"The greatest damage done by neglect, trauma or emotional loss is not the immediate pain they inflict but the long-term distortions they induce in the way a developing child will continue to interpret the world and her situation in it. All too often these ill-conditioned implicit beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies in our lives. We create meanings from our unconscious interpretation of early events, and then we forge our present experiences from the meaning we’ve created. Unwittingly, we write the story of our future from narratives based on the past."
― Dr. Gabor Maté, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
Renowned speaker and bestselling author Dr. Gabor Maté joins me for a powerful conversation on addiction and takes us into the heart of where trauma originates. With years of both scientific research and direct interaction with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction and mental illness in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Dr. Maté offers a unique and authentic perspective on the topics of addiction, mind-body wellness and ADD.
In this interview, Dr. Maté illuminates how our modern society perpetuates trauma by fostering a culture of disconnection and dissociation. From childhood trauma to trauma passed down to us from the generations that went before us, many of us carry unresolved trauma that often materializes in addiction. Addictive behavior goes beyond hard drug and alcohol addictions; our society is wrought with addictions to things like caffeine, less-than-optimal foods and dissociative behaviors, such as watching TV.
So how can we heal and become the most authentic version of ourselves? Dr. Maté sheds light on some of the traditional healing modalities he has found to be successful through years of wide-ranging experiences. With lots of golden nuggets on topics like death awareness, spiritual-bypassing and authenticity strewn throughout, there is something for everyone in this insightful conversation.
**Please note: During this interview, we experienced some Skype glitches, so you'll hear a bit of echoing with Daniel's voice that was not able to be edited out. We apologize in advance for the audio hiccups, but we think the interview is well worth it (;
Episode Breakdown:
- Daniel shares on:
- Regenerative foods
- Harvesting feral apples
- An exciting new Surthrival product
- Eating coyote
- A product discovery that will aid your spring water gathering
- How to pique someone’s interest in ReWilding
- Modern society and perpetuation of trauma
- What does addiction do for you?
- The essence of trauma is disconnection
- Our current massive cultural dissociation
- The most ideal social environment for children — humans crave connection
- The multi-generational trauma of First Nations peoples
- How medicines like coca and tobacco were traditionally used
- The healing power of ayahuasca
- What’s missing from AA and most rehab programs?
- Healing, awareness and the path to authenticity
- Spiritual bypass
- Awareness of death
- Dr. Mate’s prognosis for the future of the human species
- Where to find Dr. Mate’s work
Like what you heard? Head over to iTunes now to subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Want to talk more about this episode, suggest a guest, or offer feedback? Join the conversation on the Daniel Vitalis Facebook page.
ReWild Yourself Podcast is brought to you by Surthrival.com, a premier provider of supplements designed to advance your health and transformation. Aimed to assist and restore the body’s fundamental needs: adaptability, immunity, potency, recovery and regeneration, Surthrival products are formulated to invoke the wild nature hidden within the timid and tamed and promote gains for those who’ve been hittin’ it hard all along. Traditional Herbs for a Modern World and a culture of evolution! This is our Life!
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Episode Resources:
- AliveFoods.se
- ReWild Yourself podcast: ReWilding North America - Dan Flores #93
- Brain Development & Addiction with Gabor Mate
- How do we heal trauma suffered by native communities?
- Our Strange Indifference To Aboriginal Addiction
- An Integrated Scientific Framework for Child Survival and Early Childhood Development
- Darcia Narvaez
- How Modern Societies Violate Human Development
- The profound power of an Amazonian plant – and the respect it demands
- Sasha Shulgin
- Bill Wilson, founder of AA
- Spiritual bypass
- John Welwood
- Terror Management Theory
- ReWild Yourself magazine — Dispatch 8: Death and Rebirth
- Noam Chomsky
- Dr. Gabor Maté ~ Who We Are When We Are Not Addicted: The Possible Human
Meet Dr. Mate
A renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics, from addiction to mind-body wellness. Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them.
As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages.
Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focusses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner.
Dr. Maté has received the Hubert Evans Prize for Literary Non-Fiction; an Honorary Degree (Law) from the University of Northern British Columbia; an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Simon Fraser University; and the 2012 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence. He is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University.