Gabor Mate
Dr. Gabor Mate is a Canadian physician who’s special interest is in childhood development, trauma, and mental health.
If you are hoping to learn how to cope with ADHD, stress, addiction, and trauma, look no further than these five books below. Dr. Gabor Mate has dedicated his life to the research and treatment of these disorders.
He provides a unique and helpful insight into the origins, myths, and treatment of mental health disorders with a lens of compassion.
In any given year, 1 in 5 people will experience some sort of mental illness. Being armed with the knowledge of what you’re dealing with is key to getting better.
1. Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder
A concise and easy-to-read book, Scattered Minds tells the story of ADD and ADHD in terms we can understand and appreciate.
Dr. Mate breaks down the root causes, origins, and myths surrounding attention deficit and why current pharmacological treatments are only a band-aid solution to a much larger problem.
In face, he argues the problem itself isn’t even being looked at the right way. Scattered Minds is a great read for those suffering from attention disorders, have children with ADD, or simply want to be better informed.
2. When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
Stress is an epidemic and can manifest itself into many different illnesses. Dr. Mate explores many potential links between stress and the common diseases we know and fear today.
Backed by research and clinical experience, this book attacks directly the link between stress and disease. Similar to the author’s other written works, you can see a theme of a larger picture at play here and how society views the problem of stress.
I found myself as the patient in many of the examples brought forth of Dr. Mate’s previous patients. Being incapable of saying no, the pent up trauma, the silent spiral into loneliness.
There is something every reader can relate to in this book, and better yet – how to effectively deal with persisting stress.
3. Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers
If you are a parent or work with children, this book is for you.
Dr. Mate teams up with international authority on child development Dr. Gordon Neufeld to tackle the trend of children dissociating from their parents.
In an era of increased digital connectivity, we are seeing a greater disparity in family cohesion than ever before. Looking to their friends for direction, kids are altering their development in negative ways.
This book helps parents revisit the basics of parenting – tuning into an innate nature that exists within us all.
4. In the Real of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
Perhaps the most riveting of them all, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts had me at the edge of my seat.
Despite having no personal experience or trauma with addiction, Dr. Mate takes the reader into an immersive journey into the lives of addicts.
Read about the patients he has treated and vicariously live through their experiences. The author does well to break down the myth that addiction is simply a physical causation of a substance.
There is more than meets the eye, and the book does a fine job of drawing the pattern of addiction, its causes, and helpful solutions.
5. The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
What is normal mental health? Given the uptick in mental illnesses and the number of prescriptions written every year, it’s safe to say we don’t quite know just yet.
In The Myth of Normal, Dr. Mate breaks down the perceptions we have of health, healthcare, and what it means to be “normal”.
In line with his other books, the author connects the effects of hidden stress and modern pressures on our bodies – and how we then define our health.
Failing to address the system and the toxicity of modern cultural stressors are exactly what need to be targeted. A great read for those who are looking to connect the dots between mind, body, and soul.
