The parent-child connection is the most powerful mental health intervention known to mankind.
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People have a range of capacities to deal with overwhelming experience. Some people, some kids particularly, are able to disappear into a fantasy world, to dissociate, to pretend like it isnt happening, and are able to go on with their lives. And sometimes it comes back to haunt them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People cope with overwhelming experiences differently, often retreating into fantasy or dissociation.
In this quote, Bessel Van Der Kolk highlights the varying ways individuals, especially children, respond to traumatic or overwhelming experiences. Some may cope by escaping into fantasy or dissociation, providing temporary relief, but this avoidance can have long-term effects that resurface later in life, potentially leading to psychological issues. The statement emphasizes the significance of understanding these coping mechanisms and their implications.
Themes
CopingTraumaDissociationFantasyPsychology
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a mental health seminar to discuss coping mechanisms in children.
More from Bessel Van Der Kolk
All quotes →Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.
Bessel Van Der KolkRead
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