The Body Keeps the Score Quotes

“Studies have shown that writing about one’s deepest thoughts and feelings significantly reduces doctor visits and improves overall health. The ability to put feelings into words transforms mute suffering into a process that can be understood and appreciated.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“The real question is: How can patients themselves identify the sources of their behaviors and integrate their past, rather than being labeled as ‘crazy’ or fundamentally broken?”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“The introduction of the DSM-III in 1980 brought a new way of diagnosing mental illness, but it also carried a warning: psychiatric diagnoses can become labels that shape how people see themselves, often limiting their ability to recognize their strengths and creativity.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“For those who struggle to seek comfort from other humans—whether due to fear, trauma, or disconnection—dogs and horses can provide a profound sense of safety and trust.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“Clinging to another person is the most natural way for human beings to calm themselves. The need for physical closeness and attunement is wired into our biology.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“In the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, surprisingly few people showed up for traditional talk therapy. Instead, many turned to acupuncture, massage, yoga, and EMDR, which seemed to offer more effective relief.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“EMDR was found to be more effective than Prozac in treating PTSD. The difference was that Prozac provided relief only while patients were taking it, whereas EMDR had lasting effects even after treatment ended.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“Rather than teaching children and adults the skills to deal with distressing physical reactions, we often prescribe medications like Abilify, Zyprexa, and Seroquel to dampen their emotional responses.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“While medications such as Abilify, Risperdal, and Seroquel can blunt extreme emotional arousal, they also interfere with the ability to fully experience pleasure, danger, and satisfaction. Many patients on these drugs describe feeling alienated from themselves.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

“Medications can be very useful in giving traumatized people a firmer foothold in the present, but they do not teach the lasting lessons of self-regulation. Most of us in the trauma field have seen how a reliance on drugs alone does little to alter the core issues of trauma.”
― Bessel van der Kolk M.D., The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma