In this book, Gabor Maté and his son Daniel Maté challenge the prevailing understanding of 'normal' health, arguing that Western medicine often neglects the impact of trauma, stress, and modern-day living on our bodies and minds. They connect the dots between individual health issues and the broader societal problems, offering a compassionate guide for health and healing. The book is based on over four decades of clinical experience and is supported by extensive scientific research, patient stories, and personal disclosures.
Published in 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh is a beloved children's book written by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The book follows the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, a honey-loving bear, and his friends including Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood. The stories are simple yet full of comic moments and insights into human behavior, making it a classic that appeals to readers of all ages.
In this book, Dr. Gabor Maté presents a comprehensive and compassionate look at addiction. He argues that addiction is not a moral failure or a genetic disease but rather a result of human development gone awry, often due to childhood trauma. The book includes first-person accounts, case studies, and scientific research to illustrate how addictive behaviors are attempts to self-soothe deep-seated fears and discomforts.
In this book, Dr. Gabor Maté argues that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) is not a genetic 'illness' but a response to environmental stress. He explains that the brain circuits responsible for emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy due to life experiences. The book provides insights for parents to understand their ADD children and for adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviors. It presents a program to promote neurological development in both children and adults, emphasizing the role of social and emotional environments in both the cause and cure of the condition.
The renowned physician discusses the role of trauma in our lives, showing up as addiction, chronic disease and mental illness — and how recognising his own led to true healing.
Dr Gabor Maté was born in Budapest to a Jewish family, just before Nazi tanks rolled into the city.
His mother risked handing him to a stranger on the street to try and get him to safety.
Many years later, after establishing himself as a successful physician in Canada, Gabor looked at the problems in his work and marriage and wondered if they were linked to that early trauma.
He uses his own experiences as the test case for the effects of trauma on the body and is now internationally renowned for arguing that trauma casts a long shadow in our lives, showing up in addiction, ADHD, chronic disease and mental illness.
Gabor argues that realising the impact of trauma of all kinds allows for real healing — as has happened in his own life.
Dr Gabor Maté's new book written with Daniel Maté is called The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture and is published by Penguin Random House.
This episode of Conversations deals with trauma, early childhood trauma, mental illness, addiction, ADHD, chronic illness, epic life stories, origin stories, healing, autoimmune disease, and therapy.
Conversations 
