The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma | Summary

Learn About Trauma and Traumatic Disorders in a Fraction of the Time!

Bessel Van der Kolk, MD, is the author of The Body Keeps the Score. In this book, Bessel examines the ways that trauma can affect people and how they can recover from past traumatic events. When a person experiences trauma, it will change the wiring in their brain, and this will cause a change in the way that a person views their life and everyday situations. Trauma has a negative effect on both the body and mind in a way that will prevent a person affected by trauma from enjoying the present moment.

Bessel and his colleagues have been researching trauma and the people affected by it for almost 50 years. This journey began for Dr. Van der Kolk when he met with Vietnam War veterans who were suffering from the trauma they experienced in the war. This trauma caused these veterans to struggle with the transition of coming back home and resuming normal lives. These trauma sufferers all had certain symptoms that they shared. The traumatic events that were experienced at war were constantly being replayed in the brains of the veterans. In addition to this, the veterans appeared to be numb or indifferent to everyday life, and they would become angry very easily.

Dr. Van der Kolk is considered to be the very first doctor to diagnose and recognize post-traumatic stress disorder, which is also known as PTSD. He was also one of the first doctors to identify cures and methods for assisting people who are affected by PTSD so that they can once again live normal lives.

Here is a preview of what you'll learn:

• How traumatic disorders affect people mentally and physically
• Why pharmaceutical drugs and talk therapy do not cure PTSD
• How Dr. Van der Kolk has progressed the medical community's understanding of traumatic disorders