The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture Hardcover – September 13, 2022

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.

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate is an eye-opening and transformative read. Dr. Mate takes a deep dive into the connections between mental health, trauma, and society, challenging the conventional understanding of what's "normal". His writing is both compassionate and insightful, blending scientific research with personal anecdotes to paint a powerful picture of how the pressures of modern life affect our well-being. It's a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of human health, and it's sure to inspire deeper reflection on how we can lead more authentic, balanced lives. Highly recommended!

Gabor Maté delivers refreshingly straight-forward and relevant information that everyone should read and appreciate. Glad to have read this book.

This book puts into words what most of us have been feeling for decades. A brutally, but compasisonately honest analysis of the root causes of how we got to this point as individuals and society. It's not finger-pointing (I'm quite convinced that anyone who thinks so didn't read the book or, if they did, didn't understand it). Instead, it places the power of change squarely in our hands and encourages UNITY to create that change on a global scale. This is a book everyone needs to read, now more than ever. You won't regret it.

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.