What is Addiction? [Gabor Maté]

Summary

The script delves into the root of addiction, highlighting that substances like opiates and cocaine are often sought as painkillers for both physical and emotional suffering. It emphasizes the importance of addressing the underlying pain, often stemming from emotional loss or trauma, rather than the addiction itself. The speaker argues that society's focus on instant relief and distraction exacerbates the issue, advocating for compassion and support to help individuals confront and understand their pain without resorting to harmful escapes.

Takeaways

• 💊 Substances of abuse are used as painkillers, targeting both physical and emotional pain experienced in the same part of the brain.
• 🔍 Addiction often begins with pain and can be an attempt to soothe emotional distress or trauma.
• 🤔 The root cause of addiction is not just the substance itself, but the underlying pain that the individual is trying to escape.
• 🚫 Emotional rejection can trigger the same brain response as physical pain, highlighting the deep connection between emotional and physical suffering.
• 🎸 Famous individuals like Keith Richards have acknowledged that addiction is a form of escape from the self due to distress or pain.
• 🙅‍♂️ Dismissing addiction as merely a result of genetics or choice overlooks the fundamental role of pain in the development of addictive behaviors.
• 📚 The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying emphasizes the importance of not escaping from pain, as attempts to do so can lead to more suffering.
• 💔 Compassion is essential for individuals to feel safe enough to confront and experience their pain without avoidance.
• 🤝 Support and understanding are crucial for individuals to process their pain and avoid the temptation to seek relief through addiction.
• 🏗️ Society's focus on instant relief and quick satisfaction can make it difficult for individuals to learn how to be with their pain in a healthy way.
• 🌟 The key to overcoming addiction may lie in developing a compassionate presence that allows individuals to face their pain and understand its root causes.

Q & A

What is the commonality between all substances of abuse according to the transcript?

The transcript suggests that all substances of abuse, whether opiates, cocaine, or others, serve as painkillers, alleviating both physical and emotional pain.

Which part of the brain is associated with experiencing pain from emotional rejection?

The same part of the brain that lights up during physical pain also activates during emotional rejection, such as experiencing a knife wound to the neck.

Why do addictions begin and end with pain according to the speaker?

Addictions begin with pain because they are attempts to soothe emotional or physical suffering, and they end with pain because the cycle of addiction itself causes distress.

What is the first question the speaker asks when working with addictions?

The speaker always asks 'why the pain' instead of 'why the addiction', focusing on understanding the underlying emotional loss or trauma.

What is the common background of severe addicts in the Downtown Eastside according to the transcript?

The speaker notes that every severe addict in the Downtown Eastside has been traumatized, indicating a strong link between trauma and severe addiction.

What does Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones attribute his heroin addiction to?

Keith Richards suggests that his addiction was an attempt to escape from himself and the distress or pain he was experiencing.

What does the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying advise regarding dealing with pain?

The book advises not to escape from pain but to be with it, as the attempt to escape from pain is what creates more pain.

What is the role of compassion in helping people deal with their pain according to the transcript?

Compassion is essential as it allows people to experience their pain without running away from it, fostering self-love and the ability to see the truth of their suffering.

What does the speaker suggest is the surest way to go to 'hell' metaphorically speaking?

The speaker suggests that the surest way to metaphorically go to 'hell' is to try to run away from it, emphasizing the importance of facing pain with support.

How does the speaker describe our society's approach to dealing with pain?

The speaker describes our society as one that is based on instant relief, quick satisfaction, and distraction, which does not support people in being with themselves and their pain.

What does the speaker believe is necessary for individuals to truly understand their pain?

The speaker believes that individuals need a compassionate presence and support to experience their pain without running away from it, which is essential for understanding and dealing with it.

Outlines

00:00

🩹 The Role of Pain in Addiction

This paragraph discusses how all substances of abuse, regardless of type, function as painkillers. They alleviate not just physical pain but also emotional pain, which is processed in the same part of the brain. It is emphasized that addictions are rooted in pain and are efforts to soothe this pain. The author highlights the importance of asking 'why the pain' rather than 'why the addiction,' noting that severe addicts often have histories of emotional loss or trauma. The paragraph ends by mentioning that attempting to escape pain usually results in more pain.

🤝 The Need for Compassion in Addiction Recovery

This paragraph highlights the importance of compassion in helping individuals deal with their pain, which is essential for overcoming addiction. It quotes another teacher, emphasizing that only when compassion is present can people begin to love themselves and confront their pain without running from it. The author argues that our society promotes instant relief and distraction, making it challenging for individuals to deal with their addictions. The solution lies in finding a way to be with one's pain and understanding its origins.

Keywords

💡Substances of abuse

Substances of abuse refer to drugs or chemicals that are used excessively and compulsively despite harmful effects on health or society. In the script, it is mentioned that these substances, whether opiates, cocaine, or others, are used to alleviate both physical and emotional pain, highlighting their role in attempting to soothe the suffering experienced in the same part of the brain.

💡Painkillers

Painkillers are medications used to relieve pain. The script specifies that some substances of abuse are specifically painkillers, indicating that they are used to address both the physical and emotional discomfort that individuals may be experiencing.

💡Emotional pain

Emotional pain refers to the psychological suffering that can result from emotional rejection or trauma. The script explains that the same part of the brain that lights up in response to physical pain also does so in response to emotional pain, suggesting a deep connection between the two types of suffering.

💡Addiction

Addiction is a chronic condition characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences. The script discusses addiction as an attempt to soothe pain, starting with emotional or physical distress and ending with the individual seeking relief through substance abuse.

💡Trauma

Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can have lasting emotional effects. The script mentions that severe addicts have all experienced trauma, indicating that traumatic events can be a precursor to the development of addiction as a coping mechanism.

💡Compassion

Compassion is the feeling of empathy and concern for the suffering of others. The script suggests that a compassionate presence can help individuals experience their pain without the need to escape it, which is crucial for healing and overcoming addiction.

💡Distress

Distress refers to a state of extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain. In the context of the script, distress is what individuals are trying to escape from through various addictions, such as sex, internet, relationship, shopping, or work addiction.

💡Self-acceptance

Self-acceptance is the act of embracing oneself, including one's flaws and imperfections. The script implies that self-acceptance is crucial for individuals to face their pain and not run away from it, which is a key aspect of overcoming addiction.

💡Instant relief

Instant relief refers to the immediate alleviation of pain or discomfort. The script criticizes a society that is focused on providing quick fixes and distractions, rather than supporting individuals in dealing with their pain in a healthy and sustainable way.

💡Support

Support in this context means the assistance or encouragement given to someone to help them cope with their difficulties. The script emphasizes the importance of having support when dealing with pain, as it enables individuals to stay with their pain rather than escaping through addiction.

💡Cultural norms

Cultural norms are the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors within a society. The script points out that our culture, both economically and psychologically, often does not support individuals in being with themselves and their pain, instead promoting quick getaways and distractions.

Highlights

Substances of abuse act as painkillers for both physical and emotional pain, affecting the same part of the brain.

Addictions often begin and end with pain, serving as an attempt to soothe it.

Emotional rejection can trigger the same brain response as physical pain.

The root cause of addiction is frequently emotional loss or trauma.

Addicts from the Downtown Eastside have all experienced some form of trauma.

Various addictions, such as sex, internet, relationship, or shopping, are all escapes from distress.

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones attributed his heroin addiction to escaping distress.

The desire to escape from oneself is often due to being in too much distress or pain.

Genetics and choices are not the primary reasons for addiction; pain is the central issue.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying advises not to escape from pain, as it creates more pain.

Compassion is essential for individuals to experience their pain without running away from it.

Self-love and self-truth can be achieved through the presence of compassion.

Society's focus on instant relief and quick satisfaction distracts from dealing with pain.

A compassionate presence is needed to support individuals in experiencing their pain.

Attempting to escape from pain is likened to going to hell, emphasizing the importance of facing it.

Support is necessary for individuals to be with their pain and understand its nature.

Our culture and economy are based on not supporting people to be with themselves and their pain.

Finding a way to be with one's pain is crucial for understanding and overcoming it.

Transcripts

all the substances of abuse whether

they're opiates or cocaine or anything

else they're actually painkillers

some of them specifically are

painkillers but physical pain emotional

pain the suffering is experienced in the

same part of the brain so when people

suffer emotional rejection the same part

of the brain will light up as if you

stuck them with a knife

the neck are told this is very nicely

that addictions begin with pain and end

with pain so that all the addictions are

attempts to soothe the pain so when I

work with addictions the first question

is always not why the addiction but why

the pain and what you find is emotional

loss or trauma in the case of the severe

addicts as in the Downtown Eastside er

they were every single one of them

traumatized

there's no women's walk in the streets

here but not be sexually abused not

impacted but but but you know whether

it's a sex addiction or internet or

relationship or shopping or work

addiction these are all attempts to get

away from distress Keith Richards the

rolling stone guitars said who used to

have a severe heroin habit as you know

he said that all the contortions we go

through just not to be ourselves for a

few hours or why would somebody not want

to be themselves because they're in too

much distress in too much pain so I

don't care what they tell you about

genetics or any other choices and that

nonsense it's always about pain well the

tibetan book of living and dying it's

got a wonderful line in it whatever you

do don't try and escape from your pain

or be with it was the Reyes the attempt

to escape from pain is what creates more

pain that's the reality of an addiction

but the question is how can people who

would their pain

well only if they sense some compassion

on somebody so as another teacher says

only when compassion is present well

people love themselves see the truth so

I think that people need a compassionate

present which will permit them to

experience their pain without having to

run away from it and all the attempts to

run away it's like another teacher says

the surest way to go to hell is to try

run away from hell

so you've got to be with that pain you

just have to be with it but you have to

have some support and and we live in a

society that one way or the other is

always about instant relief quick

satisfaction distraction in other words

we live in a culture that is based on

both economically and psychologically on

not supporting people to be with

themselves so it's always the quick

getaway so it's very difficult to deal

with the diction's in a society but yeah

it is a matter of at some point finding

a way of being with your pain so that

you can actually get to know what it's

vide all about

you

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