Part 3 explores child abuse and neglect more in depth, as separate from other forms of trauma. He lays out trauma’s effect on specific areas of the brain, and how these changes affect the rest of the body. Part 2 is a deeper dive into the physiology of trauma, in which van der Kolk lays out how the brain is structured, and which parts are involved in which relevant processes. He explains the basic anatomy of trauma through neuroscience, and expresses his displeasure with the psychiatric industry’s obsessive focus on medicating symptoms with antipsychotic drugs rather than trying to treat the human underneath the symptoms. He describes what he notices about combat veterans and victims of child abuse. Part 1 covers van der Kolk’s introduction to trauma as a medical student, highlighting his dawning interest in helping these particular patients. He also charts the history of the scientific community’s fluctuating interest in and rejection of trauma as a diagnosis, as well as the resistance he has personally run into when trying to get the best possible care for those who suffer from combat PTSD, trauma from accidents, assaults, and childhood abuse and neglect. Through a mix of anecdotes about patients, stories about his personal life, scholarly citations, and general information, van der Kolk provides an overview of trauma, its source, and its treatment.
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