189 Quotes by Bessel A. van der Kolk

The opening line of the grant rejection read: “It has never been shown that PTSD is relevant to the mission of the Veterans Administration.” Since.

Antipsychotic medications such as Risperdal, Abilify, or Seroquel can significantly dampen the emotional brain and thus make patients less skittish or enraged, but they also may interfere with being able to appreciate subtle signals of pleasure, danger, or satisfaction. They also cause weight gain, increase the chance of developing diabetes, and make patients physically inert, which is likely to further increase their sense of alienation.

Without imagination there is no hope, no chance to envision a better future, no place to go, no goal to reach.

Feeling out of control, survivors of trauma often begin to fear that they are damaged to the core and beyond redemption.

When you’re sick, who does the shopping or takes you to the doctor? Who do you talk to when you are upset?” In other words, who provides you with emotional and practical support? Some patients gave us surprising answers: “my dog” or “my therapist” – or “nobody”.

In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them. Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past.

After trauma the world becomes sharply divided between those who know and those who don’t. People who have not shared the traumatic experience cannot be trusted, because they can’t understand it. Sadly, this often includes spouses, children, and co-workers. Later.

What would you call this patient – schizophrenic or schizoaffective?” He paused and stroked his chin, apparently in deep thought. “I think I’d call him Michael McIntyre,” he replied.

The greatest sources of our suffering are the lies we tell ourselves.