The Body Keeps Score - Bessel Van Der Kolk

Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma

The effects of trauma can be devastating for sufferers, their families and future generations.

Here, in this International Best Seller printed in over 42 languages,  one of the world's experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for treatment, moving away from standard talking and drug therapies and towards a holistic approach that heals mind, brain and body.

• Part 1 - The Rediscovery of Trauma
• Part 2 - This is your Brain on Trauma
• Part 3 - The Minds of Children
• Part 4 - The Imprint of Trauma
• Part 5 - Paths to Recovery
• Epilogue - Choices to be Made
• Appendix
• Resources

“The trauma caused by childhood neglect, sexual/domestic abuse and war, wreaks havoc in our bodies"

"Traumatised people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves."

“Eighty two percent of the traumatised children seen in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network do not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Because they often are shut down, suspicious, or aggressive they now receive pseudo-scientific diagnoses such as “oppositional defiant disorder,” meaning: “This kid hates my guts” or “disruptive mood dysregulation disorder,” meaning he has temper tantrums.

These kids accumulate numerous diagnoses over time. Before they reach their twenties, many patients have been given four, five, six, or more of these impressive but meaningless labels. If they receive treatment at all, they get whatever is being promulgated as the method of management du jour: medications, behavioural modification, or exposure therapy. These rarely work and often cause more damage.”