bleu_celeste_ 's review for:

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

4.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

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This is a hard book to read, as it goes into detailed accounts of real trauma experienced by real people. It is emotionally taxing. However, it’s chock full of information about ways in which people recover from their trauma as well. So while it can be horrifying to face what many people have been through, there’s also hope and healing. This book taught me a lot about neuroscience and psychology and psychiatry. It helped me to understand and face my own traumas and to be a better space holder and yoga instructor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, War