Thembelihle Zwane
20 August 2025
The Body Keeps the Score explores how trauma, especially PTSD, affects the brain, mind, and body. PTSD occurs when someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event and continues to have severe stress responses afterward. These include fear, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, and physical changes like increased heart rate and blood pressure due to the “fight-or-flight” response.
Bessel van der Kolk explains that trauma changes key brain areas involved in emotion and memory, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. These changes cause symptoms like panic, hypervigilance, and vivid traumatic memories. Traditional medications can help with symptoms but do not cure trauma and sometimes cause harmful side effects.
The book highlights alternative treatments like mindfulness yoga, which helps patients regain control over their bodies and emotions by calming overactive brain regions. Bessel also emphasises the importance of therapies involving art, music, dance, and reconnecting with loved ones to heal emotional wounds.
Using scientific research and real-life stories, the book offers insight into trauma’s deep impact and practical healing methods. While it covers many approaches, more evidence on their effectiveness would strengthen its guidance. Overall, it’s a valuable resource for understanding and treating PTSD through a holistic brain-body approach.
