The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

Must-read for anyone interested in understanding themselves and others better. The book is intimidatingly thick, but once you start reading, it's actually really easy to read, super engaging, and full of interesting and relevant stories. There's so many little take-aways like the reasons behind addictions, why not to use botox, how western women are not getting the prenatal care that would help them best, and why community is so essential to wellbeing. This book is full of wisdom on a level that will certainly impact anyone who reads even part of it!

This book is an incredible opportunity and for me very timely. If you've ever felt unseen, unheard, have chronic illness, or wondered why you just don't quite feel "normal," this is the read for you. The book handles topics of health, society, and psychology all in their own right, and all together, as they should well be treated. It's surprising how much we don't think or even know what can affect us or on how deep a level they can. This book brings such a great awareness to all aspects of our lives, and it reminds us how interconnected we all are. It should be required reading for every single healthcare practitioner--in every single field of healthcare! As a patient, I'd certainly appreciate my healthcare team knowing what I've just learned. Can't wait to read his other books. I'm sure they'll be just as enlightening!

As Dr. Gabor Maté so eloquently explains in The Myth of Normal, trauma strikes just about everyone in life, in ways seen and unseen. And, as he states early in the work, we know we've personally experienced it when we find ourselves forever changed by it. Sometimes, all it takes to make a book stand out is just one aspect that suddenly opens up a world of understanding. For me, this one simple definition of trauma -- its telltale sign -- was nothing short of revelatory. I found it so meaningful that, had it been the only insight I gleaned from this exhaustive work, I would have been completely satisfied with my purchase. But, as I read on, this one insight became a wealth of insights. In both breadth and depth, this book is truly exceptional.For those who've experienced significant trauma, beware. Like Bessel van der Kolk's seminal bestseller, The Body Keeps the Score, The Myth of Normal is not a comforting read, particularly in its early chapters when Maté explains how traumatic events can lead to disease, personality disorders, and addictions in its victims years, even decades, later. It's sobering to learn just how much power primary caregivers unwittingly have over their children's mental, emotional and physical health well into adulthood. That's why this book should be a must-read for anyone raising or planning to raise a child.Maté makes it clear, however, that parents are not the sole influence of their children's health and well-being. In fact, much of the book deals with what he considers toxicities inherent in today's society that present challenges for even the best of parents. These toxicities are staggering in scope and pertain to everything from pop culture to race, gender, class, politics and even our late-stage capitalism. Maté leaves virtually no stone unturned in showing us just how much in our world today can traumatize us without our even realizing it. It's a lot to digest, but his writing remains consistently compelling and thought-provoking. If you choose this one for a book group, be prepared for an all-night discussion about cultural toxicities alone.Of course, no book on trauma would be complete without suggestions for healing. In the book's final chapters, Maté offers what he calls "pathways to wholeness," clarifying at the outset that his definition of healing is not an "end state" but a "movement towards" wellness. This distinction spares us the false hope of a magic cure because, again, as Maté makes clear, trauma's telltale sign is its imprint on us forever. The sheer tenacity of its effects is no doubt why Maté's pathways include the holistic approaches of curiosity, understanding, self-compassion, and acceptance, among others.Maté also touches on the use of psychedelics in treating trauma, adding a fascinating account of his personal "communion with God" in a Peruvian rain forest which, to his surprise, suffused him with profound insights that he brought to this work. He makes it clear, though, that his focus is not on finding or endorsing a magic medicinal cure, but rather on society and our need to recognize how it's hurting us. It all starts, he says, with "shedding the toxic myths" of what we've come to accept as normal. It all comes down to "waking up."Well, this book not only woke me up but kept me reading well into the night. I'll read it again. It's really that deserving.

Well, worth the read. I enjoyed the book and found it very informative.

This book is divided into five parts, with 33 chapters, and a total of about 497 pages, not including the Acknowledgements/Notes/Index.In the Introduction, Maté gives a summary of his reasons for writing the book, and he explains his basic premise: “It is my contention that by its very nature our social and economic culture generates chronic stressors that undermine well-being in the most serious of ways,”.In Part 1 – ‘Our Interconnected Nature’, Maté begins by discussing trauma, and the lasting effects of traumatic experiences, even ones from infancy. He also explores the body-mind connection, with the contention that our physical wellbeing is even more linked to our thoughts than most people realize. Maté cites various research studies and examples from his professional life to further illustrate his points. He quotes various neuroscientists and geneticists, and he explains how outside influences even affect our immune systems.In Part 2, Maté discusses early life and the developmental needs of children. He covers the effects of stress, even in the womb before the child is born. He gives some perspective on childbirth, early stages of development, parenting styles, the effects of screentime, and cultural norms.In Part 3 Maté gives his thoughts about diseases and addictions potentially being adaptations to the environment. He discusses various types of addictions, and some myths and misconceptions about mental illnesses.Part 4 shifts the focus to society as a whole, and the ways that modern societies can be a source of stressors that lead to illness. Maté covers economic stress, dislocation and loneliness, neuromarketing, Big Food and Big Pharma, inequalities of race, class, and gender, and political division.In Part 5 Maté wraps up by offering some ideas about healing and wholeness. He talks about the four A’s: Authenticity, Agency, Anger and Acceptance. He offers his thoughts about compassion, and how to learn from modern diseases. He discusses how to improve self-awareness, and how to learn to say “No”. Maté also talks about psychedelics and spirituality, before giving a few final words about the path to a healthier future society.Overall, I liked this book. I was intrigued by Maté’s take on these lesser-studied large scale issues, and I thought that he made some very good points. This topic is difficult to write a very scientific book on though, because there are so many vague concepts and multi-faceted issues, that it becomes almost impossible to prove some of his assertions. I think that there is some good advice here towards the end of the book, and many parts really encouraged me to think more deeply; but also, the general concept of society/culture contributing to illness is such a broad topic that it is hard to really feel like there are great solutions. Still, I don’t regret reading this one.

Excellent resource. Well written. Explains your life.

Es un libro con tamaño un tanto grande, lo compré por recomendación y no me ha defraudado.

Gran libro que no te dejará indiferente

A fantastic insight into the effects of trauma from someone who knows all about it. Really valuable information to help people recover or find the right help to recover.

Highly recommended for gaining a new perspective on our society and understanding what we are living in. Perfectly comprehensible investigation on different problems. It contains extremely useful advice.