When the Body Says No
by Gabor Maté · first published 2003
69% recommend31% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Explores how chronic stress, suppressed emotions and the mind-body connection relate to illness, with a scientific framing; suits people curious about stress and health, and those trying to change habits.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In this accessible and groundbreaking book--filled with the moving stories of real people--medical doctor and bestselling author Gabor Maté shows that emotion and psychological stress play a powerful role in the onset of chronic illness, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis and many others, even Alzheimer's disease. When the Body Says No is an impressive contribution to research on the physiological connection between life's stresses and emotions and the body systems governing nerves, immune apparatus and hormones. With great compassion and erudition, Gabor Maté demy
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I had a frustrating year with books, I read about 20% of the titles I wanted to, and only a few stood out: * James Clear - 'Atomic Habits' * Gabor Mate MD - 'When The Body Says No' Both helped me kick some bad habits and start to undo years of self-inflicted mental/physical abuse. How did you get on this year?
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2020?” ↗I'm a little surprised that no one has brought up Gabor Mate's work -- specifically When The Body Says No (http://drgabormate.com/writings/books/when-the-body-says-no/) -- it's a good walk through what is and isn't possible with the weird little pharmacopeia you've got stashed in your head.
on “How chronic pain has made me happier” ↗For a scientific/brutal reality check I would also recommend reading "When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress" by Gabor Maté.
on “Books on Burnout” ↗…right now, as I watch the minutes countdown to the hour when I will begin again. I found the works of Dr Gabor Mate to be quite helpful (talks available on YouTube and I found a lot of value in his book When the Body Says No, especially the second half which I think you could just pick up and read). He primarily focuses on drug addiction but in doing so dives deeply into dealing with trauma. Another source that has been helpful…
on “Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?” ↗…fixing those issues. Most of these issues aren't just an easy fix, especially now, but its helping me. I'm helping me, I'm listening to my body. Also related to the topic of stress and its consequences is When The Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Mate [1]. He did a few talks on the subject, you can find them on Youtube [2]. 1. https://drgabormate.com/book/when-the-body-says-no/ 2. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=when+the+body+s...
on “How hard should I push myself?” ↗And one more on this theme, When the Body Says No, by Gabor Maté. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/450534.When_the_Body_Say... The author suggests (amongst other things) that anger suppression can lead to cancer cells not being dealt with by the…
on “Book Review: Unlearn Your Pain (2016)” ↗…Your Inner Conversations" by John K Pollard and Linda Nusbaum. "How to be an Adult in Relationships" by David Richo "The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture" by Gabor Mate "When the Body Says No" by Gabor Mate I practice Mindful Qi Gong (healing movement + meditation) once a week as a part of a 2-hour class, as well as independently on an irregular schedule. It has helped significantly to deal…
on “Early-life stress can disrupt maturation of brain’s reward circuits” ↗…Gordon's book is an easy read, it has a lot more up to date examples and a nice lighthearted style. If you are interested on books that show the mind body connection with more serious diseases, I recommend "when the body says no" by Gabor Mate.
on “I healed RSI using only my mind” ↗…need to pay somebody $150 for this advice. Go pick up any well known book on stress, trauma, etc and it'll start to make sense. Here's some to start: - The Stress of Life - The Body Keeps the Score - When The Body Says No / The Myth of Normal - The Drama of the Gifted Child - The Courage to Be - Awakening the Soul You can also read ancient mythology, philosophy, or religious texts which will repeat familiar stories…
on “How to Reduce Stress and Overcome Anxiety as a Software Developer” ↗Both "Scattered Minds" and "When the Body Says No" are great. I've found the content on Youtube from his talks very insightful as well. Particularly this series of videos in Scotland starting with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tef5_HK5Zlc.
on “The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior” ↗…the other HN thread, which leads me to... Third, I hope that the personal cost of such a taxing series of events will lead those people affected towards books like this: https://drgabormate.com/book/when-the-body-says-no/ https://wisdomexperience.org/product/how-be-sick-second-edit... Life is too short.
on “Stepping down as project leader of GrapheneOS” ↗Perhaps worth noting burnout is a different animal for Autistic people[0] and can come upon undiagnosed Autistics from the [unconscious] need to mask. The subject also reminds me of Gabor Mate's "When The Body Says No"[1] about his theory that some physical illness stems from chronic stress [like one would have 'pushing through' burnout]. [0]https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autistic-burnout-explained... [1]https://drgabormate.com/preview/when-the-body-says-no-chapte...
on “For those who can afford it, quitting has become the ultimate form of self-care” ↗Interesting interlude. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia and the recommendation to see a psychologist reminded me of Gabor Maté‘s book „When the body says no“: https://drgabormate.com/preview/when-the-body-says-no-chapte...
on “What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?” ↗…- Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink - The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt - The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff - When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté - Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke - The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer - Standing Strong by John MacArthur - The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - We Who Wrestle with…
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗…to a young man by Andre Maurois November, 13th 2015 38- Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman November, 16th 2015 39- What do you care what people think by Richard Feynman November, 18th 2015 40- When the body says No by Gabor Maté November, 29th 2015 41- The truth will set you free by Alice Miller. December, 5th 2015 42- The shallows by Nicholar Carr. December, 7th 2015 43- What matters most byJames Hollis. December,…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗