“The best way to overcome ingrained patterns of submission is to restore a physical capacity to engage and defend.”— Bessel Van Der Kolk, amazon.com
“When something reminds traumatized people of the past, their right brain reacts as if the traumatic event were happening in the present.”— Bessel Van Der Kolk, amazon.com
“Long after a traumatic experience is over, it may be reactivated at the slightest hint of danger and mobilize disturbed brain circuits and secrete massive amounts of stress hormones. This precipitates unpleasant emotions intense physical sensations, and impulsive and aggressive actions. These posttr…”— Bessel Van Der Kolk, amazon.com
“Dissociation is the essence of trauma. The overwhelming experience is split off and fragmented, so that the emotions, sounds, images, thoughts, and physical sensations related to the trauma take on a life of their own.”— Bessel Van Der Kolk, amazon.com
“It is enormously difficult to organize one’s traumatic experiences into a coherent account—a narrative with a beginning, a middle, and an end.”— Bessel Van Der Kolk, amazon.com