Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

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

86 reviews

studeronomy's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.25

As Charles Darwin wrote in his notebook, "The mind is a function of body." And, as this book convincingly shows, the body keeps a vicious tally of the wounds inflicted on the mind. These physical tallies are most easy to detect in people who suffer from PTSD and its adjacent disorders, but the implications of this book is that all our bodies carry the suffering our spirits have endured in ways that are tangible and quantifiable.

I know "The Body Keeps the Score" has its detractors and, because Bessel van der Kolk wrote it for a popular audience, he necessarily simplified some otherwise complex studies and truncated some otherwise complex research conclusions. But van der Kolk's observations over a fifty-year career demonstrate a couple things to me:

First, the field of psychiatry is (or was, until recently) hopelessly siloed. Psychopharmacologists aren't talking to neuroscientists aren't talking cognitive scientists aren't talking to social workers and therapists. Communication between disciplines and subdisciplines is very poor. And this doesn't begin to address the different methods of treating trauma that van der Kolk describes, most of which developed in disparate subdisciplines without much coordination with other subdisciplines. The whole organization of psychiatry (like the organization of most fields of study) is very messy.

Second, psychiatry still lacks its "germ theory," an explanation for the prevalence and cause of most mental illnesses and mood disorders. And such a theory might be impossible, given the nature of the mind itself. As Darwin also wrote in his notebook, "Experience shows the problem of the mind cannot be solved by attacking the citadel itself." An attack on the "citadel" of the mind cannot be a direct attack. There may be no unifying theory of the varied experiences we associate with "mind," "brain," "cognition," "the soul," whatever. And certainly no single field or discipline or method will unlock the mysteries of those experiences. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, War, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Incest, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Violence, War, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault

This book is a must read for anyone dealing with trauma who dealing with people who have truama.

eijae's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Such a great book! It really does help you to reflect on your life and point out areas of improvement that could be aided by various therapy methods 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Car accident, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual harassment, Violence, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

valleysoshady's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I think everyone should read this book. It can inform how techers deal with students, how parents raise their children, how adults reconcile their habits and behviours with past experience. Using the examplesnof vetrans experiencing PTSD and adults with Complex PTSD resulting from childhood or adult trauma, the author uses case studies in symptoms and healing from  trauma and how specific types of  therapies can help.

The book uses extreme experiences to show how people are shaped by their environments and gives hope in the resilience of the brain for overcoming instinctual reactions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Bullying, Self harm, Abandonment, Addiction, Medical content, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Incest, Violence, Child abuse, and Drug use

The contents are carefully handled in the context of medical experience to inform understandingbof impact, but can be triggering.

drought_season's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Bullying, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Incest, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

highitsanais's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Drug use, Car accident, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Rape, Medical content, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicide, and Miscarriage

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, War, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Rape, Classism, Alcohol, Addiction, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Self harm, Infidelity, Bullying, Body shaming, Blood, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Animal death, Gore, Car accident, Cancer, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Confinement, Child abuse, Grief, Death, Chronic illness, Child death, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Trafficking, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ahhhreadzombiez's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Incest, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Grief, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, and Physical abuse

ansmbc's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Genocide, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Incest

mx_flint's review against another edition

Very triggering for people with trauma (me), too long winded and unnecessary, sympathises with rapists more than rape victims and the long and descriptive traumatic events were unnecessary and triggering. Do not reccomend it, thank god I didn't spend money on it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse