What is Addiction? (Gabor Mate, M.D.)

In this short YouTube video, Dr. Gabor Maté talks about the root causes of addiction and how to deal with them.

1. addictive tendencies arise in the parts of our brains governing some of our most basic and life-sustaining needs and functions: incentive and motivation, physical and emotional pain relief, the regulation of stress, and the capacity to feel and receive love;
2. these brain circuits develop, or don’t develop, largely under the influence of the nurturing environment in early life, and that therefore addiction represents a failure of these crucial systems to mature in the way nature intended; and
3. the human brain continues to develop new circuitry throughout the lifespan, including well into adulthood, giving new hope for people mired in addictive patterns. Dr. Maté then examines the current mainstream.

A good source to read: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts - Gabor Mate, M.D.