Gabor Mate on Anxiety

Rethinking Anxiety: Wisdom from Dr. Gabor Maté

Have you ever considered that your anxiety isn't a disorder, but a messenger?

I've been diving into Dr. Gabor Maté's work on anxiety, and his perspective is truly eye-opening. As a physician and trauma expert, Maté views anxiety not as something "wrong" with us, but as a normal biological response to perceived threats – often rooted in our earliest experiences.

What struck me most was his distinction between fear and anxiety: fear responds to actual danger, while anxiety is a chronic alarm state without immediate threat. Essentially, our body is still responding to past, unresolved stress.

According to Maté, many of us carry anxiety from childhood experiences where our emotional needs weren't adequately met. When we weren't allowed to express emotions freely or felt unsafe, our nervous systems adapted by staying on high alert. That anxious feeling you experience today might actually be your inner child's unprocessed fear.

The good news? Maté offers several pathways to healing:

• Compassionate self-inquiry into the origins of our anxiety

• Somatic practices like breathwork to regulate our nervous systems

• Healthy emotional expression to complete stress cycles

• Building authentic relationships that provide safety

• Setting boundaries to reduce internal conflict

What resonates most is his core message: anxiety isn't something to eliminate but to understand. It's not a pathology but a signal – an invitation to heal parts of ourselves that have been neglected.

Has this perspective on anxiety shifted your thinking? I'd love to hear your experiences with anxiety or any healing practices that have worked for you. Drop a comment below, or message me to continue the conversation.

#MentalHealth #AnxietyAwareness #EmotionalHealing #GaborMaté #PersonalDevelopment