10 Insights from the New York Times Bestseller “The Body Keeps the Score” (Video)

1. The Body Keeps the Score

Even when we try to leave trauma in the past, the brain’s survival mechanisms prevent us from fully rejecting it. The rational brain may attempt to move on, but the deeper, instinctual parts of the brain continue to react as if the trauma is still present.

2. The Persistence of Stress

Painful memories can resurface long after the traumatic event, triggering the release of high doses of stress hormones. This leads to intense negative emotions, physical discomfort, impulsive actions, and even aggressive behavior.

3. Physiological Changes

Trauma leaves lasting imprints on the body, including alterations to the brain’s alarm system, heightened stress hormone activity, and disruptions in the brain’s ability to filter out unnecessary information.

4. The Body Holds onto Trauma

For true healing to occur, the body must recognize that the danger has passed. Until then, it remains trapped in a state of hypervigilance, unable to fully engage with the present.

5. The Paradox of Pain Blocking

During moments of acute stress, the brain releases morphine-like chemicals that temporarily numb emotional pain. This is why some trauma survivors may find relief in high-stress situations, stress temporarily suppresses their underlying anxiety.

6. The Overlap of Past and Present

For a traumatized person, certain triggers can cause the brain’s right hemisphere to react as if the traumatic event is happening in real-time, blurring the lines between past and present.

7. Trauma’s Lingering Horror

Trauma does not seamlessly integrate into a person’s life story. Instead, it remains a separate, unresolved experience. Without proper healing, the survivor continues to live in the emotional landscape of the trauma, unable to fully return to the present.

8. The Power of Unpredictable Memories

Recurrent, vivid memories of trauma can be even more distressing than the original event itself. Unlike the event, which had a clear beginning and end, intrusive memories can emerge unexpectedly, disrupting life without warning.

9. The Danger of Isolation

While reliving trauma is terrifying, social isolation can be even more harmful in the long run. This is particularly true for children, who may withdraw from relationships, preventing their emotional wounds from healing.

10. The Long-Term Consequences of Trauma

Trauma survivors often fall into two patterns: hypervigilance, remaining constantly on edge and unable to enjoy life, or emotional numbness, detaching from new experiences and failing to recognize real danger when it arises.

Understanding trauma is the first step toward healing, and “The Body Keeps the Score” provides essential insights into the ways trauma affects both the mind and body.