Guide to Bessel van der Kolk's, MD The Body Keeps the Score

By IRB Media

PLEASE NOTE: This is a companion to Bessel van der Kolk's, MD The Body Keeps the Score and NOT the original book.

Preview:

In The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk, MD, explores the ways in which trauma rewires the brain and changes the way people experience the world.

Trauma affects the mind and body immensely and prevents those affected from living in the present.

Inside this companion:

• Overview of the book

• Important People

• Key Insights

• Analysis of Key Insights

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• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Nov 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781944195236

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Overview

In The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk, MD, explores the ways in which trauma rewires the brain and changes the way people experience the world.

Trauma affects the mind and body immensely and prevents those affected from living in the present. Van der Kolk, who has researched trauma since the 1970s, first became interested in trauma after meeting with Vietnam veterans who had a very hard time living their lives after returning from the war. They would become very angry, numb to their regular life, and unable to leave behind traumatic moments that occurred during war time. Van der Kolk was instrumental in identifying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and creating strategies to help those afflicted by

Reviews for Guide to Bessel van der Kolk's, MD The Body Keeps the Score

[keebrook · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

van der Kolk weaves together a narrative from his own journey towards an understanding of trauma through experience, experiment, and scholarship. along the way, he discovers and helps build a new paradigm in this area of psychology. the knowledge he gains is not really new (although i was often surprised at how much about trauma was scientifically unknown until the ‘80s and ‘90s) but he synthesizes it in new ways and makes it accessible in the world through novel treatments for PTSD and in the book through easy and clear language.

none of this surprised me. in fact, i felt relief when i first heard van der Kolk’s message on a podcast. the things he is saying about trauma, addiction, brain change, etc. are all things i have known and that have been known for decades. since first learning about psychology and neurobiology in the 80s and 90s, i have been constantly shocked and dismayed by the information i see the media, lay people, and even many professionals portray as irrelevant or, worse, they don’t know about them. van der Kolk and a few others i have recently discovered seem to be reviving the “old” knowledge and bringing the message forth that addiction and trauma are permanent states of being. that we do understand them and can make them better.
{waiting to finish the book because it was recalled from me}

van der Kolk outlines some of the historical and paradigmatic obstacles that have slowed the progress of psychological assessment and treatment of not only trauma but many disorders listed in the DSM that actually stem from trauma. his challenges to conventional practices along these lines is not radical or novel. he takes careful precaution to base his current models on clinical and empirical evidence drawn from his own experience and that of many other experts working in the field.

even when the treatments he tries sound “new agey” or pseudo-scientific, he’s careful to link it to some empirical evidence or to find out for himself based on promising clinical results. from theatre to IFS (Internal Family Systems) to neurofeedback to EDMR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), all of them he carefully researches, tries, and documents. he then links them back to brain structures and function and how those treatments affect them. he also does not buy into just one therapy. he acknowledges that some therapies are more effective for different people, different types of trauma, and even different stages of recovery.

my only critique is that he totally and utterly mischaracterizes CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy. in fact, this one mistake of his is so glaring that it does have me questioning the rest of his assertions. he describes CBT only in terms of exposure therapy or systematic desensitization. he even misattributes its development to that very thing when, in fact, it was developed more to deal with depression and other such mood disorders. for having such a long career in the field of psychology and counseling, i can fathom no coherent reason for this. he is simply wrong about this. let me be clear: i don’t disagree with his assessment of exposure therapy and systematic desensitization as largley ineffectual for trauma but that is all he seems to think CBT consists of. a simple Google search for CBT reveals how wrong his assertions are.

after the first parts of the book carefully set up context and background for his work, the end of the book felt like a mishmash. almost as though he just wanted to be done with it. i completely understand that and it’s not a real critique but more of a mild disappointment. i wanted to have a more structured and focused assessment of the techniques he finds promising with a more precise conclusion. nonetheless, van der Kolk’s work and message are very important because the exact nature of trauma and how it is the basis for most disorders described in the DSM needs to gain traction and acceptance.

[tlcooper_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. felt like being in therapy and studying the therapy technique at the same time. At about the 20% mark, I think, I texted a psychologist friend and arranged a book discussion for when I finished it. The research Van De Kolk has participated in over his career is fascinating as is the other research he gathered in this book. I repeatedly wished I'd found this research twenty or thirty years ago. That said, there were several times word choices that made me feel uncomfortable and earlier in my life likely would have been triggering for me. I'm certain the research has continued to evolve as research tends to do, but The Body Keeps the Score made me finally realize that all those times I felt like my body was betraying me was it having a normal reaction to trauma. Several of the life techniques discussed in the book, I discovered through a more painstaking and lonely process of trial and error and for different reasons. The Body Keeps the Score is a reminder that nothing happens in a vacuum and that trauma inflicted today will resurface someday, especially if it goes unrecognized and untreated. Overall, I found the research compelling but also noticed there seems to be a glaring hole in the research related to the trauma victims who lived through the wars that affected the soldiers the research concentrated on so much. I would highly recommend The Body Keeps the Score for anyone interested in the research behind how trauma is stored in the body and why the body reacts the way it does to trauma.

[quondame · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this book, the physical differences associated with people showing symptoms of trauma are given and, to some extent, explained. The treatments over 40–50 years that have resulted in a decrease in symptoms and changes in the behaviors within the brain are described, and likely explanations are given for how they work and for whom. The case studies given are brief and focused.

Commentary, not review:
What is most surprising is how many non-drug treatments seem to surpass drugs and have lasting effects where the effects of drugs are gone when the drug is discontinued. It is less surprising that drugs remain the treatment of choice—they are easier to provide and make money for their producers.
I have seen numerous examples of drugs only working for a few years, after which the search for a new medication produces stress of its own. And the underlying causes for which the drugs are needed aren't addressed at all, in spite of the existence of some very cost-effective treatments.

[brianinbuffalo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Make no mistake, this definitely is not a book for folks who are only marginally curious about trauma therapies. The author‘s exhaustively researched work is a deep-dive (with a capital “D”) into the psychological and physiological forces that that shape trauma treatment.

The author writes that he aims to make each chapter useful to both therapists and trauma survivors. These target audiences are clearly well-served by this detail-driven exploration. Others may find it too dense. Although it’s loaded with lively anecdotes (too many in my estimation), I agree with some reviews that suggest that "The Body Keeps the Score" is better suited as an academic text for therapists.

That said, van der Kolk provides some fascinating insights. One key point is that traumatic experiences leave large-scale traces both on our histories and culture, as well as on our families and bodies.

One intriguing observation comes in the following assertion: “Sometimes we use our minds not to discover facts but to hide them,” a reference to repressed memories.

The author plots paths to recovery that rely on natural ways to deal with trauma as opposed to drugs. The book asserts that Medicaid spends more for antipsychotics than any other category of drug. The author’s goal is to make those being treated for trauma active participants in their recovery as opposed to patients.

The book also serves up simple strategies for coping with stress and anxiety, including breathing exercises.

This reader would have been better served by a less sweeping exploration of an important topic in a book about half the length.

[nmele_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I hesitated to read this book because I thought anything on the best seller list as long as van der Kolk's book must be a warm, fuzzy pop psychology book. I was wrong. This trauma expert has written a very thorough book about trauma, its treatment and the ways our society minimizes or chooses to ignore trauma. van der Kolk also argues forcefully for moving away from the pharmaceutical approach to mental and emotional healing. I learned a good deal about trauma from reading this book and recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

[ingvarsdotter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Easy to read. An eye opener filled with help to understand and to find the tools out and forward. To me one of the great benefits was the distinction between PTSD and CPTSD and the differences in both problems and healing.

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How trauma and stress affects our health

[mrsgrits · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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

[akblanchard_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Body Keeps the Score is a book for psychology professionals on how to help patients deal with severe trauma. Despite its academic origins, this book has been very popular; it has spent years on the New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller list. It has also made author Bessel van der Kolk a well-recognized authority on PTSD. However, I can't agree with those who love it. While the book does contain some valuable information, it left me cold. It's incredibly detailed, with case studies that are unnecessarily graphic (at one point van der Kolk calls himself a "voyeur"; I believe him) and go on way too long. Dr. van der Kolk is invariably the hero of every patient's narrative.

This book made me tired. I skimmed to the end.

[rickgeissal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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"?

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[mumoftheanimals · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kiaya40 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[itheodore-183884 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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

[castlelass · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[elahrairah-115856 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a really important book. Trauma-informed therapies are the best therapies and van der Kolk explains why. Understanding the brain is a key to understanding life and what is going on, and why people are like they are and what we can do to fix it all. Trauma is an important part of that. Read this book!

[spinsterrevival · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is packed with information on trauma and important ways to deal with it. There’s a lot that’s hard to listen to as the author worked with veterans as well as survivors of childhood and sexual abuse. I think though that even someone not having experienced such hardcore abuse has likely still had more moderate traumatic experiences, and this book explains many different methods for help.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was in many ways a tough listen for me, but a good one. Van der Kolk is a psychiatrist who has worked extensively with trauma survivors. This book is about the ways traumatic experiences permanently affect us.

Trauma isn't just something that happens to our bodies, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder isn't just something that happens in our brains.

It doesn't take combat, terrifying accidents, or obvious child abuse to cause PTSD. Obviously they all can, and do, and are the most easily recognized causes. But other events, that may not even be recognized as trauma, can also be traumatic, and have lasting effects.

Among these less obvious traumatic experiences are separating a baby or young child from a primary caregiver. Infants and children need security, trust, confidence that they can rely on the adults responsible for their care. Going from one family or set of caretakers to another is scary and deeply unsettling. That doesn't mean it's never justified. Indeed, sometimes it's absolutely essential.

I just deleted an account of events in my own childhood that I've decided it's not appropriate to post.

A lot of my own issues come from these events in my early childhood, that I'd long been told didn't happen, and which no one involved intended in a bad way. From the viewpoint of the adults, it had been the sensible thing to do at the time. They were keeping me safe. But I grew up with what seemed like objectively true knowledge, that I had better not annoy the adults in charge of me, because they might decide to send me someplace else.

This book let me recognize these fears as not abnormal, not just intellectually (I'd heard the same from therapists prior to the one who said "get this book") but also at least a little bit emotionally, and also feel that maybe I can get past them.

I'm not doing justice to this book. It's clear, accessible, revealing. I learned a lot, and not just about my own issues. But it can be upsetting, precisely because it can be useful.

Highly recommended.

I borrowed this audiobook from my local library.

[jellyfishjones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Essential reading for anyone who works with children, who has experienced trauma themselves, or who works with adults with trauma history. This book surveys the topic at both introductory and deep levels. The first four parts all deal with what science currently knows about how trauma physically rewires the brain and body. The final part surveys the most promising treatment methods currently available for treating trauma. I appreciate that everything is well-cited using unobtrusive footnotes and that there is a wonderful resource appendix. As might be expected, the book is heavy reading at times, but ultimately provides a hopeful message of the possibility of healing even the deepest trauma. As an educator, I consider this essential professional development reading. It has greatly impacted my understanding of my students.

[bness2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another book that everyone needs to read. Trauma is so much a part of so many people's lives, and children experience trauma way more often then they should. van der Kolk provides an excellent overview of the topic and provides lots of hope for ways the effects of trauma can be treated. Read it, you will not regret it!

[davidferrers-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing book for anyone who has ever suffered trauma. It is giving me so much understanding about the effect that events in my early life had upon my feelings and behaviour. I am so grateful to the author for showing me the source of so many of my behaviours that I have never liked in myself. It has been a real eye-opener for me.

[milehighlibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding resource for understanding the effects of trauma on the brain and body and therapies that can aid in recovery.

[clifforddham · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Understood ti be very important work on the psychological origins of physical damage.