Dr. Gabor Maté

The things that are considered normal in society are not at all normal from the point of view of human life and human needs.

The addictions that people develop are actually normal responses to an abnormal situation.

Dr. Mate is a world-renowned physician, best-selling author, whose work dives deep into childhood development and the impact of trauma.

Dr. Gabor Mate.

If you were the average neurologist with symptoms of MS, nobody's gonna ask you about your trauma.

There's a huge gap between the scientific evidence and how we practice medicine.

Well, can I interrupt right there?

Yes, please.

No such thing as a healthy addiction.

No such thing.

If it's healthy, it's not an addiction.

If it's an addiction, it's not healthy.

There are passions, there are habits that are healthy, but they're not addictions.

Like working out.

Yeah, well, that can be an addiction, or it can be healthy.

Like eating can be healthy, but it can be an addiction.

I define addiction as any behavior in which a person finds temporary pleasure or relief and therefore craves, but then suffers negative consequences and cannot give it up.

So if you're suffering negative consequences, so it's craving, relief, pleasure in the short term,

harm in the long term, inability to give it up.

That's what an addiction is.