Absolutely fantastic book! Recommended reading for everyone not just survivors of traumatic abuse, war or accidents. I've never been a victim of such things fortunately but I think we all get a little roughed up by life sometimes and struggle to find our way through it, this book gives a lot of eye opening insights and even examples to follow. Not a work book exactly but it makes you think, pause and take stock of whats going on inside you. Felt pretty vulnerable the day after reading when I realized how often I engage in self destructive habits when stressed, but the next day I felt much better and started instead to look at what I could do in the future based on the examples in this book.
I admit I sometimes skimmed through the last quarter of the book as the in depth info on the science could get a little heavy before bed, but by and large it wasn't overly technical that I couldn't take something away from it.

Can't recommend this enough. Comprehensive on trauma, bodily effects, contrasting theories, and ways to cope. The way patients describe their pain is succinct and empathizing. If you want to understand how trauma affects us, start here.

I have learned a lot from this book which has many cases of patients. Body connects to brain and it remains years. Unfortunately happy childhood is not a common nowadays. If you are parents with children, make them happy and safe because they cannot choose parents.

This book has a lot of information - research, anecdotes, statistics, all of these things that have been screaming at me in the form of symptoms that my loved one has had for years, all of these things that, in the end, I can do nothing actually for besides becoming more understanding and patient. Psychological injury during traumatic childhood is real. Developmental trauma disorder is real, and it infuriates me that the diagnosis never made it into the DSM. Instead, we get to throw multitudes of other conditions and names at a person and leave them to list it all off, time after time after time.

I very much enjoy our good Dr. Van Der Kolk's style of speaking and storytelling; he seems like the caring professional I would love to have at my side in an investigation of the dark things. The stories he tells of those of his patients are extreme, and all too common. I came away from all of this with, at least, options and pathways to explore. I've recommended this work to several support groups already.

I'm on chapter 11 and emailed comments and bookmarks to email

Accessible, thorough, and human approach to the challenges of dealing with a population that suffers from traumatic experience. Dr Van der Kolk states that trauma and child abuse are at the heart of so many addictions, ailments, incarcerations...

well written from a compassionate perspective, with lots of scientific and medical studies as well as exploration of alternatives that successfully provide relief to sufferers. This and Judith Herman's "Trauma and Recovery" are two of the best works on the subject.

Amazing book. So good I bought if off Amazon for 8 bucks.

Bessel van der Kolk is my hero. Literally, he is fighting for me and others like me, and I sincerely love him for it. Thank you Bessel.

Knowledge is power and this book is chalked full of knowledge about how our minds and bodies store and process trauma throughout our lifespans. Van der Kolk helps us better understand ourselves and people around us, from the person in the check out line, to family members, to possibly those we work with in a professional setting as healers. It is written in a way that you do not need an advanced foundation in psychology or recovery to further understand how we all move through our suffering and scars day to day.

Excellent book. I highly recommend reading for anyone dealing with PSTD or any childhood disruptions. Real concrete understanding along with natural solutions. Finally a book that puts all the pieces of the puzzle together.