“The scientific study of suffering inevitably raises questions of causation, and with these, issues of blame and responsibility. Historically, doctors have highlighted predisposing vulnerability factors for developing PTSD, at the expense of recognizing the reality of their patients' experiences… This… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“While trauma keeps us dumbfounded, the path out of it is paved with words, carefully assembled, piece by piece, until the whole story can… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“. I was often surprised by the dispassionate way patients’ symptoms were discussed and by how much time was spent on trying to manage their suicidal thoughts and self-destructive behaviors, rather than on understanding the possible causes of their despair and helplessness. I was also struck by how little attention was paid to their accomplishments and aspirations; whom they cared… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share
“In April 2013, a few weeks before DSM-V was formally released, NIMH director Thomas Insel announced that his agency could no longer support DSM’s… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“The brain-disease model takes control over people’s fate out of their own hands and puts doctors and insurance companies in charge of fixing their… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“It was early in my career, and I had been seeing Mary, a shy, lonely, and physically collapsed young woman, for about three months in weekly psychotherapy, dealing with the ravages of her terrible history of early abuse. One day I opened the door to my waiting room and saw her standing there provocatively, dressed in a miniskirt, her hair dyed flaming red, with a cup of coffee in… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share
“Unlike other forms of psychological disorders, the core issue in trauma is reality.” — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“Beneath the surface of the protective parts of trauma survivors there exists an undamaged essence, a Self that is confident, curious, and calm, a Self that has been sheltered from destruction by the various protectors that have emerged in their efforts to ensure survival. Once those protectors trust that it is safe to separate, the Self will spontaneously emerge, and… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share
“trauma produces actual physiological changes, including a recalibration of the brain’s alarm system, an increase in stress hormone activity, and alterations in the system… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“The brain-disease model takes control over people’s fate out of their own hands and puts doctors and insurance companies in charge of fixing their… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“The ACE study group concluded: “Although widely understood to be harmful to health, each adaptation [such as smoking, drinking, drugs, obesity] is notably difficult to give up. Little consideration is given to the possibility that many long-term health risks might also be personally beneficial in the short term. We repeatedly hear from patients of the benefits of these ‘health risks.’… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share
“Like so many survivors of childhood abuse, Marilyn exemplified the power of the life force, the will to live and to own one's life,… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
“The internal system of an abuse victim differs from the non-abuse system with regard to the consistent absence of the effective leadership, the extreme… — Bessel A. van der Kolk Copy Share Image
