Welcome to Litsy!

this book gets me

Late to the game because Monday is busy.

1) Good-ish. Landed on a direction for my next Toastmasters speech, so that‘s always a mental load off. Got my taxes finished. I was unemployed almost the whole year so it didn‘t take long.

2) I think positive affirmations are good for people. In the US, at least, the culture seems to be so focused on the negative and tearing people down for anything they do. Positive affirmations can help buoy us.

This book was thick, disturbing, and very good. It‘s not a big book, so by thick I mean the content and thought processing needed to read it well. It‘s disturbing because trauma is. There‘s no way to sugar coat that, and no easy fix or quick healing. But it‘s very, very good.

“Scared animals return home, regardless of whether home is safe or frightening.“

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 the audiobook was really good.

#withtherapist #ittakesallkinds @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Re reading this one. It‘s a bit dated and his ideas are not new to many cultures (which he acknowledges). I appreciate his activist stance against the negligence and abuse of power that has caused a lot of harm for people with trauma histories.

What a phenomenal book! It truly reaches the hype as one of the best books about trauma, mental health, and even as a nonfiction read in general. It provided so much insight and brought about much reflection of the impact of trauma. Van Der Kolk‘s writing is exquisite and his dedication is evident throughout the book. This book is great not only for the profession but for any individual interested in mental health. One of my all-time fave reads!

On and on

This was fascinating and engaging and as revelatory as I‘d heard from the people who recommended it. Required reading for everyone in education, public policy, and really maybe everyone, period.

Professional development day at work today. Had 45 minutes at the start of the day for a wellness activity, one of which was lounging in the library and reading. Took the opportunity to dig deeper into this one. It was absolutely glorious way to begin a day. And to all the book purists out there, I'm not even the tiniest bit sorry about my underlining and folded pages, (it's my copy.)

Dealing with the ongoing nature of ambiguous loss, too many deaths of family members and friends, and other trauma, undoubtedly does live in the body. Anticipating this will be a mixture of fascinating, tough, and hoping meaningful as well.

This one was powerful, informative and thought provoking. About how trauma affects every aspect of a person life, no matter their age when it happens or the experience. Discusses various treatment options and their history and efficacy, all the while focusing on the human experience. I learned a lot and will be thinking about it for a long time. Good on #audio #BookspinBingo #JubilantJuly @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65

This book was highly informative and interesting. Although it is very informational and based on a lot of good research, it is still very easy to understand. Many of the stories of his clients are hard to listen to, but leave you in awe of the minds ability to heal. Highly recommend this book for anyone looking to learn more about trauma and it‘s affect on the brain.

On way to RI for a fun weekend to see friends.

Interesting look at how trauma is internalized by the body. Provides case studies and suggestions on how to rewire the connection between the two.

Such an eye opening and informative book, strong recommendation!

My sister recommended this book. I got new headphones finally. So I figured I would give this audio book a whorl.

Sigh, it does

Read this if you want to understand the lasting affects that trauma has on people. It‘s incredibly interesting

Well, this book changed my life. I highly recommend reading and discussing with your therapist.

I am so glad I decided to take the plunge and read this. I found it very beneficial to me on a personal level as well as professionally. Dr Van Der Kolk writes in a manner that is humble, curious, non-judgemental, and compassionate. I found the final 3rd of the book (Part 5: Pathways to Recovery) especially interesting, beneficial, and hopeful.

Note: As others have stated, the book contains HARD content that could be very triggering.

‘ as long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself. hiding your core feelings takes an enormous amount of energy, it saps your motivation to pursue worthwhile goals, and it leaves you feeling bored and shut down.‘ 5/5

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, and it did not disappoint! There is a really interesting blend of patient stories, explanations of therapy modalities, and opportunities for personal reflection. It really is so comprehensive for learning about the body and trauma of all kinds.

Finally reading this. And getting internship hours in! #gradschoolchronicles

Apparently I like nonfiction books that start with the #letterB:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

#alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

It took me two years to finish this book and I have a lot to say about it. It is so well organized, shows alternatives to CBT like EMDR, somatic therapies, yoga, theater etc. we are able to follow some of his patients on their healing journey as we read on. BUT- I do not like how he talks about rape, SA, and incest in reference to his woman clients. He overstates details about this clients which can be triggering to readers.

Dr. van der Kolk is not only a ground breaking researcher with decades of experience both studying trauma and working with trauma patients, he also comes across as a kind and compassionate person. While the subject is difficult, the second half of the book offers hope and innovative ways to heal beyond traditional talk therapy and medication. ❤️

🌸 At the 40% mark I‘d give ‘The Body Keeps Score‘ four stars. It‘s a fairly depressing nonfiction book about trauma but well researched and likely helpful.

🌼 So far my favorite book this year has been ‘The Tsar of Love and Techno‘ by Anthony Marra. I think he‘s absolutely brilliant.

🌺 I‘m grateful for my sweet family.

Sorry I‘m late! #wondrouswednesday @Yuki_Onna @Eggs

All the science/therapy-related contents in this book are inspiring, but the description of the cases can be triggering for people. Imagine got traumatized by reading a book about trauma therapy.🤕

This was thought provoking. There were definitely parts that were difficult to get through, the empath in me struggled w/ the specific traumas from research cases & Van Der Kolk‘s clients. Some of it was triggering for me as well. The focus on healing, the sense of hopefulness & curiosity helped me push through. I feel more open to understanding others & what they may have been through. I feel more open to all the possibilities for my own healing.

“When the job goes bad, when a cherished project fails, when someone you count on leaves you or dies, there are few things as helpful as moving your muscles and doing something that demands focused attention.”

“Our sense of agency, how much we feel in control, is defined by our relationship with our bodies and its rhythm: Our waking and sleeping and how we eat, sit, and walk define the contours of our days.”

“Trauma causes people to remain stuck in interpreting the present in light of an unchanging past.”

“When you activate your gut feelings and listen to your heartbreak—when you follow the interoceptive pathways to your innermost recesses—things begin to change.”

“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself.”

“The essence of trauma is that it is overwhelming, unbelievable, and unbearable. Each patient demands that we suspend our sense of what is normal and accept that we are dealing with a dual reality: the reality of a relatively secure and predictable present that lives side by side with a ruinous, ever-present past.”

“…who can find a proper grave for such damaged mosaics of the mind, where they may rest in pieces? Life goes on, but in two temporal directions at once, the future unable to escape the grip of a memory laden with grief.”

- As quoted from Lawrence Langer

“If you were not there, it‘s difficult to describe and say how it was. How men function under such stress is one thing, and then how you communicate and express that to somebody who never knew that such a degree of brutality exists seems like a fantasy.”

Trying to get back into my “daily reading” which I have ignored for a couple weeks. Set out my book and some water (not wine) on my yoga mat so I start the day right!

This book has good tidbits and interesting case studies. But I find it really dense. I wasn‘t expecting a light fluffy read by any stretch but I feel like this is heavier reading than when I took a class on brain science for elementary education.

A therapist recommended this to my husband to help him explore PTSD treatments that he can try and maybe get even more familiar with PTSD. I found this book informative, inspiring, hopeful, and heartbreaking. It was tough reading about the history of scapegoating PTSD research, and it was great reading about evolving treatments as discoveries are made. Strong content warnings for rape, child and domestic abuse, medical trauma, and many more.

"(...) alexithymics substitute the language of action for that of emotion. (...) They tend to register emotions as physical problems rather than as signals that something deserves their attention."

"Suppressing our inner cries for help does not stop our stress from mobilizing the body."

"Self-regulation depends on having a friendly relationship with your body."

"If you have a comfortable connection with your inner sensations - if you can trust them to give you accurate information - you will feel in charge of your body, your feelings, and yourself."

"Agency" is a technical term for the feeling of being in charge of your life: knowing where you stand, knowing that you have a say in what happens to you, knowing that you have some ability to shape your circumstances.

I feel like some nonfiction now. This one has been on my shelf for a while now, and seems extra important for me to read lately.

I decided to listen to the tagged and paint a little last night for #LitsyCrafters and my own goal of doing an hour of creative time every week. It‘s not finished yet- still need to paint the trees. This is a project I started in October or November 😏 #AudioPainting #AudioCrafting