TW: This blog post contains references to molestation, which some readers may find distressing or triggering. Please take care of your mental and emotional well-being, and consider whether you feel comfortable reading about this topic before proceeding. If you need support, please reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or professional.
We’re excited to present another installment of the Flowly Book Review Series! This week, join Flowly team member Christine as she delves into The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
What’s it about?
Trauma is a widespread reality. Combat veterans and their families grapple with the harsh consequences of war; one in five Americans has experienced molestation; one in four grew up with alcoholic parents; and one in three couples have faced physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a leading authority on trauma, has dedicated over thirty years to assisting survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he leverages recent scientific discoveries to illustrate how trauma fundamentally alters both the body and brain, affecting individuals' ability to experience pleasure, engage with others, and exercise self-control, and trust. He examines cutting-edge treatments, including neurofeedback, meditation, sports, drama, and yoga, that stimulate the brain’s natural ability to heal. Drawing on his own research and that of other top experts, The Body Keeps the Score reveals the profound impact of relationships on both causing and healing trauma, offering renewed hope for reclaiming lives.
Why did you choose to read The Body Keeps the Score?
After hearing about this book from numerous friends, I finally decided to give it a read. I first picked it up when I was considering finding a therapist and realizing the importance of taking better care of my mental health. At that time, I was particularly interested in understanding the connection between the body and the brain.
What are the main takeaways?
- Trauma, whether minor or major, leaves a lasting imprint. Although the traumatic event occurred in the past, its effects can persist in the present, influencing your future experiences.
- There are three levels of feeling safe and secure. The first level is social engagement, highlighting the importance of community for our survival. The second level involves the nervous system shifting into fight or flight mode. If neither fight nor flight is possible, the third level is a freeze or collapse response.
As stated in The Body Keeps the Score, "Whenever we feel threatened, we instinctively turn to the first level, social engagement. We call out for help, support, and comfort from the people around us. But if no one comes to our aid, or we’re in immediate danger, the organism reverts to a more primitive way to survive: fight or flight. We fight off our attacker, or we run to a safe place. However, if this fails—if we can’t get away, if we’re held down or trapped—the organism tries to preserve itself by shutting down and expending as little energy as possible. We are then in a state of freeze or collapse."
- One of my main takeaways from this book is recognizing my tendency to intellectualize everything I experience. However, The Body Keeps the Score was instrumental in helping me understand why I feel certain emotions. It made me realize that I wasn't acknowledging or truly recognizing my feelings in the first place.
How did The Body Keeps the Score affect you?
I think this book was one of the many catalysts that got me to start listening to my body and trying to better understand what my brain was trying to tell me instead of suppressing any negative emotions and stress. It also did kick my butt into exploring more activities - like pilates and yoga - to help me get a better grasp of my physical sensations and where in my body the sensation was taking place.
Who should read The Body Keeps the Score
This book is a must-read for anyone in the chronic pain community, especially those just starting out who feel as though they are losing control over their health. The author emphasizes the importance of agency in feeling empowered to manage your health and body. He provides numerous strategies to build our sense of "interoception"—the awareness of our internal, body-based feelings.
As stated in the book: "Agency starts with what scientists call interoception, our awareness of our subtle sensory, body-based feelings: the greater that awareness, the greater our potential to control our lives. Knowing what we feel is the first step to knowing why we feel that way." (p. 97)
I also highly recommend this book to anyone working in high-stress, high-demand environments, particularly women and people of color. It equips readers with valuable knowledge and insight on how to avoid harming their physical health by suppressing stress and mental pain. As the book notes: "Suppressing our inner cries for help does not stop our stress hormones from mobilizing the body." (p. 99)
This book will be particularly encouraging for our Flowly community. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is highlighted as a crucial metric for assessing the system's flexibility, with the goal of improving HRV—a key focus of our Flowly training for Heroes. I appreciate that our Healing from Pain program encompasses both top-down approaches with our licensed therapists and bottom-up approaches with daily at-home VR biofeedback sessions.
Finally, I want to leave our Flowly community with a powerful quote from the book that underscores the importance of being kind and gentle to ourselves during the healing process: "Healing 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." (p. 235) To our Flowly Heroes: remember, you deserve the compassion and kindness you show to others.
Have a book you would like to review and share with the Flowly community? Send us an email at contact@flowly.world.