The reviewer found 'The Body Keeps the Score' to be a popular but problematic book on trauma. They criticize it for stigmatizing survivors, blaming victims, and depoliticizing violence, while also providing inaccurate information about trauma recovery. The book's focus on individual trauma over social and political contexts is a major flaw.
The reviewer initially read 'The Body Keeps the Score' as recommended by their psychologist, hoping to find relief from their own trauma. However, they were left feeling gross and ashamed by the book's content. The reviewer discovered that the book stigmatizes survivors and blames victims, treating trauma as a lifelong condition. Several scientists whose work is cited in the book have criticized it for mischaracterizing their research and steering survivors away from potentially helpful treatments. The book's case studies, such as the story of Tom, a Marine who committed atrocities in Vietnam, are criticized for focusing on the perpetrator's trauma rather than the victims' suffering. The reviewer concludes that the book is problematic and harmful, despite its popularity.
Quick quotes
It has become the definitive text of our post-Covid era, when trauma is the default explanation for anything.
The book opens with the story of Tom, who was an American Marine in the Vietnam War. After his platoon was ambushed, Tom went on a crime rampage, raping a Vietnamese woman, shooting a farmer, and murdering local children.
The book stigmatizes survivors, blames victims, and depoliticizes violence.