Addiction is a word that some people reserve for drug and alcohol users, but in his new book, Dr. Gabor Maté expands it to include many compulsive behaviours. He discussed his approach to understanding and treating addicts with Mary Hynes in a recent interview aired on CBC Radio’s Tapestry.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction (Knopf Canada), the bestselling author presents his provocative analysis of how and why addictions develop. For more than ten years, Maté has been the staff physician at the Portland Hotel, a residence and safe-injection site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In this book, he describes the lives of the people he has treated, explores research on addiction and the brain, and explains why he supports the decriminalization of all drugs.
Maté holds that many in mainstream society also grapple with addictions, to smoking, work, food, sex, gambling — the list goes on. Maté looks at his own history of compulsive behaviour, although it’s not in the same ballpark as conventionally defined addicts. He also proposes a compassionate approach to helping addicts, as they figure out how to address the void they’re trying to fill up.
Maté is a Hungarian-born Canadian physician who specializes in the study and treatment of addiction. He has written four books, including Scattered Minds (Vintage Canada) and When the Body Says No (Vintage Canada), and they have been translated into nine other languages. He is also a regular columnist for The Vancouver Sun and The Globe and Mail.
Insite, Vancouver's safe-injection site, has just had a reprieve from a threatened closure. Earlier this week, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that the facility should be allowed to continue operating until 2009, even without a federal exemption from current drug laws.
Listen to Mary Hynes’ conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté here:
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Comments
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TomasKell
Posted by: TomasKell | May 30, 2008 01:52 PM
I have not heard of Dr. Mate untill now. Having never read any of his books, my opinion is not informed. The short introduction to this book states a couple of highlights. I have always believed addictions can manifest in many ways. Some are acutely destructive and others are mild.
I take umbrange to his belief that all drugs should be decriminalized. Point in fact most drugs are legal for medical purposes and even illegal drugs are used legally for research.
Drugs whether legally sanctioned or not sanctioned by the state can and do have serious effects on people. Anyone addicted to drugs will have 2 choices. Learn to recover and rebuild, or face the inevitable negative outcome.
For a Dr. with a history of studying addiction how can he say "all drugs should be decriminalized" This will not stop crime. It certainly will not help the addict. If I'm a severely addicted person, and don't stop. We all know from experience that I will eventually be unable to participate in any accepted means to buy that drug.
Even though the drug is legal to buy. I will most likely turn to stealing. The point here it's not whether the drug is legal or not, that is the problem. The problem is akin to a starving person stealing to feed himself. Food is good and everyone should have it. But when I steal food, I have committed a criminal act.
Stealing is criminal.
Unless we want to move towards a society where common sense is lost.
One big rant.
Posted by: Nick Pirozzoli | May 30, 2008 02:32 PM
Can you please how I can get the episode by Fanny kiefer interviewing Dr, gabor Mate in feb. 2008
Posted by: Danny | January 22, 2009 08:04 PM
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Posted by: Paul | June 28, 2009 04:54 AM
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