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Book Review Pro | Karen Pool
Book Review Pro | Karen Pool
Author : Bessel van der Kolk
Genre : Self-Help
“Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” —Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies
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. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In this dense, detailed book, The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback, eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity.
Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives. It is the fruit of thirty years of trying to understand how people deal with, survive, and heal from traumatic experiences.
“Nobody can ‘treat’ a war, or abuse, rape, molestation, or any other horrendous event, for that matter; what has happened cannot be undone. But what can be dealt with are the imprints of the trauma on body, mind, and soul. Trauma robs you of the feelings that you are in charge of yourself, or what I will call self-leadership. The challenge of recovery is to reestablish ownership of your body and your mind—of your self—to restore the proper balance between the rational and emotional brain.”
“Neuroscience research has shown that we possess two distinct forms of self-awareness: one that keeps track of the self across time and one that registers the self in the present moment. One system creates a story for public consumption. The other system registers a different truth, how we experience the situation deep inside. It is this second system that needs to accessed, befriended, and reconciled.”
“There are two assertions that extend the concept of mindfulness into the realm of active self-leadership. The first is that this Self does not need to be cultivated or developed. Beneath the surface of the protective parts of trauma survivors there exists an undamaged essence, a Self that is confident, curious, and calm, a Self that has been sheltered from destruction by the various protectors that have emerged in their efforts to ensure survival. The second is that, rather than being a passive observer, this mindful Self can help reorganize the inner system and communicate with the parts in a way that help those parts trust that there is someone inside who can handle things. Internal family systems therapy (IFS) focuses on cultivating an inner relationship between the Self and the various protective parts.”
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