Gabor Maté is a Doctor Medicine with expertise in addiction, the effects of stress on the body and mind, and ADHD. He is also a renowned speaker and bestselling author.
His book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, explores his over 20 years of experience working with the most severely addicted and mentally ill, predominantly homeless, people in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. Along with his experience of the people he has worked with, he provides scientific and social science evidence to support his, and others’, theories that addiction is a mostly a developmental and social issue.
Maté proports the idea that addiction is a bio-psycho-social phenomenon. He believes that addiction has its roots mostly in trauma and alienation, and that biology, psychology, and society all play their part in the development of addiction and interact with each other in inseparable ways.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts is a fascinating read and was a real eye-opener for me. Learning how development and trauma effect your biology in very solid ways is supported with scientific research. There is also an element of the storytelling of experiences his clients have had over the years.
I would say it is on of the most comprehensive books on addiction theory and really captures how many different factors play a role in what a human life will become.
Below is a video of Maté talking about his book.
Just another aging, traumatised millennial. Exploring trauma, mental health, addiction and "recovery" through the voice of lived experience.
Bad Glue for Broken Bones 