#1 New York Times bestseller
"Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating
traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society." --Alexander
McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies
A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and
offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times
bestseller
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the
painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested;
one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged
in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world's
foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with
survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific
advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain,
compromising sufferers' capacities for pleasure, engagement,
self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments--from
neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga--that offer new
paths to recovery by activating the brain's natural neuroplasticity.
Based on Dr. van der Kolk's own research and that of other leading
specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of
our relationships both to hurt and to heal--and offers new hope for
reclaiming lives.
