Review: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As someone who's personally benefitted from 2 of the treatments discussed in the second half, I am predisposed to like this book. Overall I think it's a good survey of the subject matter and what options exist, and helping start to demystify what trauma really means experientially because it's more than just whatever culture normally thinks of as PTSD.

I found the frequent backhanded comments about the DSM and its limitations interesting (this author really has a vendetta/axe to grind lol) but also in a way that makes me prone to see parts of this book less objectively. I don't know if I gleaned enough of a sense of why the system that leads to its revisions is set up the way it is other than "this is frustrating." 

Some caution on trigger warnings for some of patient anecdotes discussed. Other reviewers have mentioned concerns about the lack of consideration for the victims of the patients who themselves caused harm on others-- I think it's partly reflective of the cycle of abuse, but worth noting especially if that is likely to bother you.