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The Myth Of “Normal” – A CRAZYWISE Film Interview With Gabor Maté

By Gabor Maté, MD

Crazy…or wise? The traditional wisdom of indigenous people often contradicts Western views about a mental health crisis. The documentary CRAZYWISE explores what we can learn from people around the world who have turned their psychological crisis into a positive, transformative experience. Physician Dr. Gabor Mate began his interview by addressing the ‘myth of normal’ that divides us into the normal and the abnormal with pathological traits. Dr. Mate mentions that he doesn’t see a division, but a continuum where mental distress, of some degree, is present in all of us. He explains how mental distress and pathology are largely a result of a materialist culture that “idealizes individualism and ignores our emotional needs”.  Take a peak at the CrazyWise trailer below.  The film is set to release in winter of 2016.

CRAZYWISE – Extended Trailer from Phil Borges on Vimeo.

Gabor Maté, MD

A renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress and childhood development.

Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them.

For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site. With over 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience and extensive knowledge of the latest findings of leading-edge research, Dr. Maté is a sought-after speaker and teacher, regularly addressing health professionals, educators, and lay audiences throughout North America.

As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress; and Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, and co-authored Hold on to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages.

Dr. Maté has received the Hubert Evans Prize for Literary Non-Fiction; an Honorary Degree (Law) from the University of Northern British Columbia; an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Simon Fraser University; and the 2012 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence. He is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University.

Visit Dr. Maté's website.

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