#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.