nobody should bear so much pain by themselves indeed. eternally grateful & proud of those who’ve come forward to share their stories with dr van der kolk, thus contributing to this text n trauma research. it was a truly insightful read about the various psychological disciplines (& their successes ofc!!!) available. i bawled between chapters, but one sentence in particular stuck out — all parts of my internal system, even those suicidal or destructive, were formed in an attempt to protect myself. no matter how threatening they seemed. i have long been ashamed of them, but its time to plant flowers in these graves. Also, would love to try out emdr ngl

“The brain-disease model overlooks four fundamental truths: (1) our capacity to destroy one another is matched by our capacity to heal one another. Restoring relationships and community is central to restoring well-being; (2) language gives us the power to change ourselves and others by communicating our experiences, helping us to define what we know, and finding a common sense of meaning; (3) we have the ability to regulate our own physiology, including some of the so-called involuntary functions of the body and brain, through such basic activities as breathing, moving, and touching; and (4) we can change social conditions to create environments in which children and adults can feel safe and where they can thrive. When we ignore these quintessential dimensions of humanity, we deprive people of ways to heal from trauma and restore their autonomy. Being a patient, rather than a participant in one’s healing process, separates suffering people from their community and alienates them from an inner sense of self.”

The use of complex scientific terminology can make it hard to stay focused. I had to skim through the last few chapters because it became difficult to stay engaged. However, the detailed professional and anatomical perspectives enhance the psychological insights, making the information more comprehensive. My favorite sections are the personal experiences shared by individuals, illustrating the healing process from trauma. These accounts are often heart-wrenching but deeply moving. It’s a worthwhile read but a challenging one for someone without expertise in psychology.

Draws upon a lot of theoretical frameworks that you may encounter in therapy to talk about trauma and how it manifests physically in the body. I like this because it is broad and comprehensive while being about the single important topic of trauma. The thesis that trauma is in the body is a needed reminder to think about your own and others body and behavior. We often mentally or emotionally feel "fine" but ignore our bodies that's telling us things are not fine. The book focuses on cases of obvious trauma, but I found it useful to think about even how more minor cases may affect us, or how attachment trauma relates.

Genuinely excellent. Some of the anecdotes and stories were hard hitting and probably could be a bit triggering. But the data and information and practical advice throughout made it one of the best things I've read in a while. I recommend if you're interested in therapy, why we make certain decisions, the role of social/economic experience on our mental health and trauma survival.

I plan to buy the physical copy to read it again with a highlighter and pen to hand.

Amazing book. Very nuanced views of therapy, medication and other treatments for psychological problems and trauma. Can be difficult to read but I think it is respectful to hear the traumatic experiences of survivors who are willing to share them. This book changes your understanding of psychology for sure

This is my first book closely related to psychology The information is way way too valuable. The book provides a valuable analysis for various PTSD cases that shows how obvious symptoms or physical behaviour can be related to traumatic events, and how diagnosis similar to ADHD is not always the root cause for such behaviour. Also highlights how childhood traumatic events can cause extremely long term effects even without us knowing. I will have to keep thinking about this book for sometime. That said, believing any narration of any writer because the writer said so, is not how we should read any book or a research. Some points mentioned in the book are not what you can call hard evidence or easily reproducible results, which makes it hard to apply the same principle. However I'm total stranger to the social science, it's possible that I don't get how the social science community discuss facts and details. But still the book makes a compelling case to always look out for traumatic events even when it's not always visible.

An excellent read. I subtracted a star solely due to the profanity used in a couple of the quotes throughout. Otherwise, it would have been a 5-star book.

I really loved this book. It was full of facts and some chapters are heavier than others but ultimately it made so much sense. I never underline things in books but I just had to with this one. It feels so nice to be understood when it comes to certain traumas. I defo recommend.

Really enjoyed this book, it has phenomenal insight and stories about the journey of trauma. The only thing that prevents me from giving it a five is I can't say I think it's for everyone. I really enjoyed it personally, but there could be long stretches where I was struggling to find personal interest in the material.

Regardless, this is expertly written and the decades of experience from the author really make it worthwhile. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has a remote interest in trauma, whether from a personal or a communal/societal perspective. And even if you have no connection to trauma, the lessons about how the body and mind work in this book are remarkably insightful and can help anyone navigate their interactions with themselves and with others.

Interesting, insightful and relevant with engaging anecdotes that bring to life the book's powerful lessons. I'd highly recommend this book to most people, even though it's not a personal favorite of mine.

There’s so much packed in here I think I’d need to read it again in order to retain it all. Definitely recommended for those interested in the subject matter.

gasp reading science ??? rlly being a multihyphenate truly tho this was an extremely fascinating book - although it deals with a particularly heavy and what some would say, "niche" topic (trauma), it contained a lot of insight into the workings of the mind/body and shows how what might seem like a pretty esoteric subject actually involves all of us. the first few sections dealt with the explanation of trauma and how it occurs/manifests; very interesting bit of neuroscience; the last section deals with solutions for helping those who suffer from trauma recover. even if you don't have ptsd, it's very useful in better understanding our own minds and behaviors, and being more empathetic to others - knowing that a lot of what they are stems frm past experiences. while it's very scientific based (neuroscience) it's also interesting that the author brought in things like theatre as a solution (narrative therapy, etc), and kept a keen regard for the individual human. (it wasn't reductive in making everything a scientific fact, but in fact personally enhanced an appreciation for what it means to be human) anecdotal examples also made for a very engaging reading (though also heartbreaking - how have people gone through so much? how are they still alive?). part overview (again, for my own reference; this is not a book that can be summarised): - part 1 the rediscover of trauma - neuroscience discoveries and overreliance on drugs - part 2 this is your brain on trauma - manifestation of trauma on the body (and body/mind disconnect), human basal instincts/conditioning, emotional engagement system instead of immediate "talk through" bcos it manifests physically in the brain - part 3 the minds of children - my fav part, definitely made me think abt my own childhood (lol) and how that has shaped me in certain ways (but also very grateful for a lot of things i had). child abuse is terrifying and awful and how is it so common in the US??? attachment styles (4 diff types), how a lot of our emotional brain is determined by our exp frm 1-7yo, and the scripts that we carry in our lives - part 4 the imprint of trauma - i hv a particular interest in memory so this was vv fascinating, also seeing how understanding how our minds work has impt real life applications like the testimony of traumatised individuals and the veracity of their testimony/memories. trauma as a dual reality (present and past that feels present). - part 5 paths to recovery - ie language, emdr, yoga, self leadership, structures, neuroscience rewiring, theatre - epilogue - understanding that it's not jst abt the scientific part but the political side; all needs to work together this book also prompted a lot of (pretty messy) thoughts: to what extent (or do we even hv) do we have free will, if our behavoirs, actions and perceptions are shaped by the literal shape of our brains which are literally "moulded" by our . is there a self (beyond the disparate selves we present to others - in the extreme case of dissociative disorder, but also "a man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognise him"). can we go beyond ourselves? jst how rational are we, or shld we be? if much of what we do is shaped by our brains, then how much responsibility does one have for their actions, and what implications does that have for the way we interact with people, or our larger systems of justice and institutions?

This book covers Trauma and PTSD; the cause, effect and possible cures. I really liked how it discussed big pharma and the impacts over-medicating mental illness' creates and what a huge part your physical body plays in your overall mental state/health. It also focuses on the importance of being part of a community, of being heard & supported. As someone who has experienced trauma and also has an autoimmune disease I was very interested to hear the two are linked. I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book to take notes as this is definitely one to re-visit again & again. I feel like this book could really help a lot of people 💜

Very eye opening. Hard to get through the examples.

Enlightening, made me question a lot of things which I’m grateful for :)

Very interesting book but found it to gravitate more towards an audience related to Psychology in an academic manner. Did enjoy the book but could've gone about the same with a lesser in-depth analysis pertaining to each concept.

One of the best books I've ever read. Learned a lot about myself and it gives a lot of hacks about getting out of PTSD. Totally recommend.

Super dense read, took me way longer to read than usual for a book this length due to the difficult subject matter. That being said, the insight and knowledge this book has provided me for my own trauma and tools it’s given me to continue my road to recovery are invaluable, and I think this book is an absolute, nonnegotiable, must-read for anyone who seeks a career working with children (ie. teachers, caregivers, etc.), and I would highly recommend to anyone with a traumatic past, if you can make it through without being triggered too heavily. 10/10.

Highly recommend this book. It is very informative and helpful. I feel like I have a better understanding on how trauma affects the quality of someone's life. I am more empathetic and compassionate after reading this book. I probably will read it again on the future.

This book has a reputation around it. It's at once a necessary tome for those working in almost any field in which they encounter and work with others and their difficult emotions in a support role. It's also at time problematic in its takes, voyeuristic at times (which it is self aware of in a narrative sense from the author at least) and also somewhat unnecessary if you're a person who knows others with PTSD or have experienced it yourself.

Qualifying that last statement, is the context for some of my main criticisms for the book, especially digested as an audio book. The author references different conditions and treatments in a back and forth manner, jumping around at times which to a listener makes you wonder if you're in the wrong part of the book. This is likely less of an issue if its being read. But if you're in a less emotionally intense part of the narrative and the author references something especially disturbing mentioned earlier, it can be difficult to hear.

My other main criticism would be the perspective takes with some of the more triggering and troubling statistics regarding histories of SA as experienced by victims with a history of abuse. While the author doesn't seem to blame the victims per se, he does group it in as a pattern of learned behavior/replication of trauma/cycle of violence. This would not be especially helpful to hear for listeners or readers who have experienced this, and in some ways is almost too clinical of a take for a book that has found a lot of popularity in the general populace. It's also a troubling take, especially for a book that has some much more revelatory information regarding somatic practices, EMDR, and neuro feedback.

The main thing that occurred to me as a listener now in near 2023 is what this book would be like if it had any concept of pandemic trauma, which is one of the reasons I sought it out. One of the more compelling points is the similarities of frontal lobe behavior between combat vets who've experienced PTSD and people who have ADHD, especially in the current context of Instagram pop psychology leading to massive self diagnosis (or at least that's the impression that Instagram creates likely from algorithm bias).

One of the author's main points that agree with and take to heart, is that the disruptive nature of most mental illness and trauma responses in human behavior leads to isolation and the disruption of our social links. We are social animals and need one another to survive. The pandemic lockdown, political extremism, and the isolation of modern society in regards to work and social spheres, tends to reinforce this isolation, and by the author's thesis, social breakdown. This point also illustrates how these concurrent social issues feed off one another, creating different forms of isolation the reinforce the others. This is a bleak realization, and unintentional on the author's part (given that the book was written in 2016). However I feel this is the most relevant point given our current context.

Would recommend but only if you're good at compartmentalization. It's a heavy read.

HIGHLIGHT WHILE READING! This book contains a complete breakdown of trauma, childhood development, PTSD, and SO MUCH MORE! Warning: this can be a triggering read and may take longer to finish than expected.

This book rocked me to my core. My one goal for 2021 was to read this book and thoroughly understand it, and I feel like I finally accomplish that. Mind you, I did finish it with 10 minutes to spare left in 2021, but I did it nonetheless. I am immensely proud of myself and how far I’ve come with my trauma experiences, and this book has taught me that. I highly highly highly recommend this book to anybody and everybody struggling with trauma; however, it is a very heavy book in terms of the topics that it covers and it is not for the faint of heart.

Just found out this man was fired for harassing female coworkers, so now this is pretty much all trigger and no help

This was pretty great, but also I was probably not smart in choosing the audiobook for this. Most of it is coached through his specific perspective, but there’s also just a lot of information to remember and the narrator is not that engaging. I tend to need to consume things with data in it in text or some other visual format. Plus, it feels like this would have footnotes and citations/links that would never be read in this format, but in text you could bounce back and forth, possibly? Either way, most of this I knew, probably because this was published 7 years ago. But it’s still worth checking out, of course.