Reviews - Kroppen håller räkningen : Hjärna, sinne och kropp vid läkning efter psykiskt trauma

this book, as many others have said, is filled with anecdotes and studies with few participants. I think it is a valuable read for someone who is trying to understand whys someone that they care about is acting in a certain way after a traumatic event. I think people that said that it was overly sympathetic to war criminals are somewhat right, but also it's not the author's job to prosecute war crimes. Only to try and help the person in front of them return to themselves. But, these topics could have been approach in a more sensitive way, I feel.

lsjonah's review against another edition

4.5

challenging informative slow-paced

This was a very informative and sometimes slow-going read, but to put it simply this book gives me hope. Hope that more and more people will recognize the impacts of trauma on our mental and physical health because I think it’s what’s needed to make any changes to our society for the better. I also have hope that people read this book and adapt one of the many ways Van Der Kolk suggests to heal our traumas.

A very generous summary of the book is that it explores how trauma impacts us before we are even born into the world. It details how trauma is stored in our bodies even if our brain can’t remember it. It explains the impact that un-processed trauma can have on our physical health and documents different ways this is expressed in individuals. It also explores numerous treatments ranging from counselling and EMDR, to theatre and it also highlights that the goal is to treat the pain of the trauma rather than its symptoms as described in the DSM.

My favourite quote from the book is this: “In today’s world your ZIP code, even more than your genetic code, determines whether you will lead a safe and healthy life”. While it’s impossible to summarize this book in one line; this quote really drives home the idea that social status dictates your ability to cope with trauma, which is directly related to your well-being. To put it simple nurture (environment) is just as important, if not more so than nature (genetics) when it comes to our wellness.

As the author puts it “Trauma remains a much larger public health issue, arguably the greatest threat to our national well-being”. If this line isn’t enough to convince you to pick up this book, I’m not sure what is.

rae_khan225's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

I enjoyed this book, I think there is a lot to be said about the connection between the body and trauma. I think if you read this with an intention of trying it out to see if it works for you rather than bible, it’s very worth the read.

However, I do think some of the criticism of the book are valid, most of the evidence used to support the theories in the book are mostly anecdotal, thus tend to be more from a western if not Americanised point of view about healing and connection. Some of the case studies are also very hard to sympathise with,

particularly war crimes committed by soldiers, I do believe this topic should have been handled with more sensitivity, or at least the acknowledgement that these people are not more traumatised than the people they caused harm.

It is also not scientific enough to say that this is the case for everybody who experiences trauma.

julia_c74's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

ljab's review against another edition

4.0

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

This was at times hard to listen to, but was incredibly interesting to hear. I had never considered the concept of trauma being something the body “stores” rather than experiences over and over. I think I would have enjoyed better if the writing was a bit more organized, but still very interesting.

rachelherrington's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Incredibly informative!

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