Summary of Gabor Maté's The Myth of Normal

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Gabor Maté's The Myth of Normal in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350063769

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Summary of Gabor Maté’s The Myth of Normal

Contents

Overview

Tracking Trauma

Responding to Trauma

The Role of Relationships

Impact of Epigenetics

Autoimmune Triggers and Treatments

The Disease Process

Illness and Personality

A Foundation for Children

Medicalization of Childbirth

Parenting Approaches

Childhood Development

Understanding Addiction

Psychiatry and Trauma

Behind Mental Illnesses

Systemically Stressed

Toxic Cultural Forces

Racism Hurts

The Gender Gap and Trap

Trauma and Politics

Healing with the Four A’s

Let Your Emotions Heal You

5 Steps Towards Healing

Winding Road

An Unconventional Approach

Renormalizing Society

About the Author

Overview

The Myth of Normal (2022) by Dr. Gabor Maté delves into the interconnection between individual health and the social and emotional contexts in which our lives unfold. Maté believes that chronic illness is not a mysterious aberration, but a consequence of how we live. Our toxic culture is to blame for rising rates of chronic illness, obesity, and mental health problems in many countries including the United States and Canada. To adapt to modern society’s idea of normal is to conform to expectations that are deeply abnormal in relation to our nature-given needs. The good news is that healing is possible because all of us have untapped capacities for wellness.

Tracking Trauma

Trauma is a deeply impactful experience that can have lasting effects. It can cause people to relive past events, leaving them feeling dominated by the past and disconnected from the present. This can be particularly true for those who have experienced capital-T trauma, such as war. Major trauma can cause shocks to the system and lead to physical reactions like a clenched jaw, which can shape social habits.

Holocaust survivor Gabor Maté experienced trauma during World War II in Hungary. He was only a baby, but a forced separation from his parents caused deep emotional pain. He developed a sense