The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture book cover

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

Discover the hidden forces shaping our health and learn how to reclaim well-being

Gabor Maté, Daniel Maté
2022
8 Key Insights

About This Book

This groundbreaking work reveals how our modern culture—through stress, disconnection, and distorted norms—becomes the unseen architect of illness and addiction. You’ll journey from the deepest wounds of infancy to the invisible pressures of adulthood, seeing how trauma, social isolation, and misguided medical practices conspire to undermine health. By uncovering the science of mind–body unity, epigenetics, and interpersonal biology, you’ll gain practical tools to shift from passive suffering to active self-care and societal change. Prepare to transform your understanding of “normal,” debunk entrenched myths, and chart a path toward true wholeness and resilience.

About the Author

Dr. Gabor Maté is a renowned physician, bestselling author, and international speaker whose work spans trauma, addiction, and mind–body health. With over three decades in clinical practice, he brings deep compassion and scientific rigor to topics that bridge psychology, neuroscience, and culture. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and co-author, Daniel Maté, and continues to lecture worldwide on the profound links between our emotional lives and physical health.

Biggest Takeaway

You will learn to recognize hidden trauma imprints and leverage the mind–body connection to reduce stress and inflammation. You’ll discover evidence-based strategies to restore emotional safety, strengthen relationships, and support healthy brain development in children. Armed with insights into epigenetics and the social drivers of illness, you can make concrete lifestyle shifts—improving sleep, nutrition, and emotional self-regulation—to boost vitality. Finally, you’ll find practical guidance for creating supportive environments that foster healing and long-term well-being.

Key Insights from This Book

Explore the most important ideas and learn how to apply them in your life.

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