The Myth of Normal – Written by Gabor Mate & Daniel Mate
The Myth of Normal unpacks why chronic disease and mental illness are on the rise. Western medicine focuses on individual pathologies, but what if the key actually lies in our culture? We have normalised things in our culture such as stress, adversity, and trauma, which can often cause disease. This book beliefs that the pathway back to health rests in identifying and addressing these type of underlying conditions.
This book touches on the clash between attachment and authenticity, mentioning trauma as a result of society undermining our developmental needs, resulting into what he refers as a fractured self. It
also emphasises on the effects of stress, and critiques our culture which generates chronic stress on the body, setting the stage for disease and chronic conditions. Gabor refers to health as being an expression of the life you’ve lived and the context surrounding it. He believes that healing is about finding a pathway to wholeness.
This book has a strong social critique and would be great for any health professional or person who is looking to understand the “bigger picture”, as well as anyone who is working through health challenges. Gabor Mate has a lot of clinical experience working in the field of addition and trauma. This book was written by both Gabor and his son Daniel Mate.