The Myth of Normal

'It all starts with waking up... to what our bodies are expressing and our minds are suppressing'

Western countries invest billions in healthcare, yet mental illness and chronic diseases are on a seemingly unstoppable rise. Nearly 70% of Americans are now on prescription drugs. So what is 'normal' when it comes to health?

Over four decades of clinical experience, renowned physician and addiction expert Dr Gabor Maté has seen how health systems neglect the role that trauma exerts on our bodies and our minds. Medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today's culture stresses our bodies, burdens our immune systems and undermines emotional balance.

Now, in his most ambitious and urgent book yet, Dr Maté connects the dots between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living - with disease as a natural reflection of a life spent growing further and further apart from our true selves. But, with deep compassion, he also shows us a pathway to health and healing.

Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery, this life-affirming book, co-written with his son Daniel, proves true health is possible - if we are willing to reconnect with each other and our authentic selves.

Autorentext
A celebrated speaker and bestselling author, Dr Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics, such as addiction, stress and childhood development. Dr Maté has written several bestselling books, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, When the Body Says No, Scattered Minds and (as co-author) Hold On to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in more than thirty languages.Daniel Maté is an acclaimed composer-lyricist who has received the Kleban Prize for Lyrics, the ASCAP Foundation Cole Porter Award and a Jonathan Larson Grant. His musicals include The Longing and the Short of It, Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Gu¨nter, Middle School Mysteries and a forthcoming adaptation of the Russell Banks novel The Sweet Hereafter. He also runs a popular 'mental chiropractic' service called Take a Walk with Daniel.