“When the body says no” by Gabor Maté

The author 🖋

Dr. Gabor Maté is a Hungarian-born Canadian bestselling author and physician who’s widely respected for his work in the fields of addiction, childhood trauma, ADHD and other stress related illnesses.

He’s also a Holocaust survivor which has highly impacted his career interests.

Key takeaways 🎓

1. The mind-body connection

There’s a powerful connection between emotional well-being and physical health.

If we feel bad emotionally for a long time, our body may start to suffer too.

Maté argues that emotional stress can weaken the immune system, disrupt bodily functions and ultimately contribute to the development of physical illnesses like cancer, autoimmune diseases or chronic fatigue.

2. The cost of hiding emotions

Suppressing negative emotions, especially ones like anger or sadness, can lead to severe health consequences.

We may suppress them to maintain relationships or avoid conflict, but keeping these feelings inside causes stress.

The author suggests that many people experience chronic stress subconsciously, often not even recognizing it as stress, but over time this stress is exactly what makes our bodies sick therefore it’s always best to just let our feelings out.

3. The seven A's of feeling better

Maté presents his personal framework for managing stress better which he believes should mitigate the risk of physical illnesses.

1. Acceptance (accepting yourself)
2. Awareness (noticing your feelings)
3. Anger (a healthy expression of anger)
4. Autonomy (make your own choices)
5. Attachment (connect with others)
6. Assertion (speak up for yourself)
7. Affirmation (believe in yourself)

Closing thoughts 🧠

The book challenges the traditional Western approach to medicine that separates the mind and the body.

Instead, through personal stories and scientific insights, Maté advocates for a biopsychosocial model which considers biological, psychological, social and environmental factors for preventing disease.