Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

73 reviews

malachinelson's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This is an incredible, empathetic, and intelligent book. However, I would only encourage you to read it if you are ready to be challenged. It would be good to have some emotional reserves while reading this book, and to be gentle with yourself while reading it. It may bring up some uncomfortable emotions which deserve to be navigated carefully.

I started it because I thought to myself, "I haven't dealt with too much trouble, but I know my life hasn't been perfect. I should probably read this to learn tips and tricks to make my life a little better." Well, reading this book was a good idea, but it also challenged me to examine the traumas and difficulties I had underplayed. The book challenged me to be empathetic toward myself and consider the pursuit of interventions which could help me get back in touch with my body. It has also given me greater compassion for those who have experienced a number of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). I think this book has encouraged me to be a better person to myself and others.

However, it is a pretty dense book, too. The content is fantastic and well-explained by Dr. van der Kolk, but still quite academic. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Alcoholism, Suicide, Chronic illness, Car accident, Addiction, Pedophilia, Murder, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Abandonment, War, Sexual violence, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Grief, Eating disorder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Bullying

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Vomit, Gun violence, and Genocide

delery's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.25

this book was... a lot. i don't think i was necessarily in the right headspace to read it at this time. but it covered so many interesting issues, and i liked how it discussed different treatment methods. but also this book made me nauseous so... idk. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Pedophilia, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Car accident, Child death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Violence, Drug use, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, and Drug abuse

lavendaere's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.75

This book was so insightful and also sad. It’s a book about the science behind trauma and I learned so much about myself and also others. It is slow paced but I enjoy psychological science and things like that so it was so interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

tseth's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Incest, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape

amandareads246's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Chronic illness, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Car accident, Child death, Death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault

revived_reading's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

As a psychology major, this books is a wonderful read. It’s chock full of information on trauma, from the neuroscience and history of trauma research to just a few of the many treatments of trauma. Dr. van der Kolk dedicated his career to trauma research and really put care into writing this book to share this information that, unless you were to read academic journals, is not readily available to the general public or trauma victims. 

After taking the months to read this book (seeing as the content is very heavy and there is a lot of material), I learned so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Car accident, Child abuse, Incest, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, War, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Kidnapping

This has very triggering content, seeing as this book discusses trauma. To put the research of this book into perspective, Dr. van der Kolk tells the stories of some of his patients. None of which is pretty, but it has its impact and use within the book.

novella42's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Incest, Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Sexual harassment

angela_iseli's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Rape, War, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

juliaaaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Bullying, Body shaming, Body horror, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Abandonment

codeimagine's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War