Ezra's Bookshelf

The Body Keeps the Score

by Bessel van der Kolk · 466 pages · ~8.5 hrs

Health & MedicinePsychology & Mind

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Bessel van der Kolk synthesizes decades of research on trauma to explain how overwhelming experiences affect the brain and body, and how healing requires addressing both. Van der Kolk, a psychiatrist who founded the Trauma Center in Boston, argues that trauma is stored not just in memory but in the body itself--in muscle tension, breathing patterns, and physiological responses that persist long after the original danger has passed. He traces the history of trauma research from shell shock through Vietnam veterans to childhood abuse, showing how the field has struggled against resistance from those who prefer to ignore trauma's prevalence and effects. The book explains how trauma disrupts the brain systems that allow people to feel safe, manage emotions, and engage with others. Van der Kolk examines treatments ranging from EMDR to yoga to neurofeedback, emphasizing approaches that work with the body rather than relying solely on talk therapy. He writes about his patients with compassion while maintaining clinical clarity. The book reaches general readers who may recognize themselves in its descriptions while providing frameworks for clinicians. Van der Kolk argues that trauma is ubiquitous--affecting not just combat veterans but survivors of accidents, assault, neglect, and the daily violence of poverty--and that its treatment should be central rather than marginal to healthcare.

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