Healing Trauma & How the Body Keeps the Score | Dr Bessel van der Kolk

How To Academy Mindset・2 minutes read

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Benjamin Fry explore traumatic stress and its impact on mental health, highlighting how trauma differs from psychological stress and can disrupt brain development. They discuss how trauma triggers automatic responses, affecting relationships and self-perception, and emphasize the importance of physical activities and communal traditions in promoting well-being and resilience.

Insights

  • Traumatic stress significantly impacts mental health by disrupting brain development, leading to a constant state of readiness for danger and influencing relationships and self-perception.
  • Physical activities and communal practices can effectively calm the brain's survival center, providing a sense of safety and well-being in response to trauma, a concept often overlooked in psychotherapy despite its proven effectiveness in promoting resilience and mental health.

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Recent questions

  • How does traumatic stress impact mental health?

    Traumatic stress significantly affects mental health by disrupting the brain's development, leading to issues with self-regulation and social interactions. It can cause individuals to be in a constant state of readiness for danger, influencing relationships and self-perception. The brain's primitive parts may override rational thought, triggering intense reactions based on past experiences. Trauma can also result in automatic responses that shape how individuals perceive and interact with others, impacting overall mental well-being.

  • Who is Dr. Bessel van der Kolk?

    Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is a renowned expert on traumatic stress, the founder of the Trauma Research Foundation, and the author of "The Body Keeps the Score." His work focuses on understanding the impact of trauma on mental health and exploring ways to address and heal traumatic experiences. Dr. van der Kolk's research has shed light on the profound effects of traumatic stress on the brain and behavior, highlighting the importance of recognizing and treating trauma-related issues.

  • What is the role of the limbic system in trauma responses?

    The limbic system plays a crucial role in trauma responses by influencing emotional and physical reactions to traumatic experiences. This part of the brain is involved in processing emotions, memories, and behaviors, and it can be activated in response to perceived threats or danger. Trauma can trigger the limbic system to produce intense emotional responses, impacting how individuals perceive and react to stressful situations. Understanding the role of the limbic system in trauma can help in developing effective strategies for coping and healing from traumatic experiences.

  • How can physical activities help calm the survival brain?

    Physical activities can help calm the survival brain by fostering a sense of safety and synchrony. Engaging in activities like movement, singing, or communal rituals can activate the body's automatic processes, separate from executive control, to promote a feeling of well-being and relaxation. By engaging in these activities, individuals can soothe the survival brain's heightened state of alertness and promote a sense of safety and calmness in response to trauma or stress.

  • What is the difference between traumatic stress and psychological stress?

    Traumatic stress differs from psychological stress in its profound impact on mental health. While psychological stress may result from everyday challenges or pressures, traumatic stress stems from overwhelming experiences that disrupt the brain's development and functioning. Trauma can lead to a constant state of readiness for danger, affecting relationships, self-perception, and emotional regulation. Understanding the distinction between traumatic stress and psychological stress is crucial in addressing and treating trauma-related issues effectively.

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Summary

00:00

Understanding Trauma's Impact on Mental Health

  • Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Benjamin Fry discuss traumatic stress and its impact on mental health.
  • Dr. van der Kolk is a leading expert on traumatic stress, founder of the Trauma Research Foundation, and author of "The Body Keeps the Score."
  • Benjamin Fry is an accredited psychotherapist and author of "The Invisible Lion."
  • Traumatic stress differs from psychological stress, affecting mental health significantly.
  • The brain's development can be disrupted by extreme distress, impacting self-regulation and social interactions.
  • Trauma can lead to a constant state of readiness for danger, affecting relationships and self-perception.
  • The brain's primitive parts can override rational thought, causing intense reactions based on past experiences.
  • Trauma can trigger automatic responses, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with others.
  • The limbic system and brainstem play crucial roles in trauma responses, leading to emotional and physical reactions.
  • Internal dialogues may not reflect the complexity of brain activity, impacting how individuals process and respond to external stimuli.

17:09

Physical activities calm survival brain, promote well-being.

  • The body's automatic processes, separate from executive control, can trigger reactions in the brain's survival center, influencing behavior. This survival brain, powerful in ensuring survival, can be calmed through physical activities fostering a sense of safety and synchrony, as seen in Bishop Tutu's calming efforts during a tumultuous time in South Africa.
  • Traditions worldwide show that physical movements, singing, and communal activities can provide a sense of safety and calm in response to trauma, a concept often overlooked in psychotherapy despite its effectiveness in promoting well-being and resilience.
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