Gabor Maté: Physician/Trauma/Addiction/Childhood Development/Stress (Shooting Azimuths)

[MB 11/16/23 - I have been deeply troubled about the current and ongoing Israel/Palestine war. I do trauma research and can see how this is not going to be solved until there is a new way of thinking & discussing this issue (a benign word for a horrific situation). This morning one of the intellectuals I study posted a statement as an introduction to a later more complex Q and A session on the historical and current conflict. I was stunned by its simplicity for those that are aware of peace activism, and complexity for those trapped in a hate filled cycle (personally and collectively). Gabor Mate is a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, lost much of his family at Auschwitz, and a major figure in trauma research.]

His website

Edwards, John, et al. "The Selling of ADHD: Diagnoses, Prescriptions Soar After 20-Year Marketing Effort by Big Pharma." Democracy Now (December 17, 2013) ["Taken at face value, the latest figures on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest a growing epidemic in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 15 percent of high school children are diagnosed with ADHD. The number of those on stimulant medication is at 3.5 million, up from 600,000 two decades ago. ADHD is now the second most common long-term diagnosis in children, narrowly trailing asthma. But a new report in The New York Times questions whether these staggering figures reflect a medical reality or an over-medicated craze that has earned billions in profits for the pharmaceutical companies involved. Sales for ADHD drugs like Adderall and Concerta topped $9 billion in the United States last year, a more than 500 percent jump from a decade before. The radical spike in diagnoses has coincided with a 20-year marketing effort to promote stimulant prescriptions for children struggling in school, as well as for adults seeking to take control of their lives. The marketing effort has relied on studies and testimonials from a select group of doctors who have received massive speaking fees and funding grants from major pharmaceutical companies. We are joined by four guests: Alan Schwarz, an award-winning reporter who wrote the New York Times piece, “The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder”; Jamison Monroe, a former teenage Adderall addict who now runs Newport Academy, a treatment center for teens suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues; Dr. Gabor Maté, a physician and best-selling author of four books, including “Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It”; and John Edwards, the father of a college student who committed suicide after he was prescribed Adderall and antidepressant medications at the Harvard University Health Services clinic."]

Maté, Gabor. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. North Atlantic Books, 2010. ["In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction, explores addiction as a symptom of distress, from the pain of individual trauma and family history to the spiritual emptiness pervading our entire society. Dr. Maté weaves brain science, case studies, personal testimony, and social critique into a powerful and kaleidoscopic look at one of our culture’s most perplexing epidemics. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts is a best-selling book that won the 2010 Hubert Evans Award for Best BC Non-Fiction Book."]

---. "More Compassion, Less Violence Needed in Addressing Drug Addiction. Democracy Now (June 6, 2011) ["In part two of our interview about a new report declaring the so-called “war on drugs” a failure, Dr. Gabor Maté notes that “where violent suppression of drug activity increases, so does killings and violence related to drug use.” The Canadian physician and author also relates the study’s findings to his own work in a drug addiction treatment clinic in Vancouver. “The causes of the addiction in their life have to be understood and addressed, and they have to be treated with compassion,” says Maté."]

---. "On Israel/Palestine." Science & Nonduality (October 28, 2023) ["Dr. Gabor Maté shares his reflections on Israel/Palestine including recent tragic events on and following October 7th, 2023."]

---. "On “The Myth of Normal,” Healing in a Toxic Culture & How Capitalism Fuels Addiction." Democracy Now (November 24, 2022) ["In an extended interview, acclaimed physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté discusses his new book, “The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.” “The very values of a society are traumatizing for a lot of people,” says Maté, who argues in his book that “psychological trauma, woundedness, underlies much of what we call disease.” He says healing requires a reconnection between the mind and the body, which can be achieved through cultivating a sense of community, meaning, belonging and purpose. Maté also discusses how the healthcare system has harmfully promoted the “mechanization of birth,” how the lack of social services for parents has led to “a massive abandonment of infants,” and how capitalism has fueled addiction and the rise of youth suicide rates"]

---. "The Myth of Normal: Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture." Democracy Now (September 16, 2022) ["In an extended interview, acclaimed physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté discusses his new book, just out, called “The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.” “The very values of a society are traumatizing for a lot of people,” says Maté, who argues in his book that “psychological trauma, woundedness, underlies much of what we call disease.” He says healing requires a reconnection between the mind and the body, which can be achieved through cultivating a sense of community, meaning, belonging and purpose. Maté also discusses how the healthcare system has harmfully promoted the “mechanization of birth,” how the lack of social services for parents has led to “a massive abandonment of infants,” and how capitalism has fueled addiction and the rise of youth suicide rates."]

---. "On the Stress-Disease Connection, Addiction and the Destruction of American Childhood." Democracy Now (December 25, 2012) ["From disease to addiction, parenting to attention deficit disorder, Maté’s work focuses on the centrality of early childhood experiences to the development of the brain, and how those experiences can impact everything from behavioral patterns to physical and mental illness. While the relationship between emotional stress and disease, and mental and physical health more broadly, is often considered controversial within medical orthodoxy, Maté argues too many doctors seem to have forgotten what was once a commonplace assumption, that emotions are deeply implicated in both the development of illness, addictions and disorders, and in their healing."]

---. "Obama Admin Should Heed Global Panel’s Call to End "Failed" U.S.-Led Drug War." Democracy Now (June 6, 2011) ["A high-level international panel has concluded the so-called “war on drugs” has failed and that governments should consider legalizing substances, including marijuana. The Global Commission on Drug Policy is comprised of 19 members, including several former heads of state. The Office of National Drug Control Policy at the White House has refuted the findings of the commission’s report. We speak to Dr. Gabor Maté, a Canadian physician and bestselling author of four books, including In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. “On any level you care to name, the war on drugs is a failure,” Dr. Maté says."]

---. "Roots Run Deep: Gabor Maté." Sounds of Sand #61 (November 16, 2023) [MB: This is one of the most profound intellectual and spiritual statements (on a communal level) I have come across and so important to all aspects of our lives (beyond the specific subject being discussed). It is an introduction to a longer Q & A. In a more general sense, Gabor Maté over time has radically changed the way I think about the world and despite never meeting him has helped me to recover (always a work in progress) from my own trauma: "No statement, no words can speak to the immense human suffering, the devastation and the horrendous humanitarian crisis intensifying in the Middle East. The current tragedy is awakening existential fear, acute grief and deep despair. Unspeakable atrocities have left many in a state of deep shock and in need of support. Gabor Maté, M.D. is a renowned speaker, and bestselling author who is 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."]

Maté, Gabor and Alan Schwarz. "On 'The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder.'" Democracy Now (December 18, 2013) ["In part two of our discussion with physician Gabor Maté and New York Times reporter Alan Schwarz, we discuss how attention deficit disorder manifests in children and adults, and how past abuse of drugs used to treat its symptoms helped lead to the passage of the Controlled Substances Act. Maté notes that medication is not the solution for everyone who shows symptoms, even if they are properly diagnosed."]