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If anyone has ever recommended the book "The Body Keeps The Score" to you
Please be aware the first chapter contains vivid descriptions of Vietnam war crimes and veteran PTSD, as well as VA medical abuse/incompetence, because it's told in chronological order.
Please be aware the first chapter contains vivid descriptions of Vietnam war crimes and veteran PTSD, as well as VA medical abuse/incompetence, because it's told in chronological order.
Not a single person warned me that the first chapter is vividly violent and could be triggering for survivors of warzones or anyone with PTSD about war, guns, graphic violent death, or anyone close to veterans who suffer PTSD about those things.
That said I think it is a book that is probably useful for anyone trying to understand trauma, but the first chapter is basically an endless assault of wartime violence, and I am genuinely surprised nobody ever mentions that when suggesting the book to trauma survivors.
Van der Kolk now publishes free-during-broadcast panel talks about PTSD and trauma alongside people like Peter Levine & Pat Ogden for this org, which is great if you can access audio & has a free blog (aimed for therapists, not 101, quite clinical): https://www.nicabm.com/
I've learned quite a lot from NICABM lectures during free broadcasts (but you do have to watch at specific times -_-) even not being a professional in the field, so be aware that resource exists if you want the clinical perspective (it's not aimed at patients at all).
I am now halfway through TBKTS and I do not think it is ethically sound practice to give to a traumatized person though the ideas are important. Too much hypervivid patient suffering. I'm searching for a patient friendly intro to the topics overviewed to rec instead.
Do you really need a history of the invention of PTSD and C-PTSD told through basically, treatment notes to explain somatic trauma and polyvagal therapy? I doubt it. I have some books in the TBR that should handle this material more sensitively, will update with recs.
TW child abuse, graphic death, car accidents
I literally got flashbacks to my childhood abuse and the horror of watching someone die on the side of the road passing a car accident I was not in reading what look like theory chapters. I'm ok rn, but that didn't have to happen.
I literally got flashbacks to my childhood abuse and the horror of watching someone die on the side of the road passing a car accident I was not in reading what look like theory chapters. I'm ok rn, but that didn't have to happen.
I have read the entirety of The Body Keeps The Score. I do not recommend it to anyone with PTSD or C-PTSD unless they've already done a lot of desensitization work.
As an overview of the neurobiology of traumatic stress: read a summary page. No, really. Read a summary.
As an overview of the neurobiology of traumatic stress: read a summary page. No, really. Read a summary.
EMDR, neurofeedback, Internal Family Systems, somatic processing, and psychomotor therapy are terms you can google and find good overviews of & experts discussing. I am personally investigating at home bilateral stimulation using non eye movement hand buzzers & modified IFS.
If you are interested in child neuropsych development, C-PTSD, and developmental trauma disorder, just google the research. It's depressing. A number of educators would benefit from a basic summary of this section but should probably focus on child/ed texts.
Those interested in the theatre+dance+yoga+meditation treatments described would probably be better off googling "theatre for trauma" and "dance trauma therapy" and "yoga for PTSD". As anecdata, a dance practice & guided meditations helped me a lot with my PTSD. Yoga didn't.
If you're interested specifically in yoga for PTSD, try the exercises in "The Body Heals Itself" which does an okay job describing the principles of somatic trauma/polyvagal theory/PTSD as a physiological, whole-body experience.
Reasons I do not recommend TBKTS:
- van der Kolk enjoys talking about patient trauma too much
- it treats fibro, CFS/ME, and RA as other "syndromal" conditions as curable
- Meds Are Bad™
- DID representation is bad; it's poorly explained & lumped with general dissociation
- van der Kolk enjoys talking about patient trauma too much
- it treats fibro, CFS/ME, and RA as other "syndromal" conditions as curable
- Meds Are Bad™
- DID representation is bad; it's poorly explained & lumped with general dissociation
- The Body Keeps The Score needs trigger warnings for literally every subject conceivable and doesn't have them or even warn you where they'll pop up mid sentence as a weird asides
- it doesn't explain HOW to treat your own PTSD, it is not a teaching or treatment guide
- it doesn't explain HOW to treat your own PTSD, it is not a teaching or treatment guide
Reasons you might want to read it anyway:
- neurobiology empowers you
- you aren't easily disturbed/have good support
- you have dissociative trauma (but not DID) & need "proof" talk therapy is unhelpful
- your copy was free
- you want to understand the history of PTSD
- neurobiology empowers you
- you aren't easily disturbed/have good support
- you have dissociative trauma (but not DID) & need "proof" talk therapy is unhelpful
- your copy was free
- you want to understand the history of PTSD
I continue to read through Amazon samples looking for a more appropriate survey of the neurobiology of somatic trauma theory for the traumatized lay person, one that will empower others to do responsible self-work or understand treatments to get a good team on board. I'll update.
If this "I read it so you don't have to" overview helped you
Please consider tipping my PayPal, while the book was a gift, it took about 32 hours over 8 days to read and make sure the subjects inside could be found elsewhere by reputable sources. http://PayPal.me/thelionmachine
Please consider tipping my PayPal, while the book was a gift, it took about 32 hours over 8 days to read and make sure the subjects inside could be found elsewhere by reputable sources. http://PayPal.me/thelionmachine
