The True Causes of Addiction – Dr. Gabor Maté – HPP 40

Dr. Gabor Maté


Our guest, Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned speaker and bestselling author, sheds light on the true nature of addiction, and why so many of us fall victim to this harsh reality.  

Society has created an ideal around feeling “normal” and finding “mental sanity,” when we do not even have a clear definition of what“mental sanity” is. So many people struggle with emotional pain on a day-to-day basis. When that pain becomes overwhelming, especially from early childhood trauma and attachment injuries, it’s human nature to try and escape that pain until it gets resolved.

Gabor describes his clinical experience of helping those struggling with addiction, and how he concluded that addiction is always a strategy to escape from emotional pain, trauma, and attachments injuries during childhood. He speaks authentically  and shares about his experience of addiction, while giving hope with the basic aspects that help people heal.


Show Notes:

What led Dr. Gabor Maté into working with substance abusers [10:15]

You may have an addiction you don’t know about [11:15]

The dissociative nature of certain addictions [15:30]

Why people fall back on their addiction [21:30]

How workaholism made Gabor feel wanted [30:30]

How to truly help clients with addictions [35:00]

Accessing emotions in the present as a tool for healing [39:30]

Dr. Gabor Maté

A renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics, from addiction to mind-body wellness. 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. As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages. Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focuses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner. 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.