It took me a while to read this book, and it’s not because it was long (I mean, it’s not short, but it’s also not that long). It was because it is so impactful. This book looks at both physical and mental illnesses, the root causes of both, and the connections between the two. It looks at the ways our culture affects our health – and how negative health outcomes are disproportionately seen in oppressed groups. It explains how trauma impacts our mental and physical health, how the ways in which we were parented lead to our own parenting styles and impact our wellbeing in unexpected ways, and how some mental health issues like anxiety can be perpetuated within families.
Now, that might sound like a lot – and it is. This book covers a huge range of material, but it does so in a way that is absorbing and easy to follow. I didn’t have a hard time being pulled along the paths this book led me down while reading, and I was really interested in what the authors had to say. I bookmarked, tabbed and underlined my way through the book, leaving very few sections unmarked. One of the best parts of the book is how it calls out parts of our culture and medical systems that are perpetuating or creating complex trauma, and examines assumptions we make about our health and mental landscapes that we just accept as how things are – but that are only that way because that’s how we made them. This has been a huge realization for me as I’ve become more reliant on this system, and discovered the ways in which it lacks a holistic viewpoint.
This is a book that will appeal to many readers, but that will resonate each reader for different reasons. Some will resonate with discussions of childhood trauma. Others with his viewpoint on addiction. Still others with his perspective on the connection between trauma and physical health. For me, the parts I resonated most with were the ones on how anxiety can be perpetuated within families easily; how women are the stress absorbers for society because of how it is structured today (pressure trickles down onto us and increases the stress we experience, leading to a higher level of autoimmune disorders and mental health issues like anxiety and depression); and the deep connection between mental health, stress, and management of chronic health conditions. These all speak to my experiences and rang so true that it was hard for me to keep reading at times. These are things that are huge drivers of health issues, and yet we have so little control over them. Sure, we can try to manage stress through lifestyle changes and healthy habits, but we can’t change how society treats minorities and women, and we can’t undo the trauma we have experienced. It’s important to be aware of all of these things – and this will be particularly helpful for those who might just be starting to learn about these connections. It can be hard, though, to immerse yourself in the parts of this that just can’t be helped, as much as we all need to be aware of them.
Though I didn’t agree with every single point or anecdote the Matés shared in this book, I did enjoy following along the thought processes and connections that were made. It’s rare that I’ve felt so represented but also so revealed by a book. I’ve been dealing with the health system in Canada my whole adult life, and while I’ve had some wonderful experiences – a family doctor who really listened, cared about his patients and went out of his way to check in during difficult circumstances; nurses who went above and beyond to help me while I was in their care (I still remember Betty, who brought me tomatoes from her garden when I was in hospital for weeks following a medical event that led to one of my chronic illness diagnoses) and even just the admin staff working in offices who went above and beyond to help me access care during the pandemic – I’ve also had my share of really terrible ones. I have been belittled, dismissed and overlooked regularly when dealing with my kid’s doctors. I have been given faulty instructions and then snapped at when I questioned them – then when I followed them they made me even sicker. I’ve been prescribed medication without checking interactions with my other medications (I’ve since learned to always check all my meds with pharmacists). I’ve been stuck in a hospital waiting for transfer for twelve hours because the two hospitals wouldn’t communicate with one another. And the list goes on and on. Sure, we are incredibly lucky here to have a great medical system that is, largely, free to access. But it’s understaffed, many areas to do with mental health are not covered by MSP or extended insurance, the medical personnel are overworked and rushed, there’s often a lack of training for sensitivity, women are often dismissed out of hand and assumed to be of inferior intelligence, and if you’ve got a mental health diagnosis on your file you might as well just not bother. You won’t be heard. So the discussions this book presented about the connections between trauma, mental health and physical ailments was really vindicating. Hearing some criticism of the way our medical system is structured was likewise important for me, as hard as it was to immerse myself in.
I was glad that this was my first Gabor Maté book, because while it is definitely a cohesive whole, I also felt like it was a review of a lot of the themes that are explored in greater detail in his previous books. He has so many years of experience and has such a wide range of knowledge that he can speak with authority on very complex and interconnected issues in a way I’ve rarely encountered before. I think this is a great place to start if you’re new to his work, but also a great book to read if you’re looking for a refresher.
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. Co-written with his son Daniel, The Myth of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet. – Goodreads
**Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!**
Book Title: The Myth of Normal
Author: Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté
Series: No
Edition: Ebook/Audiobook
Published By: Penguin Random House Canada (via Netgalley)
Released: September 13, 2022
Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Mental Health, Medical
Pages: 576
Date Read: September 12 – November 5, 2022
Rating: 7/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.44/5 (680 ratings)