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Antigone's Reviews > The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
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Dr. van der Kolk's study of trauma treatment is the most respected book lately published on the subject of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Following in the footsteps of Babette Rothschild and Peter Levine, van der Kolk takes as his focus the physical aspects of psychological injury - suggesting that work with the body is the clearest and most effective approach to healing. He is not a fan of the pharmacological. Drugs, while useful in tamping down the flood of fearsome emotional response, do little more than re-establish a basic level of functioning. In his view, medications cannot be considered treatment as they do not lead to a resolution of the condition. Over thirty years of research and clinical practice have led him to alternative methods of care that have shown to produce real results in the lives of those too often relegated to prescriptive numbing and symptom management.
After a bit of a muddled start (that will trigger the vulnerable reader), the doctor locates his footing and begins a guided tour through a series of body-based programs designed to address the fundamental conflict underlying PTSD. Those familiar with trauma are well aware of the sense of being caught in the maelstrom of a past catastrophe and unable to break free. The surreptitious assault of flashback, the tactile immediacy of phantom danger, and the brutal jolt into a fight/flight/freeze posture leaves the psyche in a constant state of high alert as energy levels drop to depletion. Dr. van der Kolk traces the body-brain connection and walks the injury through several alternative treatments - among them EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), yoga, IFS (internal family systems therapy - which has nothing to do with families and everything to do with creating a whole of the many different internal parts of a person), psychomotor therapy, neurofeedback, and even theater work. These are the money chapters, and where a substantial amount of hope resides. Merely becoming familiar with the methods may, in fact, set some wheels to turn...and that is helpful.
Dr. van der Kolk is not a writer, but then few in this field throw their skills in a literary direction. What is important to them is what will help you. This book holds that aim as its sole preoccupation. And all I have to say about that is...bravo.
Following in the footsteps of Babette Rothschild and Peter Levine, van der Kolk takes as his focus the physical aspects of psychological injury - suggesting that work with the body is the clearest and most effective approach to healing. He is not a fan of the pharmacological. Drugs, while useful in tamping down the flood of fearsome emotional response, do little more than re-establish a basic level of functioning. In his view, medications cannot be considered treatment as they do not lead to a resolution of the condition. Over thirty years of research and clinical practice have led him to alternative methods of care that have shown to produce real results in the lives of those too often relegated to prescriptive numbing and symptom management.
After a bit of a muddled start (that will trigger the vulnerable reader), the doctor locates his footing and begins a guided tour through a series of body-based programs designed to address the fundamental conflict underlying PTSD. Those familiar with trauma are well aware of the sense of being caught in the maelstrom of a past catastrophe and unable to break free. The surreptitious assault of flashback, the tactile immediacy of phantom danger, and the brutal jolt into a fight/flight/freeze posture leaves the psyche in a constant state of high alert as energy levels drop to depletion. Dr. van der Kolk traces the body-brain connection and walks the injury through several alternative treatments - among them EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), yoga, IFS (internal family systems therapy - which has nothing to do with families and everything to do with creating a whole of the many different internal parts of a person), psychomotor therapy, neurofeedback, and even theater work. These are the money chapters, and where a substantial amount of hope resides. Merely becoming familiar with the methods may, in fact, set some wheels to turn...and that is helpful.
Dr. van der Kolk is not a writer, but then few in this field throw their skills in a literary direction. What is important to them is what will help you. This book holds that aim as its sole preoccupation. And all I have to say about that is...bravo.
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Reading Progress
January 3, 2020
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Started Reading
January 3, 2020
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January 9, 2020
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philosophy-psychology
January 9, 2020
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Michael
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Jan 09, 2020 04:42PM
This makes me think of my late brother in law who served in the Marines during the worst of the fighting in Vietnam. His self-therapy for PTSD was heavy drinking and smoking. He died young, six years ago. Too bad he couldn't benefit from this. But it was the typical macho thing that therapy is for weak people.
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Michael wrote: "This makes me think of my late brother in law who served in the Marines during the worst of the fighting in Vietnam. His self-therapy for PTSD was heavy drinking and smoking. He died young, six yea..."I suspect this seismic shift toward body-based tactics is helping to negate that excuse, and bring a lot more vets into treatment. Easier to view it as a form of rehab, which is a great side-benefit.
I've never fully appreciated Matisse's collage work, done when he could no longer hold paint brushes, but that bit on the cover, matched with the title of the book, suddenly seems genius.
Fionnuala wrote: "I've never fully appreciated Matisse's collage work, done when he could no longer hold paint brushes, but that bit on the cover, matched with the title of the book, suddenly seems genius."I hadn't noticed this until you mentioned it! That's sort of fascinating, isn't it? And, of course, your eye discerns it immediately...
