What Is The #1 Cause Of Addiction? | Dr. Gabor Maté 

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I started drinking alcohol since my teenage. Spent my whole life fighting alcohol addiction. Also suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

Unresolved grief, dysfunctional environment, childhood abuse, and genetic disposition were the primary factors in my substance abuse. Self medication probably saved me from “checking out” as a child. It began as a survival mechanism in adolescence. And continued because of the lack of life skills that should’ve been taught, and are needed in raising any child. Learned behavior, is practiced behavior. Recovery wasn’t as simple as putting down the drugs and alcohol. It’s learning from scratch a healthy lifestyle, vs complete insanity. And I applaud all those that find their way out of the dysfunction, all the grief, and all the misery.

A lack of love. Love is everything. A child with no love will always become an adult with problems. Love is everything.

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

I remember as a child my mom and grandmother told me they were going to abort me but didn't have the money, she already had 4 kids. At that time I didn't know what an abortion was. It didn't get much better. I was an addict most of my life, finally got clean in my early fifties. 8 years ago.

I just watched a video by Jordan Peterson where he elaborated on the idea of trauma and it's effects on the psyche. A very interesting point that was made was that the emotional trauma itself is NOT the most damaging factor. More harmful is the cruelty and malice often received directly following many traumatic events. If people are cared for properly after something harmful occurs, the recovery can be much quicker and more effective. Unfortunately many experience bad treatment after emotional harm.

I’m a recovering alcoholic, 11 years sober. I think like most things there is nature and nurture involved in addictions. Trauma is huge, and I’ve had some big ones, but I also had a loving and protective immediate family growing up. But alcoholism in particular runs in my DNA. My father’s brother and his dad were alcoholics that died prematurely from it. I’ve lost several relatives, ones I knew personally, in my life to substance abuse. From the beginning, my response to alcohol consumption was VERY different from my peers. High tolerance, no hangovers, and I just wouldn’t pass out no matter how much I drank. So there’s both involved. I will say, my loving family was a huge part of why I was able to get sober when alcohol started ruining my life. That support and those values instilled in me by my parents got me through the extreme discomfort of getting sober. That foundation of love was absolutely necessary in me finding the strength to change.

The pain was my family 40 yrs ago. Now the pain is physical and i can't run away or escape from it. I have to accept it. But pain management (soft addiction) i call it, is real. Just as damaging to the mind. I am primed or tuned for escape. My life story. Thanks for this man. 🙏

This is the best explanation of addiction I've ever heard. If you don't have any love from others and your addiction is the only thing that gives you the feeling of being loved, is it any wonder people are powerless to stop. They are alone, trying to cope with trauma, or painful non loving, interactions with society. Now, at the mercy of addiction, they face negative reactions, from the loveless society partly to blame for your addiction (based on a perceived view that addicts are morally defunct criminals). For me the answer is simple..... Love, love, love...... Always has been

This guy is a genius. I am addicted to the gym but i think of it as a positive habit for me because it saved my life from being an alcoholic, obese and depressed sad piece of life and I am now a personal trainer in the best shape of my life and no depression plus over a year sober. Totally rewired my brain thanks to Gabor Mate by recognizing the root cause of my addiction and turning those same impulses that were detrimental into productive activities.

It's so instinctive when he says it. Peaceful environment around healthy women, Parents attuned to the children, positive emotional health care and physical care in a generational sense sound so beneficial.

It's been a treasure to find Gabor Mate.

I’ve never considered taking opiates until I watched this.

Great video, as always! Dr. Gabor always hits the nail on the head in regards to trauma. This guy should be a household name and his perspective should be more wildly shared. Instead, we have to hear about Taylor Swifts relationship, the Kardashians and who they are fornicating with, and political figures throwing stones about body odor and acting like they are in 4th grade. What a world!

One week into NA listening to Gabor talk about the same thing he's always talked about-- putting recovery into practice. It's good to know about addiction, I'm grateful to know about recovery.

💛Gabor is a hero

This is the best explanation of the origin of all addictions. Wow!❤

Thank you for this talk, it helps me a lot, not to see the addiction, but the trauma in people

Boredom is the 1st step towards relapse. -Jay, Clerks 2

Thank you Dr Gabor ❤

Started vaping after i had covid cause it was one of the few things i still got intense fruit flavors from again had me hooked for 3 years.....i just quit 3 days before halloween last year and ive never looked back

Great Job to you both!! Short clip and riddled with Gems.

Thanks for sharring this information and Knowledge!!! Love to All Beings❣️❣️❣️

Powerful information. Thank you so much for this video ❤

Thank you Gabor Mate. You’re a lifesaver all day long, as you make things that don’t make sense, make sense, so that we can find our way out of these cycles of living hell. ❤

We need to hear this man speak on all world problems 😭😭🙏🙏

Extremely profound Sir

Unresolved childhood trauma

This is what I don't understand, as a long term addict I never had trauma in my life, I met an older woman who I ended up living with and she and her friends introduced me to heroin. I got addicted before I even realized I had a habit on it. I used for 40 + years because in my mind I simply enjoyed it. I love the high. I love how much stuff I'd get done on it, my work rate is astronomical on it, I've never been so productive. I also like how it tempered my more angry side, that short tempered aspect of my personality, not suffering fools well, it gave me an empathy that I'd never experienced before. As for trauma I had the best childhood, I had a doting father that spent time doing all different things with me, fishing, hunting, dirt bikes etc etc, all the great stuff boys love. He did spoil me and definitely no trauma

My biological mother tried to find an abortion and in 1956-57 she could not find help. She did what she could to prevent a live birth. I was born and diagnosed with cerebral palsy and placed I. An incubator and given phenobarbital. I didn’t have cerebral palsy I was responding to the the trauma my mother had gone through and had caused me also. Thank you for the work you do. I’m okay now. But it took a lot of work. But because of you I never lost hope.

I have been 32 years straight and love my life !!!! I deal with my life in a very healthy way !!!! Happy new year beautiful world 🌈🌈 🥰🥰♥️♥️

He just listed all my addictions

Thanks God for Dr Gabor Mate ❤

He had me. He knows what hes talkin.

I love this guy! This guy is a Jewel

My wounds are deep. Not feeling loved, wanted or worthy as a child, continued into my adult years.

I was a major alcoholic and drug addict for 25 years and I personally don’t link it to any type of trauma. I was depressed for sure but never suffered any type of trauma I can link to it.

This is an archaic & antiquated definition

Thank you Dr. and postmaster.

Love this man❤

Love listening to this guy x

Lack of justice is what sparks it. They told you you weren't worth justice so why care about anything... People who receive real justice are much more likely to recover.

You are right on

FInally a Dr. med that knows what he`s talking about. Every single word I can fully agree to, especially the fact that`s so important to care more about pregnant women in difficult life situations in order to protect the child. Never heard anyone else from the field addiction / cause of addiction stating this.

I think that for most humans, all life is trauma. Pain is everywhere you turn. Who is going to so no to relief? Let's not pretend that life is inherently good. Life is a thing that happened here, and there's a good reason it hasn't happened everywhere. The universe is hostile to life. We are an anomaly, and most of us are suffering.

Being worn out from trauma causing dopamine receptors to malfunction

Incredibly interesting, food for thought

All of my closest friends have died from overdoses or drug related incidents. In 14 years I found that dharma practice, and meditation and connecting to the present moment is the best single physical practice I have personally come across, in addition to whatever individual other things people need. You don't have to be buddhist or believe in the teachings, or ways of life, but the practices of dharma are massively beneficial to people struggling in my experience. def - an aspect of truth or reality. "all dharmas are forms of emptiness" seeking that and repairing things inside. unlearning bad things and relearning ways that provide a good way of life. You can find online groups to practice with, and can choose whether or not to rely on that group for emotional support, or to just visit to learn about meditation and how to practice it.

Thank you for your words. You are helping us to be heard and understand.

Thanks for this insight. I've been dealing with addiction my whole life and am self aware enough that I avoid the things I know caused me trauma and the substances that will ruin my life if I habituate their use. I didnt start drinking alcohol until I was 35 and at 37 i'm already struggling with over use. Growing up I dealt with a lot of neglect, starting with how I was put in a weekend religious care with kids from government projects, so when kids I made friends with would get abandoned by their parents, or that parent would show up at my hoiuse at 2am crying for money to pay the taxi, I remember asking why, and I always got shushed. I eventually forced my parents to stop taking me to that place after losing many friends that way, and watching guardians abuse orphan kids that were in the daycare. Going into childhood I had a friend who's dad self deleted, and it happened in a way were he invite me and all out friends over the day after it happened and no one told me until we were about to leave and I saw the whole family breaking down, again no one talked about it and i never saw him again because his mom took him back to italy. Then dealing with a girl I knew for 8 years and dated for three in highschool take my virignity on my 18th birthday and break up with me the day after, along with watching all but one of my friends self delete as they slowly become disconnected from success after highschool. The big issue growing up was my father was never around because he is a workaholic, and when there was conflict he would always run upstairs and leave my mom to deal with everything, which she pretty much would tell me I'm worthless, and going to be the first to die if the world ever ran out of food, which as a result made me one of the best gardeners you'll ever meet. All these trauma haunt me to the point where I haven't made a friend since highschool, just associates in passing, and I gave up successful careers because the addictions I had were more important, and essentially started farming because the act of growing food and challenging myself to build everything from scratch with no support while being a workaholic was enough of a reward to keep me from seeking approval and validation from others as I was self employeed and depended on no body. I notice now that many times in my life when I get romantic with someone, i always push them away even if they were a perfect fit for me. It's one of my worst habits, self sabotage and recoiling back into a state where I can properly deflect all outward potentials, and remain on my consistent grind without interference. I'm not sure how to deal with the damage, outside of keeping a functional addiction like workaholism and moderate marijuana use, but it would be nice to figure out how to mitigate cravings, particularly because as I age I realize if I don't fix them soon to allow for a health relationship to form with a woman, then I'll essentially be stuck with myself just juggling addictions. Also the familiarity with neglect has gotten me into a few narcissistic relationships where I get slow boiled like a frog into accepting constant mild criticism to a degree where I justify giving more attention to receive better validation from the partner, but it really just feeds their narcissistic supply.

What I find frustrating is that, by Maté's terms, the only "fit" parents are those who have either had no problems or who have undergone successful psychotherapy to address their psychological and behavioral issues. This means that 99.99999% of all parents, since the beginning of time, have "traumatized" their children. I am a parent, I had parents of my own and I have met many parents whom I would regard as fine and successful people and NONE come close to the standard of emotional and behavioral perfection that Mate demands. By this standard, all of us are "traumatized" just by breathing and being born of parents.

Boredom, culture, poverty, going with the crowd, trauma.

There's, though, an economy centered on addiction. Processed food, loaded with sugar, making people more and more addicted, is an example

Very good show ❤

Yes, this is perfectly sound reasoning of the factors that may influence addiction but my question is how does someone actually get better from these mental, emotional and physical scars?

We had all the love no pain all we did was laugh and my brother OD3 times he told me he could not stop well he died the 4th time and he had love family and no problem every thing was great and he died. 59 years old

This is an incredible clip. Thank you. 🙏

Yes, yes, and yes… all of it!!!

Wow that hit so deep 😳

Great video! Addiction has become an overwhelming epidemic in our society as accessibility and acceptability have increased drug usage. Today, in the United States alone, more than 25 million people are afflicted with this disease that changes the brain of the user over time. Trauma can lead to substance abuse and it can be caused by physical or sexual abuse, death, illness, injury and many other circumstances, and can harm someone's physical, mental and social well-being. Thank you for the useful video Doug and Dr. Gabor!❤👍

Guilt and Shame keep me addicted. I can not forgive myself. I've been years trying to quit.

Relief … that is what everyone is seeking. Relief from stress… mental and emotional relief… sometimes physical trauma.

Hi Dr. Gabor I have a question. I do understand what trauma is very well. Physical as psychological. To what degree do we accept these traumas of all kind? What I mean is we actually see these traumas as painful and traumatic experiences that cause us pain and suffering instead of opportunities to learn and grow. No pain no gain. How much is self inflicted? Why do we not say morn for a while and afterwards find ways to use and see the opportunity to grow and strengthen our self with these profound experiences?

Addiction is a good trait... thsts why you like food... or why you hyperfocus on your studies. The trick is mastering your addictive behavior by practicing self control.

Okay, thank you for telling me what not to do to cause trauma for my children. Now, what are we supposed *to do*?

An addict is someone who's baseline and the effect of using a substance or behaviour is so in contrast with eachother, the brain grabs unto that feeling like its life depends on it. Happy people do not become addicts, because the contrast between their base line and effect of using substances or behaviour is much smaller. Thats why people can get hooked on a drug the first time they use it. If someone who is extremely unhappy 24/7 uses the best substance out there, the difference between sober and high is so big, the brain cant forget it and wanna repeat that act again and again.

I was addicted to sex, most difficult thing I ever had to get victory over. It was literally killing me.

Wow nobody has explained addition to me this way.

His pantomime of receptor-ligand binding was the best thing about this interview for me as a scientist. Brilliant 👏

Brooo, this video popped up in my feed and saw that it didn't have that many views but it started autoplaying anyway and everything he said were making so much sense for someone like me. Yes, certainly can't put everything functioning different than the rest in our brains up to our parents but this was just 'on point' so much so that I had to download this clip. Not downloading it to remind myself that I'm a victim but more so to get this knowledge in my system so that I may learn and grow from it

The need for acceptance.

I went to an AA meeting once , some dude there just shared a smoke then he found my home broke into my house and started smoking crack in my bathroom while I slept. to hell witht the 12 steps.

His videos are an awakening..so profound..so much wisdom.

Gabor Mate MD PhD ❤

#1 cause of addiction is being alive.

I am a recovering addict who has been sober for 11 years. It always seemed to me that we look for excuses to justify the fact that we simply want to experience pleasure in many forms. What’s wrong with,” I just want to get high or buzzed” Why does trauma even have to enter the equation. When I sat in a bar drinking and playing pool, the last thing in my mind was my feeling rejected by my over bearing dad, etc…

It's a coping

Dr Maté, before I listen and watch your videocast, I believe I have a way to help many people not only get off their addiction, but also out of trouble. What is my method? Mindset. Dr Maté, I believe what is going on out there is that people are hooked into a mindset that has them able to get off the track of the purpose of their life. What is the way to change one's mindset. You may laugh at this, but I believe one most go for his or her greatest challenge in life.

Loneliness and bordem

Your brilliant. Puzzles me though, Some people go through trama, severe. But they have no addictions. They might , be co dependent or use other different coping mechanisms in the brain?

I believe humans are hardwired to be a bit obsessive and that it goes back to our days as hunter gatherers. We needed to be obsessive about finding nourishment and a mate. We wouldn't have survived without that base instinct.

I love Gabor…does he have a black eye??

Honest question; does it have to have negative consequences to be an addiction?? What if you crave something pleasurable and have a hard time giving it up but it’s not creating anything negative in your life??

The drug war propaganda for decades making drugs cause addiction to popular belief has destroyed so much we could’ve done to help society curve addiction to all things

FANTASTIC

I think my alcohol and drug addiction stemmed out of this irrational fear of everything, possibly ingrained at young age by some incidents and negative influencers at that time .

I've watched quite a few Dr. Maté lectures over the years and he's so incredibly intelligent and insightful, with conclusuons based on his many personal encounters with substance users, not just books. However, Im having trouble getting fully on board with trauma being the root on "every" case. I would def say most cases but, even he talks about the chemical imbalance and also the genetic component. Are those somehow consided trauma? Possibly. What would be the link then? I'd argue they are seperate and technically not truma based, although they do go hand in hand a lot of times. I def could be wrong, and he is much smarter than I on the topic, but I ask because my reason for starting substances was boredom and lonliness that stemmed from the isolation of covid, and now that it's become a pattern of behavior, I'm having trouble replacing it with something else more positive. My DOC isn't currently opiates though which I feel is much more trauma based, as I was an opiate user for many years. So, I do agree for the most part, but is it fair to say that trauma isn't the root of EVERY case, just most cases? I do truly respect the hell outta Dr. Maté and this was a great conversation!

There is a line with understanding and attention if it is dangerous or manipulative..... I used to be good to everyone out of duty but if someone is not safe, I am not at fault for protecting myself. Sometimes a person wants to just be right and has the default reaction to be miserable and doesn't see the pile of love and attention others had to give

I have a lot of anxiety in my life. I always had. My personal finances at age of retirement are in shambles due to me always having helped others. So there is a lot of stress there. Yet I have no addictions. I do not and never have smoked , used alcohol , gambled , been addicted to deviant behavior , money , cars , possessions , people or anything else. So yes I have trauma in the form of huge stress and anxiety. But no addictions. So that put paid to this theory.

But its a choise to keep on with the addiction or healing from it

Once again, I am the only person in history to have been addicted because drugs felt really really good.

Excellent!

Usually guilt Is the main trigger.

I have heard Gabor Mate a bunch of times and thought he had something, but also missing something. This description of the parent love missing from people who are addicted to opiates made a lot of sense.however, there are lots of people who felt loved by their parents who become addicted too.

is distress or discomfort necessarily traumatic though? Boredom is a sort of discomfort, is it trauma? Unrest from impatience? I think this maybe identifying initial conditions, but overstating their severity. Especially when the negative consequences of the addiction are delayed substantially, the cause doesn't really need to be traumatic. It can just be a mild lack of positive stimulation.

My 33 yr. Old Son , came to me at age 30, he had a family now and broke down in tears and had to tell me that my ex wife, his Mother sexually abused him since the age of 4 until he was 14 years old. Things he said during his telling of his traumatic experience match with things that I had noticed and spoke to her about. The police did not do a thing. ( she is a Federal Govt. Employe ) it has damaged and ruined his childhood and adult life. He now has 4 children and will not allow his Mother anywhere near his children. She of course said he was delusional. In my opinion we all experience traumatic events, some more than others, but all can be traumatic.

For Me The Anxiety Is NDE Trauma But Also The Response Of Authority, Family, & Nobody Cares Humanity Is So Isolated

Im addicted to lifting weights. Im huge because of my addiction. I can bench press 1200 pounds.

I had massive addiction to sex, pills ….i did this for years but I didn’t understand I was self medicating I thought I just liked it