“How would society change [...] if we recognized that people do not choose to be mentally ill or addicted?” As a physician working in North America’s most drug-plagued postal code, Dr. Maté believes we all should ponder this question. The bestselling author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts has tangled paths with addicts from every walk of life: people who rely on theft, deceit, and prostitution to feed a relentless and tortuous habit. Each patient has led Dr. Maté to develop a vital understanding: that addicts are as human as the rest of us. In an interview with AllTreatment.com, the renowned physician discusses addiction stigmas, North America’s war on drugs, and his award-winning book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.
AllTreatment: Dr. Maté, thank you for making the time to do this interview. Tell us a bit about yourself and your book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.
Dr. Gabor MatĂ©: I’m a medical doctor and author. After twenty years in family practice and palliative care, for twelve years I worked in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver, notorious as Canada’s poorest postal code and North America’s most concentrated area of drug use. Within a few square blocks’ radius, there are thousands of human beings dependent on injecting, ingesting or inhaling a multiplicity of substances such as heroin and other opiates, crystal meth, cocaine, and alcohol, not to mention cannabis and nicotine. For two of those years I was the physician at a detox facility associated with Insite, North America’s only legalized supervised injection site. In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is my depiction of the people who inhabit that world, an inquiry into what drove them to their life-threatening habits, an examination of the biology and psychology of addictions in general—including my own addictive behaviors—and, finally, a look at the irrationality of the War on Drugs, so-called, and an exploration of saner ways of responding to the human tragedy of addiction, including substance dependence.
Read the full AllTreatment.com interview HERE.
I’ve loved Gabor Mate’s insights and belief’s/opinions since I read his first book. Since that day, I’ve continued reading every book I have found published/written by him. It was his “Scattered Minds” book that sparked my curiosity into my own diagnoses in to ADHD which was supported by both my doctor, my school counselor and my psychiatrist. Since then I’ve went to college and did amazing well (even received 100% in one of my classes). When Dr. Mate was in Guelph speaking I had to go listen to what he was speaking of and informing us of during his talk.
Personally, I believe God put Angels on this earth to give others the understanding and compassion, that at times society lacks…. Angel or not, he has given us insight that is much needed in our sometimes cold and judgmental world….
At Post Hypnotic Press, we’re big fans of Dr. Gabor MatĂ©. So much so that we have published three of his books in audio: “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts,” “When the Body Says No,” and “Hold On to Your Kids” (the last one co-authored with another great thinker coming out of Vancouver, BC – Dr. Gordon Neufeld). It is my sincere hope that making these books available in audio format will help these ideas reach an even larger audience. Check out our site where you can hear samples of these books and others.