📖 peek insideThe Body Keeps the Score
by Bessel van der Kolk
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world's foremost experts on trauma, explores how traumatic experiences literally reshape both body and brain, compromising sufferers' capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments-from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga-that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain's natural neuroplasticity. This seminal work is a profound exploration of the human resilience required to reclaim one's life after devastating experiences, making it a cornerstone of modern psychological literature.
Widely read around the world. Estimated 5 million readers.
Notable Quotes
"Traumatized 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.” (p.97)"
"As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself…The critical issue is allowing yourself to know what you know. That takes an enormous amount of courage."
"Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives."
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