The body keeps the score

[Anarchy]

It certainly is difficult to put down!

I got a copy last week, and started reading it over the weekend. I'm past page 200 already (Monday morning).

I'd asked the local university bookshop if they had it in stock, and sang v d Kolk's praises to them, they didn't have it, so I ordered it on the net. The next time I was in the bookshop they'd got several copies in, on the strength of what I'd said.

I had already read Judith Herman's "Trauma and Recovery" and had to put it down after almost every page to think through the implications of what she had written.

In the two decades since Hermann's book was first published, the science and thinking of people like Bessel van der Kolk, and Laurence Heller, has moved forward a long way (possibly matched by how far the DSM has regressed with its proliferation of overlapping BS "diagnoses" and refusal to incorporate them in an overall "developmental Trauma"), and again I am getting "Oh Shit!" moments all the way through, as new things become clear to me.

Not all of those new thoughts are comfortable; for example i now strongly suspect that a significant ex was indeed abused as a child (she had, what I now recognize as a series of flashbacks and associated abdominal pains when we were first together, she does suspect but has never, to the best of my knowledge, recognized the flashbacks as such - the creepy thing is, the flashbacks contain the identity of the probable perp - a family member), but that it is something for her to come to her own realizations about, in her own time, it is not for me to tell her.

Perhaps related, I went to bed normal weekday time saturday night (about 10:30) and slept through until 4:15pm Sunday...

 

[shimmerz]

and again I am getting "Oh Shit!" moments all the way through, as new things become clear to me.

I love those.

(possibly matched by how far the DSM has regressed with its proliferation of overlapping BS "diagnoses" and refusal to incorporate them in an overall "developmental Trauma"),

The DSM has never been my friend.

but not PTSD itself.

Hmmm, for me dissociation makes me tired. Like I could fall asleep on the spot. Is dissociation not pretty standard component of PTSD?

 

[ms spock]

I bought the book and devoured it. It is a great read. So informative.

 

[Anarchy]

I love those.

me too - even more piles of shit to deal with in middle age, that "normal" people (yep, all three of them) learned in infancy, while their brains were much more plastic and learning was so much easier.

Some of the really uncomfortable ones that don't directly affect me, were the bits about obesity being a protection against triggering sexual advances by people who were abused - the former steel town down the road has frightening levels of obesity
and susceptibility to auto immune disorders - the rural community around where I live has the highest incidence of ME in the world. at least part of that was having a GP who was willing to diagnose ME, but it certainly makes me wonder...

I'm wondering about setting up a "mindfulness" group in both the town and in the rural area.

Hmmm, for me dissociation makes me tired. Like I could fall asleep on the spot. Is dissociation not pretty standard component of PTSD?

Me too,
I think sleep is my "safe place", at boarding school I was genuinely the worst in the whole school at getting up in the morning.

 

[Chava]

the science and thinking of people like Bessel van der Kolk, and Laurence Heller, has moved forward a long way (possibly matched by how far the DSM has regressed with its proliferation of overlapping BS "diagnoses" and refusal to incorporate them in an overall "developmental Trauma"),

Yes. I'm most saddened for the kids who can end up with a big list of these symptom-diagnosis. Since the Developmental Trauma Disorder did have the votes for inclusion but oddly didn't make it, I assume there are political, medical, or socio-political factors at play...like what to do with the kids diagnosed with specific trauma disorders, their families, their treatment, and who pays for all of it. But Van Der Kolk mentioned the money saved through accurate diagnosis vs loads of symptom or related diagnosis (his mentioning it in his book also hints at this sort of background hold-up because why would a trauma expert meddle with issues of taxpayer dollars unless he was still trying to sell the theories to certain holder-uppers?). The worst part, in my mind, is the number of labels traumatized children can end up with and the sometimes weird hodge-podge assortment of behavioral and special education approaches that don't really treat their core issues.

 

[Anarchy]

The worst part, in my mind, is the number of labels traumatized children can end up with and the sometimes weird hodge-podge assortment of behavioral and special education approaches that don't really treat their core issues.

Even worse when each of those BS "conditions" gets medicated seperately. I've linked a few times to a vid of Gabriella Balfe giving a lecture at one of the NEA BPD conferences. She shows an actual schedule of some poor woman who was on about 20 different meds, each one for a separate "condition".

van der Kolk quotes criticism of the APA by it's British counterpart for its complete failure to acknowledge any of the the societal aspects of bio-psycho social in the DSM, and of the American NIMH, abandoning use of the DSM catagories for its research (although I'm not sure that the NIMH's ideas are much better - they still seem to be following a very restricted paradigm).

I guess the time will come when the DSM becomes so irrelevant, that the APA will either have to examine its paradigm, or its DSM will simply fail to sell. DSM iv, earned the APA around $100M in sales, so there's a tempting market there for anyone who comes up with something more worthy of respect than the APA's current doorstop.

 

[void]

There is a book that was just released here in the United States called "[URL='Dead Link Removed...

You helped me by posting this thread.
I am grateful to you.:)

 

[SunflowerHoney]

My mom heard about this book on NPR and started reading it right away. It's changed my life. Since she read it she started EMDR and then I did. She has finally seen how her neglect of me as a newborn, infant, toddler, teen, etc has shaped me. She no longer sees me as defective and she's taken ownership and apologized and is a much different person. She's finally standing up to others who have abused me. My life is going to so much better in a many ways due to this book. Isn't that amazing?! I'm glad you posted this.

 

[void]

My mom heard about this book on NPR and started reading it right away. It's changed my life. Sinc...

@SunflowerHoney

I am delighted to hear of the progress that you and your Mom are making.
How wonderful!!!:joyful::joyful::joyful::joyful::joyful::joyful:

 

[SunflowerHoney]

@void, Thank you!!! You're sweet. :)

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I am going to order the book tonight. Thanks to all who shared about it. It seems very timely for me..

 

[shimmerz]

Since she read it she started EMDR and then I did. She has finally seen how her neglect of me as a newborn, infant, toddler, teen, etc has shaped me. She no longer sees me as defective and she's taken ownership and apologized and is a much different person.

Which truly goes to show that with the right information, PTSD does NOT have to define the person. That people can and will take ownership, if they know truly what it is that they do, in fact own. Information. We need the proper information.... thank you again Van der Kolk - and actually Judith Herman for cracking open the 'complex trauma' box and shining a light on why therapists don't want to speak about what adults do to their children.