The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk.
This celebrated work from 2015 begins by describing in an accessible way the physiology of trauma - how trauma can affect the brain and body. It is established that experiencing trauma can permanently change our brains and bodies, and even expose the sufferer to increased risk of adverse health outcomes later in life. What happens when we experience stress is explained in ways that are relatable. He marries his understanding of neurobiology with an honouring of sufferers’ lived experiences through case studies.
The book moves finally into a fascinating exploration of some of the more recently identified and developed holistic treatments available to trauma sufferers, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), a treatment that can help to convert the pain of flashbacks into more controllable and conventional memory and is now recognised by NICE.
During EMDR, the patient is invited to follow a rapidly moving object with their eyes while the therapist directs their thinking. Van der Kolk offers hope to sufferers from trauma seeking understanding and sources of potential help.