The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, & Healing in a Toxic Culture (2022) by Gabor Maté, MD
Jumping off from When the Body Says NO, Dr. Gabor Maté continues to reflect on the prevalence of rising rates of disordered physical and mental health in Western cultures. Through a combined use of personal anecdotes; interviews of patients, celebrities, and professionals/experts; case studies; and literature reviews, Maté strives to exemplify how the social and cultural infrastructure of our society has forced us to go against the grain of natural instincts and has created unnatural stressors that are interfering with our capacity to thrive. And our bodies are letting us know. These mental and physical health conditions do not occur in a vacuum, and Maté attempts to conceptualize a pattern of interconnectedness by utilizing a rhythm throughout the book wherein he evaluates individual cases to highlight the interconnectedness of mind and body, and then spans out to assess macro-scale systems to illuminate the interconnectedness of individual and society. While Maté does hover over the theme of trauma as a foundation, he does attempt to evaluate a multitude of angles such as capitalism, the Western medical model, politics, and technology (which was one of my critiques of Dr. Jonathan Haidt). And to wrap up the book, Maté reflects on ideas and theories for healing, as well as walking alongside Drs. Kimmerer and Doucleff with the humility of Willink and Babin to defer to learn from the wisdom of indigenous cultures.
How did I hear about this book: I read it a couple years ago.
Would I recommend it to colleagues: Absolutely (and do regularly)
Would I recommend this to clients: Absolutely (and do regularly). It has been helpful at aiding increased breadth and depth to conversations with clients in sessions. As an aside, van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score is not my favorite, and I will often recommend Myth of Normal in its place..
How do I apply this content to my work: Given that the book appears to stem from Maté’s 2021 book When the Body Says NO, I will review how my social work lens to healing stems from the BioPsychoSocialSpiritual model that Maté consistently encourages and reinforces. Secondly, my brain has always operated from the perspective of understanding the interconnected relationship between macro and individual. I applied for the “self-directed” track in graduate school because I couldn’t align with either the “direct practice” nor the “macro” tracks. My direct practice experiences have always informed my interest and experience in policy advocacy, and in my understanding of how I can support each of my clients’ healing within the context of the larger structures and systems within which we live.
Additionally, I specialize in the treatment of trauma and addiction within the context of being certified as a dance/movement therapist. It has taken me the better part of 15 years to complete all of the education and licensure requirements necessary to create a foundation of credentials (social worker, addictions counselor, and dance/movement therapist) to allow me to address these complex conditions from a lens for healing that encompasses the interconnectedness of mind and body, with trauma and addiction, and with individual experience in the context of macro systems.
This book just speaks my language and exemplifies the way my brain works.
Disclaimers: These reviews are based on my own personal experience reading these books and do not reflect on the book’s author or publisher. I have not received any commissions or other incentives to promote my reviews. My reviews express my own unbiased opinions.
