“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” is a book written by Bessel van der Kolk. It is a book which provides deep insights into the different aspects associated with the features of trauma. There is evidence related to the original perspectives and causes related to the psychological issue of trauma. The overall prospect of healing the trauma for the individuals is crucial because it provides the necessary and effective self-regulatory options to deal with the problem of trauma on their own.
The main focus of the researcher in this book is to provide indications about the overwhelming experiences which can play a major role in the development of the brain, mind, and the overall body. It is crucial to understand that all these facets are closely linked to each other, and the occurrence of a change in one feature ultimately impacts the other prospects as well. Here, the focus is to provide an effective response to the features of trauma discussed by Kolk in his book, specifically with the consideration of different aspects associated with the problem of trauma.
The main focus of this piece of research work is to critically consider those psychological changes which can be an indication of the problem of trauma. These changes can be considered as the effective form of symptoms or reflections, which can be helpful in understanding the approach to trauma in the case of any patient. Different body postures, the breathing pattern of a person, body movement, and all these features play a crucial role in determining the intensity of the traumatic aspects. It is recommended for the patients and the healthcare providers to consider the body changes as the rich form of symptoms of the problem of trauma. This particular consideration can be immensely helpful in understanding the true approach to the problem and proposing viable and timely solutions to deal with the issue.
Another crucial and interesting aspect discussed in the following book is related to the specific depiction of the characteristics of the mind and the overall body after any traumatic experience. It explains how the human body remains connected with any event of trauma in the form of pain, even when it ends. There has always remained a strong connection between the brain and the element of danger, which is associated with an unpleasant experience. The feature of body indications in the form of mind or brain can be characterized as the aspect of the high activity. The prospect of low activity as the part of the brain can be observed in the case of an aspect of language production.
These perceived features associated with the problem of trauma can be helpful in making inferences about the body reactions of the person who once survived the traumatic events in life. The features of changes identified by the author in the following book help to understand the features of difficulties faced by trauma survivors in the form of their expressions. Undoubtedly, it became difficult for the person to express particular thoughts and feelings associated with the traumatic events in the form of vocal expressions. The findings of the researcher provide clear insights into the reality that danger and agitation are two major aspects that exist in the case of a traumatic person. These particular experiences are commonly observed in cases of trauma. The identification of particular traumatic experiences through this book can be helpful in making useful inferences about the overall approach to trauma concerning the features of the body and brain.
The overall prospect of trauma can only be effectively understood with the proper understanding of the functioning of the brain. Kolk provides the historical background of the development of the field of neuroscience in the early years of the ’90s. Different techniques or features related to the prospect of brain imaging were initiated to deeply understand the overall processing or functioning of the brain information related to different events. There was the establishment of many machines related to the paradigms of physics and computer technology to enhance the features of research in the case of neuroscience. The development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is crucial because it effectively indicates the brain reaction of people when they experience any event or memorize aspects from the past. The particular example given by the author related to the feature of neuroscience is related to the mind and body functioning of Marsha. A deep understanding of this particular case is helpful in understanding how the body of the person reacts when they go through the memory procedure.
Different functions of the body reconsider the signs of pain and suffering of past experiences due to the prospect of memory. It is observed that the human body has the capacity to redefine the events of the past in the form of memory. The particular traumatic features can be observed by the increasing rate of the heartbeat, acceleration of the blood pressure and the overall condition of agony. Speechless horror is another crucial aspect which is connected with the broader approach to trauma. The symptoms in the form of speechless horror can be observed through the proper examination of the brain. It is observed that it is immensely difficult for traumatized individuals to effectively explain their feelings related to any traumatic event in their life.
Two sides of the brain also provide different indications or signs related to the facet of trauma. The left brain uses a logical approach based on different statistical facts, while the right side of the brain provides indications about the different approaches, such as touch, smell, feel, etc. Facial expressions and vocal features from the past are remembered by the person through the specific category of the right brain. The signs related to the approach of traumatic events are mostly related to the functioning of the right brain, as it has the capacity to memorize the features that happened in the past. The mind of the traumatic body also effectively explains the consideration of the fight or flight about the event of the past. The existence of adrenaline plays a major role in the person to fight back or flee with the consideration of the feature of danger. It is characterized as the one hormone in the body which becomes the reason for the increasing rate of high blood pressure in the human body.
It happens when traumatic survivors listen to the event of trauma in the present that happened in the past. Changes in the body due to the facet of trauma can be observed through the proper understanding of brain movement due to technological advancement. It provides the opportunity for the service providers to understand the body’s symptoms closely and provide the services according to the body’s movements and reactions. The prospects of scans of the functioning of the brain can be the one viable approach to make inferences about the intensity of the past trauma, which is still problematic for the person. Undoubtedly, it becomes difficult for people to speak about the feelings related to the phenomenon of trauma. Assessment of the signs of trauma through the development of neuroscience can be helpful in making a judgment about the individual’s situation associated with the paradigm of traumatic events.
The intention and effort for survival during traumatic events are another point of consideration when considering the human body and mind. Reactions to traumatic events are different in the case of different individuals. It is easy for someone to grasp the tragedy of being happy in a normal life as compared to one who continuously suffers from many forms of problems. There is the consideration of the two adaptive features which play a major role in the reaction of the individuals when they go through with any event of trauma. The first can be identified as the approach to survival when one tries to run away from the hurtful situation. The other prospect is related to the individual’s approach to becoming their own agent of safety and survival in a traumatic or threatening situation.
Different prospects related to trauma can be witnessed in the different forms of the nervous system. The one who survives a difficult situation tries their best to invest their energy in suppressing the inner feelings that appear as aspects of fear, chaos, etc. Individuals take different steps to take back control of their bodies after a traumatic event happens in their lives. This type of effort can also be observed in the case of their psychological patterns or reactions. These particular reactions related to the psychological approach are linked with many forms of physical signs or indications. These signs can be characterized as the features of fibromyalgia, fatigue, anxiety attacks, and many other forms of autoimmune diseases. These indications or signs provide a necessary approach to understanding that the whole body of the individual connects with the facet of trauma. It is crucial and mandatory for clinicians to consider the engagement of the entire body in the form of different signs of trauma from the body, mind, and brain to propose solutions to the problem.
