Gabor Maté

Gabor Maté's rich book synthesizes newest scientific data on the connection between trauma and chronic illnesses and relates it to the pressures of the environment created by capitalism. The problem that the latter poses to medicine (and sciences involved in biomedical research, my own field) is enormous and only getting worse, as the main objective of healing the sick is routinely undermined by the infinite greed of "for profit" mindset.

The vast majority of humanity is getting poorer by show more the day, no matter how many jobs they hold, as wages keep dropping, benefits keep getting cut, the environment keeps deteriorating. That this chronic state of stress is spreading even to the "well off" since the triumph of neoliberalism, is no news either. Note that "stress" here doesn't mean simply some vague "state of mind", akin to the "vapours" of Victorian damsels, but measurable physical state expressed in various kinds and degrees of discomfort, pain, illness. Hunger, fear, humiliation, rage, exposure to the elements, cold, heat, to say nothing of physical violence and chronic insecurity, all induce stress acutely and, over long term, chronically.

A society is doing only so well as its most disadvantaged citizens. Ask yourself what happens to those in yours. Why is poverty and food bank use on the rise in the wealthiest countries on Earth, the US, the UK, Canada? Why are we seeing a flood of homelessness and public displays of mental illness? At such blessed times when billionaires like Jeff Bezos, who restricts his workers' pee time and took Covid tax breaks, is rocketing off into space? Where's YOUR jetpack, mate?

When Maté says we're living in toxic and insane societies, he is merely being descriptive. All the conditions of our lives bent to the ideology of capitalist consumption are toxic and unhealthy. The social contract is broken, and we've destroyed the natural world before ever acknowledging its rights.

And we're witnessing wholesale destruction of humanity for the sake of the 1%. Capitalism turned our food, our work, our cities, our schools, into pure shit, but apparently we'll sooner go extinct, gullets filled with pills, than we'll manage to demand a society dignifying every human being.

Addendum: at the time of writing there is a disparaging review of the book by someone who doesn't seem to understand cancer biology. Nowhere does Maté say, suggest or imply that it's "all" the enviroment's doing. Most common cancers depend on several steps or discrete events in order to develop, and in this are greatly influenced by environmental factors. Genetic disposition for cancer may entail a more or less definite outcome. As for animals such as dogs, they are in fact subject to stress and used as models in a number of cases (as are rabbits, rats, mice etc.) show less

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté, MD, with Daniel Maté explores the connection between trauma, illness, and culture. Interlaced with personal stories, anecdotes from Gabor’s professional experiences, and insights in family dynamics, The Myth of Normal points a strong light on the connection between childhood trauma and illness in later life. Gabor examines how both one large trauma and a series of small traumas can contribute to health show more issues. The discussion illustrating how trauma makes people and societies sick and keeps them sick is sometimes difficult to sit with. I thought I understood the connection between trauma and addiction, but Gabor’s examination encouraged me to think more deeply about my ingrained attitudes around trauma, addiction, and healing. The Myth of Normal delves into research in a multitude of areas of life from medicine to spiritual to cultural to show the connections between trauma, illness, and healing. There were moments when the writing felt a little too intense and others when it felt a little too light, almost lighthearted in the moment, but somehow looking back those moments allowed for a bit of tension release. The Myth of Normal convinced me healing trauma can be an important component of treating illness, addiction, and disease, but left me with some skepticism because it felt like it put so much emphasis on trauma at the expense of the recognition of other aspects of more tangible aspects of wellness. show less

This book gives the best diagnosis of the state of our society through the prism of mental health. It is by no means an easy read (took me months to get through it, chapter by chapter) and doesn't provide an easy way out, so it's not a prophetic answer to all our troubles. But if you want to have a better understanding of why things are so bad and why a holistic, systemic change is the only way out - this is a book for you.
What I love about Gabor Maté is his ability to show true show more compassion. I don't think I have ever read an author who is as compassionate to people who are dealing with trauma (and we all are, whether we are aware of it or not). The trauma he describes is not only "the bad things that happen to us", but all of that withheld from us that should be a part of our human experience, even if we are seemingly happy. Maté is very open in identifying the toxic dynamic of current late-capitalist societal trends as being the core issue in the mental health crisis.

While these ideas are not new if these topics are something you are interested in and Maté has written about them before, this is by far the most comprehensive work on this subject with an incredible bibliography. It is scientific, but also philosophical and provocative. I don't agree with everything Maté claims in this book, but it is good to be challenged and reflect.
This is a seminal work that people should read and talk about. show less

When the Body Says No is a fascinating dive into how the impact of stress can affect medical diagnoses. The author uses heart warming patient stories to explain how chronic stress can influence physical health, even down to the development of serious illnesses. I was able to read it cover to cover—It’s engaging, clear, and surprisingly easy to follow, even for someone without a medical background. The book highlights how childhood experiences and life stressors can contribute to health show more outcomes, which is really thought-provoking.

One thing I did feel was missing was more guidance on how to manage stress in practical terms. There are a few resources at the end, but I was hoping for more actionable takeaways.

Still, it’s a powerful, thought-provoking read that offers a meaningful perspective on the mind-body connection—without placing blame on the individual. show less