Reviews
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Most of us have experienced trauma. It could be something that happened decades ago, like childhood abuse. It could be something more recent, like being the victim of a crime.
According to Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a psychiatrist, researcher, professor, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Body Keeps the Score, trauma changes the human brain and body. If these changes are not dealt with, they can lead to mental and emotional struggles, problems with relationships, and chronic pain and disease.
Dr. van der Kolk has spent 30 years working with clients with post-traumatic stress disorder. He found talk therapy and drugs generally don’t work very well at helping trauma survivors. “The impact of trauma is located in the survival part of the brain, which does not return to baseline after the threat is over,” he says.
One of the most devastating effects of trauma is that people’s biology changes into a biology of threat. “As a consequence, traumatized people stay on hyper-alert; they feel chronically unsafe and in danger,” Dr. van der Kolk says. As a result, “trauma survivors are vulnerable to a host of medical illnesses and chronic pain syndromes, insomnia, drug and alcohol addiction, depression, obesity, and other issues."
To understand how this happens, think about a woman who experiences domestic violence. During the attack, the woman’s body pumps out stress hormones to help her fight back, run away, or freeze until the attack is over. The sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the attack get stored in the woman’s brain to warn her against similar attacks in the future. In the weeks, months, and years after the attack, a random sight, sound, smell, or feeling can remind the woman of the attack, and her body reacts by pumping those same stress hormones into her body. As time goes on, being triggered over and over is like experiencing the attack over and over. Without knowing it, the woman begins to live in a state of high alert.
Human beings can’t take a lot of stress over a long period of time. Constant stress wears a person down physically, mentally, and emotionally. The immune system gets weaker and can’t fight off disease as well. A domestic violence survivor can end up having constant pain or various illnesses.
If she tries to get help from a traditional therapist, talking about the attack can be yet another trigger. Her doctors might prescribe drugs to help her feel calmer, but Dr. van der Kolk believes drugs like Prozac or Zoloft only cover up symptoms and don’t solve the root problem.
He believes since people experience traumatic events with their minds and bodies, a mind-body solution is needed to help them recover. Dr. van der Kolk uses several kinds of mind-body techniques to help survivors safely get in touch with their memories, feelings, and sensations and learn natural ways to have a calmer life.
The Body Keeps the Score can be borrowed for free from the Fairfax County Public Library system, or you can buy it online. Dr. van der Kolk has lectures and interviews on YouTube, and his website is here.
This review was written by Lois Kirkpatrick, liaison to the Commission for Women.
Raising My Voice
Meet Julie Collins, Hotline Volunteer
“My greatest strengths are my calmness in intense situations, my empathy, and my attention to detail. I try to rely on these whenever I am on a phone call,” says Julie Collins, Hotline volunteer. “Calls can be difficult but staying calm and holding space for the humanity of the person on the other end of the line, especially because they are often in crisis, is critical to providing the help they need.” Read more of Julie’s volunteer story.
Donor Spotlight: Fairfax Church Resource Center
Church’s Resource Center Keeps Pantries Full
During the COVID crisis in 2020, the team at Fairfax Church noticed pantry shelves were pretty sparse. They made a call to congregants for support. The response birthed the idea of the Resource Center, which officially opened its doors in 2021. Since then, the Resource Center has increased its funding sources and, as a result, has served thousands of families in Fairfax, some of whom are Domestic Violence Action Center clients. Learn more about the work of the Fairfax Church Resource Center.
Birthdays
Adrienne Williams, 4
Elisabeth Chu, 9
Montgomery Johnson, 14
Shravani Bojja, 15
Aparna Krishnan, 19
Anuradha “Anu” Vutukuri, 19
Laura Lauderdale, 21
Shiloah Kline, 21
Julie Collins, 21
Lauren Rainford, 24
Alejandra Romero, 30
Sasala Challa, 30
Test Your Brain
Give your brain a boost with these brain teasers that will stump you!
1. Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?
2. What rocks but does not roll?
3. Which tire doesn’t move when a car turns right?
4. What 4-letter word can be written forward, backward or upside down, and can still be read from left to right?
5. It’s not easy to figure out who’s who when the Brewer family gets together. The brother of Nick’s uncle Manny is named Mark. Lisa’s grandparents are Nick’s parents. Mark is married to Lisa’s grandma. The children of Angela’s daughter Sandra are named Lisa and Sasha. So who is Angela’s brother-in-law?
Answer Key
Educational Resources
August 2023
Summer Volunteer Orientation
Sign up to learn about DSVS, the services the division provides and the population it serves. Discover how volunteers can contribute to the DSVS mission and the application process. Orientation is free but registration is required. Multiple dates, starting Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, are available. Choose the one that works best for you.
Make a Note!
Please take a moment to log on to your Volunteer Management System (VMS) account and log your hours for the month of June. Please also log any time you spent on training under “volunteer training.” If you do not see this selection under your opportunities, please email Tanisha Cox, and she will log on to add it to your account.
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Please enter your hours for each day you volunteered and not as a lump sum.
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If you need to log hours for a previous month, please email Tanisha Cox to let her know so she can be aware of the entry and expedite the approval process.
Parting Shot
Volunteers Katrina Hush and Vic Batson work the table at Summer Splash event.
Check out past issues of Volunteer Voices.
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Hello, my name is Kellie Cook. I am from Havelock, North Carolina, and moved to the DMV area a few years ago. In my past role, I was a domestic violence victim advocate within Prince George's County Circuit Court. I also had a previous role as a crisis specialist for sexual assault survivors. I enjoy working with survivors and being a part of their journey toward safety and overall well-being. I have a 2-year-old pitbull rescue named Lulu, who is my hiking buddy. I am excited to be working with DSVS and look forward to meeting you all.
You should be good to yourself every day. Follow this calendar for daily self-care ideas.
John Crownover, prevention and education coordinator with Domestic and Sexual Violence Services chats about building a culture that embraces healthy masculinity with County Conversation podcast host Jim Person. The pair also discussed engaging men and boys as allies in gender-based violence prevention.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 33 years ago this month to protect the rights of people with disabilities. The term “disability” includes physical, developmental, and psychological impairments. As with other marginalized communities, people living with disabilities are at increased risk of intimate partner violence. According to research, women with disabilities are more likely to experience domestic violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault than women without disabilities, and men with disabilities are more likely to experience stalking and psychological abuse. But violence against people with disabilities is rarely recognized by society as a significant problem, so the needs of victims and survivors often go ignored. Barriers to accessing services compound the problem. Domestic and Sexual Violence Services seeks to interrupt this pattern. The division’s strategic plan says it “works with communities to transform society’s response to domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and stalking by challenging oppression, collaborating to inform policy and providing all people impacted by violence with equitable access to trauma-informed support, advocacy, education, and a space for healing.” Check out this TED Talk from Shantha Rau Barriage, director, Disability Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, on ways we can all end stigma and violence, including among people with disabilities in our communities.
“Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.” —David Thomas
Though Shelter House was founded to address the homelessness crisis in Fairfax County, the organization quickly realized half of the clients it served were affected by domestic violence. They expanded their services and today are part of the Domestic Violence Action Center partners that help provide safe spaces for survivors.