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

challenging emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

3.0

A dense book that on the whole was interesting and no doubt revolutionary when first published - to me it feels like there’s enough conversation about mental health for any lay reader to have an awareness of this books overarching ideas. The nervous system is a physical AND mental system- trauma and emotions affect us in both forms and healing can be accessed in both forms too. Interesting to learn more about the history of trauma treatment and I did have fun getting a better understanding of anxiety and depression as an expression of that. I would recommend if you already like nonfiction or psychology but not the first book I’d choose.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Dysphoria