Why We Love It: This book is a groundbreaking masterpiece that sheds light on how trauma reshapes the brain, compromising sufferers’ ability to experience life in the same way that others do. It details how neural pathways are affected in such a way that trauma sufferers cannot experience pleasure, engage with others, or exhibit self-control or trust in the same way as someone who has not experienced pervasive trauma. The book also describes in detail the diagnosis of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), which usually arises from a pervasive pattern of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse during childhood.  Notably, it describes how many sufferers of CPTSD are incorrectly diagnosed with other psychiatric conditions, making effective treatment impossible until a proper diagnosis is reached.

Relationships can have the power to empower, nurture, and heal; but they can also have the power to destroy and hurt, and this book does a great job in exploring both ends of the spectrum.

Highly recommend this book to anyone that has experienced childhood trauma, or who wants to better understand a loved one that has CPTSD.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693771-the-body-keeps-the-score