"In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts": Dr. Gabor Maté

[katty]

more: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/3/addiction

"In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts": Dr. Gabor Maté, Physician at Vancouver Safe-Injection Site, on the Biological and Socio-Economic Roots of Addiction and ADDShare2197
Dr. Gabor Maté is the staff physician at the Portland Hotel Society, which runs a residence/harm reduction facility and North America’s only supervised safe-injection site in Vancouver, Canada, home to one of the world’s densest areas of drug users. The bestselling author of four books, we speak to Dr. Maté about his latest, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, which proposes new approaches to treating addiction through an understanding of its biological and socio-economic roots. Maté also discusses his work on attention deficit disorder and the mind-body connection.

[ellenrr]

1. I love this guy!

I don't agree completely with his use of drugs, but that's not the main thrust of his philosophy.

When he talks about how our early experiences influence us, that they actually impact our nervous systems, and can physically change our brain -
this has influenced my thinking.
What a kind compassionate man he is.
I've heard him speak so many times; Amy Goodman really likes him, and has him on often.

Plus what a great title!
Have you read any of his books? I haven't.

[katty]

2. me too, he is amazing in b/ground, knowledge, his evident

compassion. I studied behavorial and humanistic psychology for many years and his philosophy and application/therapies on addiction/ADD are insightful and apply real common sense not only intellectual/medical pov's - or this(societal pressure)'need to punish' the addicted. I am currently reading this book-he has such an interesting and deep awareness on multi-influences (from birth) that may contribute to addiction.