Welcome to Litsy!

My sister recommended this book. I got new headphones finally. So I figured I would give this audio book a whorl.

Sigh, it does

Read this if you want to understand the lasting affects that trauma has on people. It‘s incredibly interesting

Well, this book changed my life. I highly recommend reading and discussing with your therapist.

I am so glad I decided to take the plunge and read this. I found it very beneficial to me on a personal level as well as professionally. Dr Van Der Kolk writes in a manner that is humble, curious, non-judgemental, and compassionate. I found the final 3rd of the book (Part 5: Pathways to Recovery) especially interesting, beneficial, and hopeful.

Note: As others have stated, the book contains HARD content that could be very triggering.

‘ as long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself. hiding your core feelings takes an enormous amount of energy, it saps your motivation to pursue worthwhile goals, and it leaves you feeling bored and shut down.‘ 5/5

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, and it did not disappoint! There is a really interesting blend of patient stories, explanations of therapy modalities, and opportunities for personal reflection. It really is so comprehensive for learning about the body and trauma of all kinds.

Finally reading this. And getting internship hours in! #gradschoolchronicles

Apparently I like nonfiction books that start with the #letterB:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

#alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

It took me two years to finish this book and I have a lot to say about it. It is so well organized, shows alternatives to CBT like EMDR, somatic therapies, yoga, theater etc. we are able to follow some of his patients on their healing journey as we read on. BUT- I do not like how he talks about rape, SA, and incest in reference to his woman clients. He overstates details about this clients which can be triggering to readers.

Dr. van der Kolk is not only a ground breaking researcher with decades of experience both studying trauma and working with trauma patients, he also comes across as a kind and compassionate person. While the subject is difficult, the second half of the book offers hope and innovative ways to heal beyond traditional talk therapy and medication. ❤️

🌸 At the 40% mark I‘d give ‘The Body Keeps Score‘ four stars. It‘s a fairly depressing nonfiction book about trauma but well researched and likely helpful.

🌼 So far my favorite book this year has been ‘The Tsar of Love and Techno‘ by Anthony Marra. I think he‘s absolutely brilliant.

🌺 I‘m grateful for my sweet family.

Sorry I‘m late! #wondrouswednesday @Yuki_Onna @Eggs

All the science/therapy-related contents in this book are inspiring, but the description of the cases can be triggering for people. Imagine got traumatized by reading a book about trauma therapy.🤕

This was thought provoking. There were definitely parts that were difficult to get through, the empath in me struggled w/ the specific traumas from research cases & Van Der Kolk‘s clients. Some of it was triggering for me as well. The focus on healing, the sense of hopefulness & curiosity helped me push through. I feel more open to understanding others & what they may have been through. I feel more open to all the possibilities for my own healing.

“When the job goes bad, when a cherished project fails, when someone you count on leaves you or dies, there are few things as helpful as moving your muscles and doing something that demands focused attention.”

“Our sense of agency, how much we feel in control, is defined by our relationship with our bodies and its rhythm: Our waking and sleeping and how we eat, sit, and walk define the contours of our days.”

“Trauma causes people to remain stuck in interpreting the present in light of an unchanging past.”

“When you activate your gut feelings and listen to your heartbreak—when you follow the interoceptive pathways to your innermost recesses—things begin to change.”

“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself.”

“The essence of trauma is that it is overwhelming, unbelievable, and unbearable. Each patient demands that we suspend our sense of what is normal and accept that we are dealing with a dual reality: the reality of a relatively secure and predictable present that lives side by side with a ruinous, ever-present past.”

“…who can find a proper grave for such damaged mosaics of the mind, where they may rest in pieces? Life goes on, but in two temporal directions at once, the future unable to escape the grip of a memory laden with grief.”

- As quoted from Lawrence Langer

“If you were not there, it‘s difficult to describe and say how it was. How men function under such stress is one thing, and then how you communicate and express that to somebody who never knew that such a degree of brutality exists seems like a fantasy.”

Trying to get back into my “daily reading” which I have ignored for a couple weeks. Set out my book and some water (not wine) on my yoga mat so I start the day right!

This book has good tidbits and interesting case studies. But I find it really dense. I wasn‘t expecting a light fluffy read by any stretch but I feel like this is heavier reading than when I took a class on brain science for elementary education.

A therapist recommended this to my husband to help him explore PTSD treatments that he can try and maybe get even more familiar with PTSD. I found this book informative, inspiring, hopeful, and heartbreaking. It was tough reading about the history of scapegoating PTSD research, and it was great reading about evolving treatments as discoveries are made. Strong content warnings for rape, child and domestic abuse, medical trauma, and many more.

"(...) alexithymics substitute the language of action for that of emotion. (...) They tend to register emotions as physical problems rather than as signals that something deserves their attention."

"Suppressing our inner cries for help does not stop our stress from mobilizing the body."

"Self-regulation depends on having a friendly relationship with your body."

"If you have a comfortable connection with your inner sensations - if you can trust them to give you accurate information - you will feel in charge of your body, your feelings, and yourself."

"Agency" is a technical term for the feeling of being in charge of your life: knowing where you stand, knowing that you have a say in what happens to you, knowing that you have some ability to shape your circumstances.

I feel like some nonfiction now. This one has been on my shelf for a while now, and seems extra important for me to read lately.

I decided to listen to the tagged and paint a little last night for #LitsyCrafters and my own goal of doing an hour of creative time every week. It‘s not finished yet- still need to paint the trees. This is a project I started in October or November 😏 #AudioPainting #AudioCrafting

We now know that trauma compromises the brain area that communicate the physical, embodied feeling of being alive.

Whether or not you personally have experienced trauma this is a must read to just understand what some people are going through and maybe be able to help someone find the right resources.

I have to read/listen to this a hundred more times. I had no idea the depth of the material covered but this is practically the entire history of trauma research in the US. So much good info here.

Glad to have finally made time for this one. I loved the beginning - great stuff about the nature of trauma, neuroception, mind-body connection, and more. I had a harder time with some of the middle (mostly parts around repressed memory, and some theories of child development). Went back to really liking the end - the overview of therapeutic approaches was interesting and useful. Definitely a worthwhile read!

Forgot to post this yesterday, but I got this through just in time to wrap up June with one more #bookspinbingo !

This book was very therapeutic for me. It‘s all about the mind/body connection and how the stress of trauma impacts your body and overall health.

As someone who has only recently started working on my mental health this was deeply interesting to me. A solid non-fiction read.

Watching the sunset on the French Quarter

The book is well-written in accessible language but contains a lot of serious and difficult subject matter. Trauma reshapes our sense of self and how we experience and exist in our world. I learned a great deal about the physical effects trauma has on our bodies and minds and how we can work towards healing.

Rating: 5 Stars
A must for all my mental health professional friends out there (and honestly, anyone interested in trauma). Immensely detailed yet written in the most digestible manner. I learned so much that will benefit my personal journey of trauma healing but also as a professional social worker.
Cannot recommend enough!
#socialworkerreads #traumareads #books #thebodykeepsthescore #nonfictionreads #mentalhealthreads

One if the best comprehensive books on therapy and trauma.

I read this book to help increase my knowledge of treatments for trauma and the effects on my clients. It‘s a little outdated at times—he makes a comment about mindfulness not being used enough in therapy, but now it is used at school & in therapy frequently. A lot of info about the brain, which was interesting. Definitely will be useful for therapists and others who work with trauma. TW for everything that causes trauma.

This. Book. I got about 100 pages in a few years ago, but had to put it down as I was not prepared for the revelation it was bringing. But now, my body is ready, and I am learning so much that is enriching and enlightening all of my prior study of psychology and the brain. FASCINATING

All the TW (like if you can think of a form of abuse or trauma, it‘s here!), BUT if you‘ve experienced trauma in your childhood or adulthood, this could be a helpful book about understanding your trauma, knowing which avenues of help are available, and figuring out what type might work for you. #audiobook

This book is a must read, for anyone who is ready to understand more about how the mind/body connection works and wants to begin exploring how to treat themselves in a healthier and more compassionate way.

This whole paragraph, but in specific: “Trauma breeds further trauma; hurt people hurt other people.”

Today‘s #audiowalk was brisk but beautiful!

This book is absolutely amazing. 2/35
Nail shade #coralbay

This book discusses trauma and a lot of interesting ways of addressing it. I have tried some of these myself and will continue to explore other methods for my own recovery and to encourage other people in theirs. I will revisit portions of this book again.

This is an important and super informative read about how psychological trauma impacts the brain and body and an array of therapeutic practices to treat it. Urgently recommended for educators, healthcare workers, social workers, and anyone who has experienced the long-term effects of trauma or someone who loves them.

1. Therapy, Bible study, take down Christmas tree, and a haircut I hope
2. I made potato soup in my pressure cooker 😋
I tag @NataliePatalie

@Cupcake12 #motivationalMonday