“Addiction is any behavior that a person finds relief and therefore, craves in the short-term, but suffers negative consequences in the long-term and doesn’t give up despite the negative consequences. Addiction is not a choice that anybody makes. It’s not a moral failure. It’s not an ethical lapse. It’s not a weakness of character. It’s not a failure of will, which is how our society depicts it. Nor, is it an inherited brain disease which is how the medical tendency is to see it; but, it’s actually a response to human suffering. All addicted people have been severely traumatized as children, with physical trauma, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Scientific and research literature shows that rather than being a disease as such, or a human choice, it is an attempt to escape suffering, temporarily”. ~Dr. Gabor Maté
Dr. Maté, renowned addiction expert, calls for a compassionate approach toward addiction, whether in ourselves or in others. Dr. Maté believes that the source of addictions is not to be found in genes but in the early childhood environment. His writings draw on cutting-edge science and real-life stories to show that all addictions originate in trauma and emotional loss.
