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Bessel A. van der Kolk Quotes

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Famous Bessel A. van der Kolk Quotes

“When you have a persistent sense of heartbreak and gutwrench, the physical sensations become intolerable and we will do anything to make those feelings disappear. And that is really the origin of what happens in human pathology. People take drugs to make it disappear, and they cut themselves to make it disappear, and they starve themselves to make it disappear, and they have sex with anyone who comes along to make it disappear and once you have these horrible sensations in your body, you’ll do anything to make it go away.”

“Generally the rational brain can override the emotional brain, as long as our fears don’t hijack us. (For example, your fear at being flagged down by the police can turn instantly to gratitude when the cop warns you that there’s an accident ahead.) But the moment we feel trapped, enraged, or rejected, we are vulnerable to activating old maps and to follow their directions. Change begins when we learn to "own" our emotional brains. That means learning to observe and tolerate the heartbreaking and gut-wrenching sensations that register misery and humiliation. Only after learning to bear what is going on inside can we start to befriend, rather than obliterate, the emotions that keep our maps fixed and immutable.”

Feelings Brain Emotions Misery Trauma Humiliation Healing The Past World View Healing Insights Traumatized Healing The Emotional Self Complex Ptsd Healing Abuse Complex Trauma Trauma Therapy Gut Wrenching

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

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

“Eighty two percent of the traumatized children seen in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network do not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD.15 Because they often are shut down, suspicious, or aggressive they now receive pseudoscientific diagnoses such as “oppositional defiant disorder,” meaning “This kid hates my guts and won’t do anything I tell him to do,” or “disruptive mood dysregulation disorder,” meaning he has temper tantrums. Having as many problems as they do, these kids accumulate numerous diagnoses over time. Before they reach their twenties, many patients have been given four, five, six, or more of these impressive but meaningless labels. If they receive treatment at all, they get whatever is being promulgated as the method of management du jour: medications, behavioral modification, or exposure therapy. These rarely work and often cause more damage.”

Aggressive Child Abuse Ptsd Disruptive Traumatized Misdiagnosis Child Abuse Survivors Complex Trauma Traumatic Stress Mental Health Bias Temper Tantrums Child Trauma Psuedoscience

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

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

“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.” (p.97)”

Feelings Body Trauma Avoidance Numb Numbness Traumatized Traumatic Sense Of Safety

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

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