Book Summary of The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D.
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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D.

Trauma can occur anywhere, any time and to anyone. It takes on many forms – war, rape, crime, car accidents and so on. To the onlooker, it might appear that a traumatic event has a beginning, middle and end. But for those who have experienced it, the trauma just doesn't end. It becomes a part of them, an inescapable horror present throughout their daily lives – an endless, visceral reminder of their terror and helplessness. In The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, one of the world's preeminent psychiatrists specializing in post-traumatic stress, reveals how traditional methods of therapy – talk therapy and medications – are limited in their effectiveness to treat trauma. He takes us step-by-step through the physiological effects of trauma, and explains why the brain remembers trauma in a completely different way than it remembers everything else. Then, he takes us on a journey through holistic methods of treating trauma – methods that engage the body and soul together in order to rewire the brain and provide relief from the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress.
In this summary you will learn:
- Why trauma continues to profoundly affect individuals long after the instant of trauma has passed.
- Why it is essential that our systems of labeling and diagnosing trauma-based disorders continue to adjust and evolve with new research.
- Why traditional talk therapy and drug therapies must be supplemented with holistic healing methods such as EMDR, yoga and massage.

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