The Body Keeps the Score

In this novel, Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk goes in depth about the traumatic experiences of the patients he has interviewed and their relationships with peers. One of the first examples Van Der Kolk gives is how a Vietnam Veteran raped a Vietnamese girl in a village he raided after he witnessed his entire platoon massacred from an NVA ambush. Since this Veteran's return home, he has become cold and distant towards his family because he could not bear with his won personal sins. This goes to show that inflicting trauma on others can sometimes be just as traumatic for the aggressor as it can be for the victims themselves. The main theme of this book is that hurt people hurt other people as a means of a negative coping mechanism.  

While I may be no expert in psychology, I could not help but relating to so many aspects of this book. Reading this helped me not only relate to my own personal trauma, but it helped me to further understand the thought processes of others who have faced traumatic incidents in their lives.

Not only does this book go in depth about the different types of trauma, but it also offers strategies in terms of dealing with trauma.

It is a common misconception that therapy does not do anything and that there is no point in opening up to someone about your problems, but there is nothing that can be further from the truth. Having a professional to vent to knowing you will not receive any form of judgement is perhaps the most liberating feeling there can be.

This book also advocates for different techniques for dealing with different types of trauma such as yoga and meditation.