3 trauma articles by Bessel van der Kolk
An overview of trauma would not be even partially complete without reference to Bessel van der Kolk. So here are my picks for the three best articles on the Web. The thesis that trauma is a body phenomenon certainly qualifies his work for the Esalen mainstream. I actually met him the last time I was at Esalen. He threw me out of Maslow while I was trying to vacuum the rug!
The Biological Response to Psychic Trauma: Mechanisms and Treatment of Intrusion and Numbing
http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/vanderkolk2/
The Compulsion to Repeat the Trauma: Re-enactment, Revictimization, and Masochism
http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/vanderkolk/
Approaches to the Treatment of PTSD
http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/vanderk.php
Finally, there is the matter of EMDR. I wish somebody could convince me that it's not just hypnotism!
The best explanation I've found is in Wikipedia:
Thank you for all these postings John. They are helpful.
Happy trails, D.
Since it's relevant here I want to add a link to an article that is based upon Dan Siegel's book:
The Developing Mind: Toward a Neurobiology of Interpersonal Experience.
http://www.cbd.ucla.edu/part%20faclt/bios/Siegel.pdf
Dr. Dan's work has been crucial to the development of effective trauma therapy.
His latest book, The Mindful Brain, has been a topic of comment here on the site, at:
In a little book I wrote called 'Middle Ground' there is a part about my family -we had a forced separation from our mother for three years and our differing reactions on our being reunited.
I found the 'articles' on attachments and coping mechanisms really quite fascinating- to see in words- what psychologically saves people and the timeline of people who are not so fortunate in terms of ages of that initial separation. During my childhood these situations were unheard of (they had of course existed but the research wasn't readily available) and there was no counselling in spite of my parents being Drs. Children were invisible. Now with interest the ramifications of such separations and the manifestations of those 'wounds' are well documented in these links. Enabling earlier intervention and perhaps needing less eccentric coping mechanisms to fall back on. And so true as I can see in my own family of origin how each person at whatever stage they were during that period has learned their own ways of being.
Most papers are just a jumble of words- of texts- of second hand experiences. For me these links you posted are a life I have led, have written about in lay terms and comforting to read and have a sense of gratitude(though I dislike the word 'gratitude' here feeling its use has been bandied about so much) - but old fashioned gratitude. Hands on gratitude to a parent who parented sufficiently to alow us a normalcy.
I am rambling. Thank you. I sent the links to my siblings.....
excellent articles