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The Myth of Normal
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture | Gabor Maté, MD
By the acclaimed author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing. In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health? Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of “normal” as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society—and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Cowritten with his son Daniel, The Myth Of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.
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HettyG
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Our concept of well-being must move from the individual to the global in every sense of that word.

mcctrish I really really enjoyed listening to this book. I learned a lot 4mo
25 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BekaReid
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I had a delightful, quiet morning reading at a local cafe the last morning in London before setting off for the trek home. This book is excellent reading. Lots to take in.

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BekaReid
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Welcoming slow mornings while on vacation with cafe visits full of reading. Picked up this book yesterday while at another local Edinburgh bookstore, The Lighthouse. I'm only 28 pages in but excellent so far.

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youneverarrived
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Pickpick

I‘m a firm believer in the mind/body being connected and how trauma can live within us and effect us physically as well as emotionally so this book resonated with me. The chapters on child development, addiction, politics and our modern capitalist society were especially interesting for me. #nonfiction2023 - Killing in the Name

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Stacking! Sound interesting 12mo
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youneverarrived
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Little Sunday afternoon book & beer while one kid naps and the other is painting. The book is one I‘ve been reading very slowly, trying to take it all in - loving it ðŸ¤

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SarahBookInterrupted
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Kara is back on Book Interrupted‘s Manuscript Monday with "The Myth of Normal" by Gabor Maté & his son Daniel.
https://www.bookinterrupted.com/post/manuscript-monday-the-myth-of-normal

#bookinterrupted #ManuscriptMonday #bookrecommendations #bookclub #bookreview #gabormate #trauma #themythofnormal

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DieAReader
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Pickpick

#SummerEndReadathon #RushAThon #Wardens2023

Very much worth the read or listenâ¤ï¸â€ðŸ”¥ðŸ“šðŸŽ§ðŸ“–🤓

TheSpineView Well done! 1y
DieAReader @TheSpineView ☺ï¸â˜ºï¸â˜ºï¸ 1y
Andrew65 Excellent ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘🥰 1y
37 likes3 comments
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DieAReader
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#SummerEndReadathon #Wardens2023

Today‘s 🎧📖 #audiobook start, & maybe finish, we‘ll see.

TheSpineView Enjoy! 1y
Andrew65 Hope it‘s going well 🥰 1y
DieAReader @Andrew65 @TheSpineView Very Interesting so far. Gotta put it down for some🛌😴 It‘s been a long day & its starting to catch up with me lol🥱 (edited) 1y
See All 7 Comments
Andrew65 @DieAReader Sleep well 🥰 1y
DieAReader @Andrew65 😘â¤ï¸â€ðŸ”¥Like a🪨until 3:30 & then again from 4-8. 1y
Andrew65 @DieAReader That‘s good to hear 🥰 1y
DieAReader @Andrew65 🥰🥰🥰 1y
38 likes7 comments
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Cosmos_Moon_River
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this audio for insights on the connection of disease, thought processes, mental health and health outcomes. I do believe the brain and thought can be a powerful tool, but I thought sometimes Mate stretched the correlations a little too far. I enjoyed listening to his experiences psychedelics and various celebrities he‘s worked with, normalizing addiction and mental health problems, with some relatable stories.

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Chrissyreadit
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Pickpick

5 stars for anyone interested in how life impacts us. I wish i had taken notes.

AmyG I have this on audiobook reserve. 1y
Chrissyreadit @AmyG let me know what you think! I think it is so brilliant! 1y
69 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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alespitin
Pickpick

52/∞

â€¼ï¸ The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté ‼ï¸

Rating: â­ï¸â­ï¸â­ï¸â­ï¸â­ï¸/+â­ï¸â­ï¸

Buy this book! https://amzn.to/3IULt4Z through my link and help me build this website!

Length: 288 pages
Audiobook: 5 hours and 51 minutes

…

Read the full review at:
https://www.kaisersbook.review/2023/06/myth-of-normal-by-gabor-mate.html

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Samara_Kipnis
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Sydneypaige
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Another disappointing trauma book - some sexism, some questionable tactics of equating correlation and causation, and a complete lack of somatics of healing trauma. Also so much of the book felt like self promotion.
I learned later as well that the author has some problematic thoughts about autism that I want to follow up on.

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Floresj
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Mehso-so

Wide ranging book on how the mind and body are connected, the illnesses that we endure have a connection to our environment and mind. Though I agree, there‘s a LOT of correlation in the book. Also, while I understand that reading data can be cumbersome, saying that cancer risks doubles without the % could mean 1 to 2% or 30 to 60%. I needed more specific data to really enjoy this one.

tpixie Great review 2y
ReadingRachael I wish that more authors referenced the specific studies providing evidence for their claim. I know this book had some things referenced but there were a number of times when I turned to the notes in the back for details and there were none. I liked a lot about the book, but agree with you 100% regarding correlation vs causation. (edited) 2y
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MelAnn
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Oh wow! I love this end to the Introduction!

mcctrish This is a phenomenal book 2y
MelAnn @mcctrish that is so good to hear! I don‘t often choose books with so many pages 😂 2y
40 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MelAnn
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Finally starting o this bad boy. Between this and Life Force - my binging of the new Netflix series Night Agent will have to wait! I think this quote is the perfect quote to set the tone of this book!

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MelAnn
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I am going to need way more than a lunch break eating chicken fajita salad from Fuzzy‘s Taco to read this thick book! I need a vacation!

Chrissyreadit Im halfway through and appreciate Gabor Mate so much. 2y
MelAnn @Chrissyreadit I look forward to reading it! 2y
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underground_bks
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Pickpick

A must read for fans of The Body Keeps the Score and anyone interested in the science and literature of trauma (should be us all!), The Myth of Normal is a moving, groundbreaking, and holistic exploration of just how sick “normal†is, the connection between the mind, personality, experiences, culture and the body, and ways to move forward and heal. I wish it was even more inclusive than it was, but I found it eye-opening, affirming, and crucial.

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mcctrish
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Pickpick

This is one of those books that I really need to listen to and have a print copy to highlight the parts I want to remember/connected with. The sections on addiction really opened my eyes, help me understand addiction better ( the “just say no†campaign is absolutely useless, it only resonates with people without trauma) GM is Canadian, he references places and people that I‘m familiar with. Understanding/empathy = power to change â¤ï¸

ReadingRachael I know what you mean regarding having a print copy.….my print copy of this is indeed all marked up….a lot of things I want to be able to reference in the future 2y
mcctrish @ReadingRachael there is just so much information packed in this book! I‘m going to need to buy a copy 2y
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mcctrish
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Finally got this audio back from the library ( I got it as a 7 day loan initially and it just wasn‘t long enough for a 19 hr audio book 😂😂) so I had to join the regular queue to finish it

CBee Ooo! Is that Hokusai‘s Great Wave? 2y
mcctrish @CBee It is and I‘m so excited to build it 2y
CBee @mcctrish jealous! I got Van Gogh‘s Starry Night for Christmas and finished it a couple of weeks ago and am itching for something else! Would love to see a pic when you finish! 2y
mcctrish @CBee stay tuned! I hope Lego makes more art kits â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸ 2y
CBee @mcctrish me too! 🤞🻠2y
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ReadingRachael
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Pickpick

There is so much valuable and thought provoking info in this book. In it, the author explores the relationship between our toxic consumption driven society, trauma, and illness. Areas receiving special attention include child development, addiction, and epigenetics. I appreciated the author‘s willingness to share his own journey to healing and the effects of his own history of trauma on his family. Valuable read in addition to The Body Keeps Score

SamAnne On my list. 2y
ReadingRachael @SamAnne I hope you enjoy it! I thought it was excellent 🙂 2y
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HillsAndHamletsBookshop
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Pickpick

An absolutely epic synthesis of an emerging consensus on mind/body research and it‘s implications for public health. Mate is already a well respected doctor specializing in addiction treatment (see his bestseller In The Realm of a Hungry Ghosts). The impacts of trauma (both major and minor), especially during childhood, cannot be overstated, and we are only beginning to become a “trauma literateâ€
society. A must read title for a better world.

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PNWBookseller85
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Pickpick

This was riveting! Some overlap with ideas in “The Body Keeps the Score†(credited within the text) Mate looks at the broader societal “toxins†that are contributing to a rise in autoimmune diseases etc. Five stars. So much to think about. And somehow he ends it on a note of positivity!

Chrissyreadit I‘m listening to this now! I love it so far! 2y
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mcctrish
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Started my latest audio book on the way to school

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dixi_e
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“Our culture‘s skewed idea of normality is the single biggest impediment to fostering a healthier world, even keeping us from acting on what we already know.†💡