The Body Keeps the Score


The Body Keeps the Score is a 2014 book by Bessel van der Kolk about the effects of psychological trauma, also known as traumatic stress. The book describes van der Kolk's views on how individuals are affected by traumatic stress, and its effects on the mind and body.

Synopsis

In The Body Keeps the Score, van Der Kolk focuses on survivors of psychological trauma, describing how he says trauma affects individuals. What he says are different ways of healing are discussed. The book has five parts: Rediscovery of Trauma, This is Your Brain on Trauma, The Minds of Children, The Imprint of Trauma and Paths to Recovery.

Reception

In a review for the New Scientist magazine, Shaoni Bhattacharya describes the book as "disturbing" with "gut-wrenching" stories.
This book was ranked second in the science category of the New York Times best sellers list in 2019.