vigil 's review for:

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

informative reflective sad slow-paced

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the body keeps the score is a dense text; small font on big pages full of scientific jargon and material. however, if you allow the book to be what it is it’s much more accessible than you’d think. 

bessel van der kolk has spent thirty years in practice which gives the book a somewhat academic, frank edge. it’s very insightful into traumatized individuals across the board, but i wouldn’t recommend it to any traumatized person off the bat due to kolk’s unrestrained tone throughout the book.

i have seen some question the ideas and theories he speaks of in here, but i’m (and probably them as well, if we’re being honest) not qualified to dissect that fully. nevertheless, i think everything in here is worth giving some thought to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Classism