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The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Daniel Maté, Gabor Maté
erinhewetson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
mariachiara's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
alreadyemily's review against another edition
4.0
A really good book with a lot of food for thought. Dovetails/references/incorporates/builds on other quality research/books that I have read over the years, so it definitely all makes cohesive sense to me.
awesomebrandi's review against another edition
2.0
tl;dr: A long, rambling book about the effect (real and perceived) of trauma on the body with some really good points, and some really terrible points.
Talk about a polarizing book, woo. This was a long, and exhausting journey to get through. There are some really valuable points in this book, but, unfortunately, it is a scattered mess that also takes it to extremes. The bad thing about taking it to extremes is you then throw away all the valid points made in the book, because people's brains just shut off and say 'well, the whole thing must be bad' when that isn't the case.
The pros:
- I do agree heavily with the concept that too many medical professionals divide 'brain' and 'body' treatment, as if they are two different things, when it's all connected.
- Trauma absolutely affects your body and your immune system.
- He talks quite a bit about social inequities and their effects on marginalized people. For example: The maternal mortality rate for Black women being so much higher than for white women. This is something that needs to be a conversation in our society. I love that he brings it up, but unfortunately, he never provides any suggestions for this huge social issue.
- He talks about the importance of protecting children and preventing trauma, and how children so often get the proverbial short end of the stick. Another conversation we need to be having. So much of the way society views and treats children does cause harm and prevents them from growing into the healthy adults we want them to be.
- He has extensive experience working with people dealing with addiction, and how the root of addiction is people who are suffering and in need. That is so true, and that's something else our society needs to continue to improve on, is not seeing addictions as a fault, but as an unmet need.
The cons:
- Lots of extremes. So, basically he says even IN UTERO "trauma", like a 'stressed mother' can cause 'diseases' like ADHD (which is not a disease). So, while yes, I do think pregnant people need support, and families need support, there is a lot said in here that feels like parent blaming (even though he claims he's not trying to do that). There is a LOT of stuff like "CIO causes lifelong trauma" (I never did CIO, but I find that a problematic statement), "parents being stressed out while a child is young causes lifelong trauma", etc. And, yes, elements of this are true. I know first hand that a very unstable family life is traumatic. Many of us know about ACE scores and c-ptsd, which are valid traumas and should be discussed, and supported. But, humans are going to get stressed. That's part of being human. His statements become extreme reaches, and it ruins the rest of it.
- The book is just a jumbled mess. It's funny, as apparently the author is ADHD and even wrote an older book about 'curing' ADHD, but it makes me laugh, because this book is one long, random tangent that just radiates the ADHD brain process. Perhaps because I am ADHD, I could kind of keep up, but it was exhausting. It felt like there was no editor. It just jumped all over the place.
- Some of his 'suggestions' or 'examples' of people who 'healed their trauma' are more extremes like someone who went mountain climbing with former members of the IRA, or someone 'forgiving' their abusers, and that magically 'healed' and erased their trauma somehow. Then, he does a whole chapter focused on the concept of healing via psilocybin experiences (specifically referring to stuff used by peoples in South America, etc). The thing is, again, I've actually READ research about microdosing with psilocybin, and seen research saying it can have a positive effect on traumatized brains. But, instead of using studies that actually hint of scientific proof, he instead tells a story about being in South America with 'shamans' and the ilk. Again, taking it to an extreme that is completely relatable to the majority of people, instead of sticking to the middle ground and using studies around microdosing of certain substances.
- He says some really inappropriate and disturbing things about celebrities/political people that he's never met. He does SAY that he hasn't worked with them directly, but I still found his rambles about Trump, Hillary Clinton and especially Robin Williams, to be both pointless and even dangerous. He basically suggests had Robin Williams 'healed his inner trauma' he could still be alive today. It really, really left a bad taste in my mouth.
- He also dedicates a substantial amount of space to 'spontaneous healing' with examples of people who had terminal cancer, who did some yoga (paraphrasing) and magically found themselves cured. Again, I DO think that any healing should be multifaceted, but it just smacks of 'woo' and dangerous pseudoscience. There are too many extremes for it to be taken seriously.
- Ironically, in his chapter about the inequality of stress and demands placed on women, he closes the chapter by talking about the BENEFITS TO MEN if we can reduce the stress on women. It was just ironic (and eye rolling).
___________________
All in all, had this book had some serious editing, it could have been great. But, it's mostly a jumble of stuff, and I find his attitude toward ADHD to be incredibly problematic. He constantly refers to ADHD as a 'disease' or similar terms, and suggesting that trauma causes ADHD. For me, there is a lack of conversation around correlation vs. causation. He ALMOST gets it at one point, with the quote "Children, especially highly sensitive children, can be wounded in multiple ways". So, for me, from the neurodiversity standpoint, I see neurodivergent people as more PRONE to trauma and more prone to illness, especially after living through trauma. He definitely seems to have a clear dividing line between ADHD and Autism, even though current research does NOT SUPPORT THAT. Research is showing more and more that ADHD and Autism (as well as other flavors of neurodivergent brains) are genetically connected. As far as mentioning Autism in the book, there are really only two mentions. One was mentioning a 'professional' who brings up two primary stereotypes of Autistic people 'having speech delays and lacking eye contact' and the other is talking very briefly about Greta Thunberg. He seems to cherry pick his 'data' to agree with his own, very biased, point of view.
I think the author seems like an interesting person. He has some cool stories to tell. But, this book is heavily biased to the point of being problematic, and is framed up as scientific while using questionable resources to back up his claims. I think we DO need a shift in our medical model, and a better understanding of the brain/body connection, but I also believe some people are simply born disabled, or prone to highly sensitive brains and bodies, and that's regardless of trauma.
If you choose to read this, please read it with a heavy dose of salt and good luck.
Talk about a polarizing book, woo. This was a long, and exhausting journey to get through. There are some really valuable points in this book, but, unfortunately, it is a scattered mess that also takes it to extremes. The bad thing about taking it to extremes is you then throw away all the valid points made in the book, because people's brains just shut off and say 'well, the whole thing must be bad' when that isn't the case.
The pros:
- I do agree heavily with the concept that too many medical professionals divide 'brain' and 'body' treatment, as if they are two different things, when it's all connected.
- Trauma absolutely affects your body and your immune system.
- He talks quite a bit about social inequities and their effects on marginalized people. For example: The maternal mortality rate for Black women being so much higher than for white women. This is something that needs to be a conversation in our society. I love that he brings it up, but unfortunately, he never provides any suggestions for this huge social issue.
- He talks about the importance of protecting children and preventing trauma, and how children so often get the proverbial short end of the stick. Another conversation we need to be having. So much of the way society views and treats children does cause harm and prevents them from growing into the healthy adults we want them to be.
- He has extensive experience working with people dealing with addiction, and how the root of addiction is people who are suffering and in need. That is so true, and that's something else our society needs to continue to improve on, is not seeing addictions as a fault, but as an unmet need.
The cons:
- Lots of extremes. So, basically he says even IN UTERO "trauma", like a 'stressed mother' can cause 'diseases' like ADHD (which is not a disease). So, while yes, I do think pregnant people need support, and families need support, there is a lot said in here that feels like parent blaming (even though he claims he's not trying to do that). There is a LOT of stuff like "CIO causes lifelong trauma" (I never did CIO, but I find that a problematic statement), "parents being stressed out while a child is young causes lifelong trauma", etc. And, yes, elements of this are true. I know first hand that a very unstable family life is traumatic. Many of us know about ACE scores and c-ptsd, which are valid traumas and should be discussed, and supported. But, humans are going to get stressed. That's part of being human. His statements become extreme reaches, and it ruins the rest of it.
- The book is just a jumbled mess. It's funny, as apparently the author is ADHD and even wrote an older book about 'curing' ADHD, but it makes me laugh, because this book is one long, random tangent that just radiates the ADHD brain process. Perhaps because I am ADHD, I could kind of keep up, but it was exhausting. It felt like there was no editor. It just jumped all over the place.
- Some of his 'suggestions' or 'examples' of people who 'healed their trauma' are more extremes like someone who went mountain climbing with former members of the IRA, or someone 'forgiving' their abusers, and that magically 'healed' and erased their trauma somehow. Then, he does a whole chapter focused on the concept of healing via psilocybin experiences (specifically referring to stuff used by peoples in South America, etc). The thing is, again, I've actually READ research about microdosing with psilocybin, and seen research saying it can have a positive effect on traumatized brains. But, instead of using studies that actually hint of scientific proof, he instead tells a story about being in South America with 'shamans' and the ilk. Again, taking it to an extreme that is completely relatable to the majority of people, instead of sticking to the middle ground and using studies around microdosing of certain substances.
- He says some really inappropriate and disturbing things about celebrities/political people that he's never met. He does SAY that he hasn't worked with them directly, but I still found his rambles about Trump, Hillary Clinton and especially Robin Williams, to be both pointless and even dangerous. He basically suggests had Robin Williams 'healed his inner trauma' he could still be alive today. It really, really left a bad taste in my mouth.
- He also dedicates a substantial amount of space to 'spontaneous healing' with examples of people who had terminal cancer, who did some yoga (paraphrasing) and magically found themselves cured. Again, I DO think that any healing should be multifaceted, but it just smacks of 'woo' and dangerous pseudoscience. There are too many extremes for it to be taken seriously.
- Ironically, in his chapter about the inequality of stress and demands placed on women, he closes the chapter by talking about the BENEFITS TO MEN if we can reduce the stress on women. It was just ironic (and eye rolling).
___________________
All in all, had this book had some serious editing, it could have been great. But, it's mostly a jumble of stuff, and I find his attitude toward ADHD to be incredibly problematic. He constantly refers to ADHD as a 'disease' or similar terms, and suggesting that trauma causes ADHD. For me, there is a lack of conversation around correlation vs. causation. He ALMOST gets it at one point, with the quote "Children, especially highly sensitive children, can be wounded in multiple ways". So, for me, from the neurodiversity standpoint, I see neurodivergent people as more PRONE to trauma and more prone to illness, especially after living through trauma. He definitely seems to have a clear dividing line between ADHD and Autism, even though current research does NOT SUPPORT THAT. Research is showing more and more that ADHD and Autism (as well as other flavors of neurodivergent brains) are genetically connected. As far as mentioning Autism in the book, there are really only two mentions. One was mentioning a 'professional' who brings up two primary stereotypes of Autistic people 'having speech delays and lacking eye contact' and the other is talking very briefly about Greta Thunberg. He seems to cherry pick his 'data' to agree with his own, very biased, point of view.
I think the author seems like an interesting person. He has some cool stories to tell. But, this book is heavily biased to the point of being problematic, and is framed up as scientific while using questionable resources to back up his claims. I think we DO need a shift in our medical model, and a better understanding of the brain/body connection, but I also believe some people are simply born disabled, or prone to highly sensitive brains and bodies, and that's regardless of trauma.
If you choose to read this, please read it with a heavy dose of salt and good luck.
thehawk72's review against another edition
Dnf pg @165
I have already read several different versions of this book by different authors so I’m not really getting anything new out of this.
I have already read several different versions of this book by different authors so I’m not really getting anything new out of this.
10_4tina's review against another edition
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.25
Super interesting stories and anecdotes, some interesting science, lots of pseudoscience, some philosophy, and a lot of bouncing or meandering around adjacent topics. I would love to go on a long road trip with the author to think through some of the problems in our world today, some of the heartbreak of trauma, and to hear more about his psychedelic experiences. Despite being totally into many parts of it, it was just too long of a book. I think we tried to cover too much ground and include the stories with the science in ways that just made the book drag on while simultaneously seeming like there was a lot missing from most chapters. This is definitely worth the read, especially if you see the effects of trauma regularly. I started reading this on while still working a case management position in a university and I saw lots of things Gabor Mate wrote about firsthand.
Interesting tidbits:
Chapter 3:
Parents in an unfavorable mental health state may predict a poorer status for a child's asthma. Racism is also associated with adult onset asthma. Is inflammation and airway constriction individual pathology or a manifestation of a social malaise. Our health is a complex consequence of all our relations.
Chapter 7:
If you go through life being stressed while not knowing you are stressed, there is little you can do to protect yourself from the physiological consequences. Repressiveness should be seen as a mind body, not just mental, construct. Repression (unconscious) is different from Suppression (intentional).
Chapter 25:
Animas Valley Institute (with nature) - where is a person's wholeness not fully realized or lived out - healing (coming to wholeness) is distinct from being cured (absence of disease)
Chapter 28:
-Most of us have more time than we know what to do with; what we lack is a strong sense of intention for its use - default pursuits (noble or frivolous) quickly fill the void
Interesting tidbits:
Chapter 3:
Parents in an unfavorable mental health state may predict a poorer status for a child's asthma. Racism is also associated with adult onset asthma. Is inflammation and airway constriction individual pathology or a manifestation of a social malaise. Our health is a complex consequence of all our relations.
Chapter 7:
If you go through life being stressed while not knowing you are stressed, there is little you can do to protect yourself from the physiological consequences. Repressiveness should be seen as a mind body, not just mental, construct. Repression (unconscious) is different from Suppression (intentional).
Chapter 25:
Animas Valley Institute (with nature) - where is a person's wholeness not fully realized or lived out - healing (coming to wholeness) is distinct from being cured (absence of disease)
Chapter 28:
-Most of us have more time than we know what to do with; what we lack is a strong sense of intention for its use - default pursuits (noble or frivolous) quickly fill the void