book that had me standing up cheering for the delightful and informative mixture of knowledge, humanism and de-stigmatizing of tramatized people. The last chapter, IMO, is the choice for society, the call to action to look at what we need to change to decrease trauma experiences. I hope we choose wisely.

41 people found this helpful

Michael PhilliberTop Contributor: Karate

Captivating!

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2018

A must-read for anyone who is, or knows, a victim of trauma

After being struck by trauma – combat, auto accident, assault, abuse – why do the dreams come and come and come? From where does the anxiety, distractedness, or outburst originate? Are there reasons for the gut balling up into a knot and the chest squeezing tight and feeling like it will implode when unwanted memories of the distress invade? Why does the recall come in pieces, chunks, or flashes? And then there’s the inability to communicate, the mental shut-down, the emotional-frigidity; what is that all about? Is there any way to move from the trauma and its aftermath to some sense of genuine wellbeing? All of these subjects, and more, are covered by Bessel van der Kolk, founder and medical director of the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts, professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, and director of the National Complex Trauma Treatment Network, in his 464 page paperback, “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma”. This volume is written for both the helping-professions technician and therapist, as well as for the traumatized and their families. With thousands of book reviews already posted and published, I’ll make this review brief.

“The Body Keeps the Score” unpacks the way trauma affects us, mind, brain, and body. The author looks at multiple forms of therapy, showing their strengths and limits. He recognizes that there are “fundamentally three avenues [of therapy]: 1) top down, by talking, (re-) connecting with others, and allowing ourselves to know and understand what is going on with us, while processing the memories of the trauma; 2) by taking medicines that shut down inappropriate alarm reactions, or by utilizing other technologies that change the way the brain organizes information, and 3) bottom up: by allowing the body to have experiences that deeply and viscerally contradict the helplessness, rage, or collapse that results from trauma” (3). Van der Kolk addresses each of these approaches while explaining in detail what harrowing ordeals do to people.

The author’s proposition through the pages is that the anguish of assault and abuse “changes brain development, self-regulation, and the capacity to stay focused and in tune with others…experiences change the structure and function of the brain – and even affect the genes we pass on to our children…devastates the social-engagement system and interferes with cooperation, nurturing, and the ability to function as a productive member of the clan” (349, 351). One of the aspects that surprised me was how the “ventral vagal complex” – the vagus nerve that interfaces with other nervous systems – takes what my brain is experiencing (even re-experiencing through PTSD, etc.) and mobilizes muscles, heart, lungs and other body parts, so that I feel the alarm – or helplessness – or grief in my brain all the way down into my chest and stomach! Which means my body begins to take on muscle-memory (as we put it in martial arts)! Therefore, if “the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems, and if mind/brain/visceral communication is the royal road to emotion regulation, this demands a radical shift in our therapeutic assumptions (88). It’s this “radical shift in therapeutic assumptions” that dominates the authors final eight chapters, where he methodically explains different “paths to recovery”. This is truly a captivating read!

Van der Kolk weaves into the technical aspects of the book biographical and autobiographical tales that help the reader to see what has gone on, and not gone on, in the world of psychiatry and psychology regarding trauma. The stories also help to cement into the imagination and comprehension what he is trying to communicate. The book is reasonably technical with neuroscience, brain studies, physiology, professional acronyms and so forth. But the author is careful to not leave anyone in the dark. It is a fascinating read that treats the audience as mature enough to handle the subject and grasp the material. I disagreed with the evolutionary explanations of how the brain develops and found the little political rant in the epilogue disappointing. But beyond these, I was almost mesmerized by the book!

“The Body Keeps the Score” is a whole textbook on physiology, brain studies and neuroscience, as well as therapeutic theories. It is not a self-help book, but readers who are looking for help will likely find it beneficial. Helping professionals may also find it advantageous as the author has a plethora of notes on various studies and articles. But I think that the biggest value will be for those who have family members, friends, and parishioners that have been through violent experiences. It gives a bigger and better perspective on what s going on, and they will be able to draw from the various paths to recovery approaches they can take as they seek to be part of the remedy and not the trauma. I highly recommend the book.

15 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020

Fascinating, Moving, & Well-Written

If you or someone you care about is suffering the aftereffects of any type of trauma, I highly recommend this book. I have gained so many insights, see so many things I wish I'd handled differently--and I'm only half way through.

Yes, there is a bit of scientific material where it's absolutely necessary to clarify what he's going to describe, but the diagrams and photos make it fairly easy to follow and he doesn't overdo it.

The author takes you through his journey of learning how best to work with his trauma patients, so mostly he's just telling the story of how he and other mental health practitioners learned about the way trauma affects the brain and body, and how to help the victims heal.

My son's PTSD stems from his war time experiences, mine from early domestic violence, but I see--and now understand--so many familiar actions and attitudes that pertain to at least one of us and often both. It is so much easier to discuss things. It is so much easier to avoid the triggers that provoke ugliness, so much easier to love and understand each other, that this book would have been worth any amount of money for what it's given us. So please, if this is you or a loved one, buy this and see the amazing changes in your life.

8 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2020

One of the Best Books on Mental Illness & Trauma!

The author lives up to his reputation. This book is definitely worth buying, whether you have experienced PTSD yourself and/or work with people who have experienced it. The author cites & explains cutting edge evidence- based research and describes how he has deployed varying options with a variety of clients. He has extensive clinical experience working with folks from different walks of life, including children. Despite the risk of burn-out, he maintains empathy and compassion even with the most difficult clients. Nor does he shrink from challenging other experts' assumptions if they do not work well when applied "in the trenches." He is also very collegial, open-minded, and non-judgemental and is willing to try new approaches to all to his "tool box."

Fortunately, he also writes well. One suggestion: some sections are so intense to read about and contemplate that I recommend you consider "resting" between sections. I will probably go back and re-read some parts in the future. I also recommend this text to clinicians and attorneys and judges who deal with victims of domestic violence - especially in this time of sequestration...

10 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2020

Masterpiece on Trauma; It’s Origin & Healing

I'd heard great things about this book and I was NOT disappointed. I learned so much about trauma, mental illness, and myself as I read The Body Keeps the Score. My book is dog-eared with pages of underlined passages that resonated with me, and I've been recommending the book left and right to other people in my life who are struggling with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental ailments often caused by a traumatic past. I also used this in therapy, often referring to it as I discussed different topics with my therapist. The only issue I had was the fact that the author often used examples from real patients he spoke to. Many times he would briefly but (sometimes) graphically describe horrible things that had happened to the patient. Though I think understanding a patient's situation was necessary to understand his examples, there were often times I cringed or felt my gut clench for those poor folks. If you happen to be REALLY sensitive to descriptions of trauma, just keep that in mind. However, I definitely plan to read this book again sometime. I think anyone who has suffered from mental illness--or knows someone who has--should read this book.

8 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2020

Essential Reading! One of the Most Important Books in My 50 Years of Life

This book is a masterpiece. Truly. And, Bessel Van Der Kolk is a genius. Mainly for searching for answers to what he saw over and over again clinically. Not simply medicating symptoms away, he strove to understand the ORIGIN of these and find another way to treat. How completely radical in our age of rampant medication. Especially as a practicing psychiatrist. Radical indeed. As a psychologist who has studied trauma extensively and healed from my own, I cannot recommend this treatise highly enough. Very readable, but take your time- it’s dense and requires processing. I kept a journal. As other readers have noted, it’s HEAVY!!

Also, this book has been an essential reference during these past 70 days of shelter in place lockdown, attempting to understand some people’s traumatic response to fear of illness and threat to their bodies that COVID pandemic represents. I’ve also recently suffered a tragic injury and broken bones and reading this book AGAIN helped me process the PTSD state of mind I found myself in and cope more effectively. BRAVO DR!

7 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2019

In nearly 50 years on this planet few books are as transformationally important as The Body Keeps The Score (TBKTS). The ramifications of Dr. Van der Kolk's perspective impacts: faith, health, family life, employment, learning, and communication. The profound insight presented in TBKTS is a masterwork, essential reading for anyone concerned with mental health or simply with relationships with other people. Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk proves he is not simply in full command of the neuroscience field, but a deft communicator articulating a heartfelt cry for better understanding and treatment of toxic stress, the effects of trauma on brain development, and our attachment systems.

Van der Kolk's work is dense. He presents a deep dive into the roots and fruit of trauma. In a world where trauma is increasingly prevalent, Van der Kolk offers understanding and solutions. I read it. My friends have read it. TBKTS challenges and enlightens while Van der Kolk makes a case for a greater understanding by professional members of the psychological community, counselors, and therapists. He more than makes the case.

In the process, Van der Kolk provides paths to freedom from internal torment that shows up physically and emotionally in the lives of millions of people.

If this sounds hyperbolic, read the book. Then tell me I'm wrong. There are some points at the end of the book where Van der Kolk leaves the role of counselor and doctor and makes policy recommendations I disagree with. That not withstanding, few books offer to transform the lives of countless individuals, families, and communities around the world more than TBKTS. Future research might reveal greater insight. It will not diminish the ground shift and hope Van der Kolk offers. TBKTS is a must read.

8 people found this helpful

Shauna & Glenn Turner

Outstanding resource for Trauma Victims, NOT JUST THERAPISTS

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2022

Best trauma book ever. Good for both scholars & anyone with a brain!

Unfortunately, I have suffered many traumatic events in my life, beginning at age 5. From Rape, to Immediate Family Members Committing Suicide, to losing my home and everything I own in a Cat 5 Hurricane (just to mention a few).

My Therapist recommended it, and my Psychiatrist definitely approved. I researched it on Amazon before purchasing. Luckily the page contained an excerpt from the book. After reading that, I knew it was an absolute must have.

Though diagnosed with PTSD, I had NO IDEA how many of my daily symptoms were from my past traumatic events. If you live with this condition, do yourself a favor, buy the book, get help sooner, rather than later. I have been suffering through this life for SO MANY years with no idea why I was the way I was. Doctor's only diagnosed me with Depression and treated that with meds. Meds did keep me from being Suicidal, but provided no other relief in my daily life. For 18 years my husband has lived with a wife who is unable to feel joy or happiness, has no hopes, dreams, or goals, is on a ton of meds but never improves. He's an amazing man.

Now, we BOTH have HOPE that I can finally improve my life! And that's worth ANYTHING. They say "Knowing is half the battle". Being able to recognize your symptoms for what they are, is the first step and this book has already helped me to do just that.

It will be a slow read for me, because it is so EMOTIONALLY PROVOCATIVE for someone in my condition. But I'm ok with that. Healing takes time. It is provocative because I RESONATE with it. It explains so much! I can see myself in these case stories and it's incredible. It's cathartic, finally getting to release things that have built up inside me for so long.

I couldn't recommend a book more highly for victims of Trauma. Don't wait, buy it and help yourself heal.

4 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2021

THE most positively life changing book I have ever read

I give this book five stars for its CONTENT but I felt it would be silly to take a whole star off just because of the publisher.

My only issues are small so I’ll just get them out of the way:

— Sentences are missing MANY commas, so I often have to reread to understand. But it’s worth it because this is the best psychology book I have EVER read, & I’ve only read a 100 pages!

— Softcover is super flimsy, pages are nearly as thin as bible paper. This makes it really hard to take notes in the book. I have my B.S in psych so I wanna use this as a reference when I make it to grad school. I wish it was closer to the size of a textbook.

ANYWAY!

I don’t even know where to start. I’ve read so many of the popular psychology/self-help books & still felt like something wasnt making sense about the trauma part. I have had a few traumatic experiences in childhood & I’m still figuring out how I feel about myself at 30yrs old.

If you think you have trauma, you probably do. It can be small. It does mot have to be a war zone or car accident to distort your thinking. Anyone who reads this book or considers it needs to understand this because you need to accept your trauma to let yourself move on. You deserve it!

This book is a cure for the curious. It’s the best manual for ANY person who seeks out therapy or wants to try to use self-educating. This book has everything you can think of related to trauma.

It will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. I consider myself fairly educated on the subject & I constantly find myself in awe of what the writer says.

This book is perfect for you or your family so they can help understand you & vice versa. I have been marking passages to show to my family. I don’t believe there is ANYONE who couldn’t benefit from this absolute masterpiece.

Go buy it. You will not regret it. I rarely buy physical copies of books but I HAD to have this one after reading it on my kindle. I am just in love with this book. I see myself buying another copy in the future just for notes.

P.S.- i wish Amazon would ban book reviews that give bad reviews based on how it arrived. Amazon will always help you out if you just go to the chat section!

4 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020