The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness Healing in a Toxic Culture
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-03-09 00:51:30
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Gabor Maté
- ISBN：1785042734
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Summary
We tend to believe that normality equals health。 Yet what is the norm in the Western world？
Mental illness is on an unstoppable rise。 Some 45% of Europeans suffer high blood pressure， and nearly 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug。 Illness and trauma are defining how we live。
In his new masterpiece， renowned physician， addiction expert and author Gabor Maté dissects the underlying causes of this malaise - physical and emotional， and connects the dots between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living。 Over four decades of clinical experience， Dr Maté has found that the common definition of 'normal' is false: virtually all disease is actually a natural reflection of life in an abnormal culture， as we grow further and further apart from our true selves。 But he also shows us the pathway to reconnection and healing。
Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery， this life-affirming book shows how true health is possible - if we are willing to embrace authenticity above social expectations。 The Myth of Normal is Gabor Maté's most ambitious， compassionate and urgent book yet。
Mental illness is on an unstoppable rise。 Some 45% of Europeans suffer high blood pressure， and nearly 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug。 Illness and trauma are defining how we live。
In his new masterpiece， renowned physician， addiction expert and author Gabor Maté dissects the underlying causes of this malaise - physical and emotional， and connects the dots between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living。 Over four decades of clinical experience， Dr Maté has found that the common definition of 'normal' is false: virtually all disease is actually a natural reflection of life in an abnormal culture， as we grow further and further apart from our true selves。 But he also shows us the pathway to reconnection and healing。
Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery， this life-affirming book shows how true health is possible - if we are willing to embrace authenticity above social expectations。 The Myth of Normal is Gabor Maté's most ambitious， compassionate and urgent book yet。
Reviews
Penni
，
Incredibly important and difficult book。 Worth having the hard copy to dogear， bookmark， and internalize。
László
，
I read a few books from Dr。 Gabor Mate， by far this is my favorite。 I listened to the audio book version of 18 hours and I could have listened 18 more。 Him and his son Daniel put together an amazing piece of art。Thank you guys so much！
Stephen Drew
，
Recommended by Anthony Bradley
Vyn
，
great for it’s contextual time （now）
Donna Boni
，
Ho hum。 Same old same old。 Why do people keep writing essentially the same book？ Oh， I know。 To make money。 This is rehashed from Maté with exaggerated negative global statements for good measure。
Juliemarie
，
I had caught some you tube videos of Dr Mate on YouTube this past few months I see him as genuine。 I'm experiencing major shifts in my life now and trying to work in healthcare as well as work on myself and be more kind to myself。 This book was hard to put down and not just helpful but authentic。 I'd recommend it to anyone trying to not just feel better but be better for themselves and the world we live in。 I had caught some you tube videos of Dr Mate on YouTube this past few months I see him as genuine。 I'm experiencing major shifts in my life now and trying to work in healthcare as well as work on myself and be more kind to myself。 This book was hard to put down and not just helpful but authentic。 I'd recommend it to anyone trying to not just feel better but be better for themselves and the world we live in。 。。。more
Molly McDermott
，
The chapters about chronic illness rocked my world！！！！！ 4 stars because some of the chapters were tedious with anecdotes but when it was good it was GOOD & I will definitely be thinking about this for a while
janette
，
this was such an enlightening read and if i had a physical copy it would be tabbed and highlighted to hell and back
Sebastian Sandberg
，
This book is a true test of one’s commitment to finish something one has started。 I noticed several comments talking about the book being very negatively charged in the first half of the book。 To me， this was a very necessary， unfiltered look at the reality we’re currently living in， daily。 Pointing to and providing examples to this big complexity we call life。 It is an well-timed book to pick up in these trying， busy times of our lives。 And the payoff is well worth it。
Mima。
，
A must read！！
Jodie Siu
，
An engaging and enormous book looking at how our health and wellness is profoundly affected by our environment， including systemic and societal issues。 Argues that chronic health conditions， addiction and other situations are shaped by the stress of a toxic culture。 Through many chapters I felt guilty about my parenting， but Mate takes great pains to avoid individual blame and point to larger societal issues。 Overall， very thought provoking。
Jasmine Elizabeth
，
Some interesting chapters but the writing is unnecessarily flowery and jarring at times。 For me it undermined the useful information he was trying to get across。 Also a lot of unnecessary quotes and name dropping。 He comes across as a blowhard。
Ana-Maria
，
Really doubted whether to read this book since it seemed （and probably is） very mainstream。 But I actually found it super useful， putting a lot of things in perspective and in a logical manner， and leading to some good self reflection。
Brittin
，
"There is no comparing trauma。"Phew， what a book。 I have so much respect for Gabor Mate and his approach to trauma， addiction and health。 This book started a bit slow and broad for me， which was not ideal knowing this was a long listen。 However！ Then I got the chapters on early life， pregnancy， raising children， and the book revealed its many gems and was a home run from there。 I took many notes but will just share a few highlights/quotes here:- "Doctors should attend to nature， not rule it。"- D "There is no comparing trauma。"Phew， what a book。 I have so much respect for Gabor Mate and his approach to trauma， addiction and health。 This book started a bit slow and broad for me， which was not ideal knowing this was a long listen。 However！ Then I got the chapters on early life， pregnancy， raising children， and the book revealed its many gems and was a home run from there。 I took many notes but will just share a few highlights/quotes here:- "Doctors should attend to nature， not rule it。"- Discussion on trauma and response flexibility - Quote by Dr。 Gordon Neufeld: "Children must feel an invitation to exist in our presence exactly the way they are。"- "The social character hatched by our consumerist society confuses desire with need， to the point that the nervous system becomes riled when the objects desired are withheld。" - "Diagnoses reveal nothing about the underlying events and dynamics that animate the perceptions and experiences in question。 They keep our gaze trained on effects， and not their myriad causes。" （Woah。 Unlearned and learned a lot here。 Some of it unsettling but in a way that truth can be sometimes。）- The approach of compassionate curiosity - "As with the unspoken no， ask yourself， 'What is the belief keeping me from affirming my creative impulses？'"- Relabeling activity。 Belief and thoughts =/= truthsThe only critiques:- I found the writing style a Bit judgy and prescriptive at times。 And yet， perhaps if anyone has earned the same right to tell us things it's Mate。 - The WORST part were Daniel Mate's accents （Gabor's son co-wrote the book and narrates it）。 When he quoted someone from a different country he USED AN ACCENT （e。g。 Russell Brand）。 It's cringe 😂🤦🏼♀️A must read。 A hard read。 Be prepared to revisit your schemas and understanding of many things。Audiobook: 18h 12m 。。。more
MLD
，
Audio book。 It started off good then did a nose dive， and I just didn’t find him credible。 Just not my style of Doctor Who still has so much to learn about life being on what they teach you at medical school。 I liked the last chapter best。 3。5 stars
Holly
，
Everyone should read this book。 Are you a parent？ Read it。 Do you want to better understand how your history might affect your present？ Read it。 Do you want to understand connections between your brain and body？ Read it。 Do you want to explore how our societal context affects our health and wellbeing？ Read it。 This book pulls together history， research about disease， and powerful anecdotes to create a compelling theory about how our emotional experiences impact our physical experiences。 I'm goin Everyone should read this book。 Are you a parent？ Read it。 Do you want to better understand how your history might affect your present？ Read it。 Do you want to understand connections between your brain and body？ Read it。 Do you want to explore how our societal context affects our health and wellbeing？ Read it。 This book pulls together history， research about disease， and powerful anecdotes to create a compelling theory about how our emotional experiences impact our physical experiences。 I'm going to be recommending it to sooooo many people。 。。。more
Selina Parnell
，
We are who we are because of everything that has and hasn't happened to us。 We all have some degree of trauma and we owe it to ourselves to reflect， unpack， and begin to heal。 This book gives the knowledge and the language to become trauma-literate。 Anyone with a past， present， and future; anyone who works with children; anyone who wishes to have and maintain healthy relationships。。。 Read this book。 We are who we are because of everything that has and hasn't happened to us。 We all have some degree of trauma and we owe it to ourselves to reflect， unpack， and begin to heal。 This book gives the knowledge and the language to become trauma-literate。 Anyone with a past， present， and future; anyone who works with children; anyone who wishes to have and maintain healthy relationships。。。 Read this book。 。。。more
Artiom Karsiuk
，
Now this is just a lovely book。 As far as I can remember （which isn't THAT far back， considering the extensive alcohol-induced brain damage I subject myself to on a weekly basis）， I have always been a very "no nonsense" type of lad。 In my boring world， everything is firmly rooted in science， while crystals， mysticism， deviation， as well as astrology is the kind of gibberish relegated to books like "The Secret" or movies like "What the Bleep Do We Know！？" You know， trash。Yet， one thing always kep Now this is just a lovely book。 As far as I can remember （which isn't THAT far back， considering the extensive alcohol-induced brain damage I subject myself to on a weekly basis）， I have always been a very "no nonsense" type of lad。 In my boring world， everything is firmly rooted in science， while crystals， mysticism， deviation， as well as astrology is the kind of gibberish relegated to books like "The Secret" or movies like "What the Bleep Do We Know！？" You know， trash。Yet， one thing always kept me scratchin' my noggin。 The goddamn PLACEBO EFFECT。 **I'd love to say that it keeps me up at night， but I sleep like an [adorable] baby。**It is very well documented and is in no way imaginary。 Never fit tidily into my worldview and forever remained a thorn in my ass。 This book， however， helped me make some sense of it。Dr。 Gabor Maté （the author fella） painted a vivid picture of how many an illness - especially of autoimmune origin - can be traced back to past trauma。 Not even necessarily big-T trauma （like rape， molestation and jolly stuff alike）， but even small-t trauma （think parental neglect， bullying and that sort of mischief）。 That layered on a foundation of race， gender， sexual， class and every other social inequality you can think of。 A solid recipe for stress and mental issues that manifest in sickness~！The message of the book is loud and clear: treating your psychological trauma， healing from past struggles， dealing with your insecurities， cultivating or restoring a healthy ego and finding peace of mind are key to physical health。 Not only can it prevent illness - confronting your bullshit， unpacking your repressed past - can cure and heal real， tangible biological disease。 Basically， you can heal yourself "by the power of thought"。 Sure， sounds like woo-woo science， but it's not like Gabor is telling you to flush your medicine down the crapper， tell your doctor to fuck-off， get a mirror and talk yourself into health。 Not exactly。 Traditional medicine？ Good。 Traditional treatments？ Good。 But also， get your shit together and work on your INNER PEACE （to sound all hippy and bohemian）。 And。。。 considering the last few chapters， if you need some help reaching serenity - don't be so shy - you may want to throw in some psychedelics for good measure。 。。。more
Colleen Hildebrand
，
This book is necessary in the same way as is The Body Keeps the Score， which The Myth of Normal references。 Mate’ addresses the difficulties people experience as a result of deeply rooted trauma， even that beyond memory， with sensitivity， candor， and expertise that make this book a resource I will consult again and again。 The explanation of the mind/body relationship he provides is invaluable。
Lizzy Casey
，
Wow it’s quite a read！ Really enjoyed this book， especially the first two thirds of it which were full of details that increased my knowledge in many areas。 The last couple of chapters were a little bit more vague and I felt the intensity of it dropped off a bit at the end up generally a really brilliant book from a super clinician and writer who is not afraid to share his own experiences and vulnerabilities in his writing。 This for me makes it an authentic read。
Kylie
，
This is the most complete book on wellness I have ever read。 It is not that the information in the book was new for me， as someone who has read so much about holistic health。 But the way he pulls everything together and explains it so accessibly is。 This is the big picture， social psychology view of trauma and healing。 I get finding myself wanting to photocopy specific chapters to send to different friends。 I hope that this will become a bestseller。 Some other readers mentioned finding it depres This is the most complete book on wellness I have ever read。 It is not that the information in the book was new for me， as someone who has read so much about holistic health。 But the way he pulls everything together and explains it so accessibly is。 This is the big picture， social psychology view of trauma and healing。 I get finding myself wanting to photocopy specific chapters to send to different friends。 I hope that this will become a bestseller。 Some other readers mentioned finding it depressing， that was not my takeaway at all。 This book gives me hope。 Yes， there is a lot that needs to change in our culture（s） if we want to be well。 But healing is possible on the individual level--even when we have been through great trauma--and it is possible on the collective level as well。 。。。more
Rachelle
，
Scholarly yet accessible， Mate’s intellectual， empathetic look at why we are who we are in today’s world is a profound， revelatory book。 Based on solid research and interviews with dozens of specialists， this book resonated with me; it taught me how to view myself and others in new， helpful ways。 In a word， astonishing。
Crissi v Eeden
，
A magnificent opus of an answer to a global cry for help - if I could rate this 72 stars I would！
Rudi
，
Deze lezer is niet zo goed in lange afstand lezen ， voor mij waren het 3 boeken in 1 ， 1 boek van 5 ， 1 van 4 en 1 van 3 sterren ， doordat er wat herhaling in was 3 door de eerlijkheid en loutering van een oudere schrijver 5 ， is 4 sterren Korte samenvatting Door de omgeving kan men ziek worden ， een ziek lichaam heeft tekenen waar men moet / kan naar luisteren en deze proberen te interpreteren ， dan proberen wat los te komen van de omgeving en zorg dragen voor dat lichaam/geest ding ， （ in de n Deze lezer is niet zo goed in lange afstand lezen ， voor mij waren het 3 boeken in 1 ， 1 boek van 5 ， 1 van 4 en 1 van 3 sterren ， doordat er wat herhaling in was 3 door de eerlijkheid en loutering van een oudere schrijver 5 ， is 4 sterren Korte samenvatting Door de omgeving kan men ziek worden ， een ziek lichaam heeft tekenen waar men moet / kan naar luisteren en deze proberen te interpreteren ， dan proberen wat los te komen van de omgeving en zorg dragen voor dat lichaam/geest ding ， （ in de natuur （kan ） men rust vinden tegen de stress ） In het westen （ ik weet niet hoe het er in de andere windstreken aan toe gaat ） is de omgeving wat （ neo） kapitalistisch，（ waar er ook goede dingen uit komen ） het nadeel is dat gedrag gebaseerd op competitie en winnen （ op welke manier of wat er ook gewonnen wordt） wordt beloond met kapitaal wat dan kan zorgen voor rust en veilig gevoel， als men dit niet kan bereiken wegens valse start of niet de nodige competitie benodigdheden （of minder kapitaal gewaardeerde） dan kan men stress of andere gezondheid benadeelde dingen ervaren die het lichaam niet als gunstig beschouwd （ de competitie zelf kan dit ook veroorzaken） Luister naar en zorg voor dat lichaam/geest ding ， hoe men de omgeving kan veranderen？ Geen idee wat toegefelijk zijn voor elkaar ？ 。。。 of met kernwapens ， 4 sterren ， mss 5 voor lange afstand lezers 。。。more
Aline
，
2，5-3 stars。I listened to the audiobook for this one and it took me two months to finish it。。I was really intrigued to read this， mainly based on the description that Maté would speak about what was wrong with our culture and society。 And he did。 The book was very bleak for the most part and I had to take longer breaks from reading it because of this。 Right from the beginning he starts giving examples of stories from a lot of individual people， which took away from what the title says， that this 2，5-3 stars。I listened to the audiobook for this one and it took me two months to finish it。。I was really intrigued to read this， mainly based on the description that Maté would speak about what was wrong with our culture and society。 And he did。 The book was very bleak for the most part and I had to take longer breaks from reading it because of this。 Right from the beginning he starts giving examples of stories from a lot of individual people， which took away from what the title says， that this is about the culture and not a lot of individual people。 Of course， society exists from many individuals， but I expected more of a survey of western society in general， with a few individual stories and not the other way around。I thought that the overall message got a bit lost in too many examples。Some chapters were very long， at which point I didn't even knew what the main topic of it was anymore and I had to look at the caption again to remind myself。He talks a lot about the mind-body connection and how this is still getting overlooked and ignored in western society。 Some chapters include topics about （a lot of） physical illnesses， （some） addictions and （a few） mental illnesses。 The mental illness chapter wasn't that short， but considering the whole book it had a smaller part。 I wished it would have been more， because it was very interesting。Otherwise I liked that he has an extra chapter each where he talks about the inequality in race and class， indigenous people （mostly of Canada） and women。 Also the chapters about medicalized childbirth and child upbringing were very interesting and gave some new considerations to the whole conversation。The author gave us some stories of his own upbringing and how his process of healing went。 The chapter about ayahuasca came a bit unexpected。The part of how to heal wasn't anything new to me， except that authenticity seems to play a huge part in healing。The conclusion of this book was underwhelming。 While it had some great insights （childhood upbringing etc。） the last chapters didn't wrap up the whole book with a neat red tie。 I can't really pinpoint why that is。 。。。more
Kathy Nguyen
，
4。5
Stefanie
，
A really fascinating book that looks at all the health issues that are caused by a lifestyle we consider normal。 It's not just food， but stress， trauma， capitalism， and more。 The medical information and studies are fascinating。 The last part of the book wasn't as good。 Mate turns to "things you can do" which all pretty much hinge on helping yourself rather than working to change the systems and things that cause the problems to begin with。 He does make a nod to the need for systems change， but p A really fascinating book that looks at all the health issues that are caused by a lifestyle we consider normal。 It's not just food， but stress， trauma， capitalism， and more。 The medical information and studies are fascinating。 The last part of the book wasn't as good。 Mate turns to "things you can do" which all pretty much hinge on helping yourself rather than working to change the systems and things that cause the problems to begin with。 He does make a nod to the need for systems change， but pretty much all the things he suggests are individual band-aids。 Not to say that these won't help and make a difference， but taken alone， they will change nothing of the larger forces at work。 。。。more
Susan Gekkywekk
，
Very enlightening。 Should be required reading for anyone in the medical profession。 As a society we should be spending more money and effort on supporting at-risk individuals and families to prevent trauma and disease。
Sarah Taylor
，
This book highlights how everything - our bodies， minds， spirits & communities - are so inextricably linked， that we cannot separate them out and pretend they exist independently。 Definitely sobering and illuminating， and a reminder that it’s not your fault！
Prital
，
One of the best books I've read on these topics since The Body Keeps the Score！ One of the best books I've read on these topics since The Body Keeps the Score！ 。。。more
tpg0
，
As an AI language model， I don't have personal opinions or experiences。 However， I can provide you with a summary of the book 'The Myth of Normal: Trauma， Illness Healing in a Toxic Culture。' The book explores how the concept of 'normalcy' has created a toxic culture that marginalizes and stigmatizes individuals living with trauma and illness。 The author argues that the societal pressure to conform to 'normal' standards of health， beauty， and success has caused widespread suffering and increased the difficulties associated with healing。 The book includes personal stories of individuals who have struggled with trauma and illness and the societal pressures to appear 'normal。' The author also provides research and insights into the ways trauma and illness affect the mind and body， as well as methods of healing that prioritize empowerment and self-love over conformity to societal norms。 Overall， the book challenges readers to question the constructed notion of 'normalcy' and encourages a more compassionate and inclusive understanding of health and healing。
tpg1
，
As an AI language model， I do not have personal perspectives or opinions， but I can provide information about the book 'The Myth of Normal: Trauma， Illness， Healing in a Toxic Culture' by Michael J。 Baldwin。 The book discusses how societal norms and expectations can contribute to the stigmatization of mental illness and trauma。 Baldwin argues that these societal norms and expectations can be considered "toxic" because they contribute to normalizing the stress and trauma people experience in their everyday lives。 He also provides strategies for healing from these experiences and for living more authentic lives。 Overall， the book challenges readers to question what is considered "normal" and to recognize the impact of societal pressures on our well-being。
tpg2
，
As an AI language model， I cannot have an opinion on specific books。 However， to give a brief overview， 'The Myth of Normal: Trauma， Illness Healing in a Toxic Culture' is a book written by psychiatrist and author Michael F。 Myers， MD。 The book highlights how the societal pressure of being 'normal' can lead to anxiety， depression， and even trauma。 The author discusses various factors that contribute to the emotional distress and examines how the cultural norms can have a negative impact on our psychological wellbeing。 Myers provides practical strategies for healing and developing resilience for those who have experienced trauma， illness or toxic culture。 The book is insightful for those who want to understand the societal pressure and how to overcome it for better emotional health。
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