The Body Keeps the Score Calls for Change
Traditional forms of meditation, yoga, and breathing practices may be more effective at treating patients with trauma than Western methods focused on drugs and talk therapy.
Hospitals nationwide see millions of patients affected by trauma. Imagine what good could come from treating them as people in need of compassion, instead of "freaks."
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. opened my eyes to the world of scientific research on healing people who have experienced severe trauma. The book gives a rich overview of the relevant history of trauma research, an argument against overreliance on medical diagnoses for treating traumatized patients, and an outline of current progress on the most effective solutions so far.
Throughout his writing, van der Kolk mentions the political struggles of pushing for more treatment-focused diagnoses. Another systematic challenge is the implementation of measures for more front-line mental health workers to understand their patients’ behaviors instead of fighting against them—whether they are injuring themselves, attacking others, or so lost that they cannot register their surroundings, their actions are means of coping with their painful pasts, and one must see the humanity behind their scars and self-hatred. At the end of the day, we all have the same basic needs: to be fed and clothed, to feel safe and secure, and to be loved.
There is much progress to be made in the field of mental health. Scientists, doctors, and administrators still hold many biases (usually in the form of suspicions) about psychology research, and those in charge of shaping mental health diagnoses and treatments are often swayed by money and status. This is bad news for patients who, as many studies show, suffer physical health problems because of their mental and emotional struggles.
To find long-term solutions, those in power need to acknowledge the full, complex picture of what goes into and what happens in healthcare, with all its flaws. Only then can we repair the damages of past generations and heal those in need.