In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
by Gabor Maté · first published 2008
81% recommend19% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Frames addiction as rooted in early trauma and emotional pain rather than weak will, drawing on a physician's work with severely addicted patients
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"...This insightful book explores the scientific and psychological causes of addiction, as well as the impact on the addicts treated at the Downtown Eastside Vancouver clinic where Mate is a physician. He widens the lens to address the larger societal problem--speaking also to the risks of more "high-status" addictions, such as wealth, power, and sex. He boldly challenges the War on Drugs, proposing a more holistic, constructive set of alternatives. A riveting, debate-provoking book about an illness that reaches all levels of society, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts provides a much-needed glimps
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…maintaining the habit lead to a negative spiral where there’s more pain, suffering and hopelessness to face when trying to quit. I highly recommend Johann Hari’s book ”Chasing the Scream”, and Gabor Mate’s ”In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts”. Truly enlightening reads if one wants to better understand addiction
on “The plight of Japan's hikikomori” ↗…infant's is still developing. "Early life stress may have a lasting impact on the developmental programming of the dopamine (DA) system implicated in psychosis." [1] I highly recommend Gabor Maté's book "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" for a deeper discussion of how various types of pre- and postnatal stress impact a person's proclivity towards addictive behavior and ADHD. But even for adults extreme and overwhelming stressful experiences…
on “Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests” ↗…been mistreated." * "Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs" by Johann Hari * "The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit" by Bruce Alexander * "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction" by Gabor Maté, MD * "The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss" by Sandra Marinella * "Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists…
on “Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress” ↗An excellent book on the topic of drug abuse is Gabor Mate's, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. He makes a convincing argument that the majority of drug users are struggling with severe early trauma. Given this study and Mate's book, it may just be that traumatized people are looking for ways to…
on “Study: Teen Cannabis Users Have Poor Long-Term Memory in Adulthood” ↗…lead us to have some sympathy for those who use them for networking with others and temporary escape. If you have not seen it, I recommend reading some of Gabor Mate's work on addiction, for instance "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts".[1] [0] https://youtu.be/DnPmg0R1M04 [1] Interview with him: https://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/3/addiction
on “'Our minds can be hijacked': tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia” ↗…books last year and there were five books that changed my outlook of life in some significant aspect. The list here: https://mailchi.mp/8ff9bef428e2/want-to-know-someone-better-... Of those five books, "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction" by Gabor Mate changed me the most. I actually re-read portions of the book last night.
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗I highly suggest reading In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate(?). Fantastic eye-opening book. Addiction is very often about past trauma, and as few have any control over that, it might as well be considered the “addictive brain” in my opinion. Really…
on “Penn Jillette fasts 23 hours a day to maintain his 100lb weight loss” ↗…understand more about emotional displacement, depression and addiction, I found two books particularly enlightening on the subject. One is "The body keeps the score" by Bessel Van Der kolk. The other is "In the realm of hungry ghosts" by Gabor Mate. Highly recommend both. The first is particularly great imo.
on “Ask HN: I am addicted to Porn. Help me quit” ↗Same here. This article is way out on facts. This guy should better read some science based books like the of Gabor Mate, 'in the realm of hungry ghosts'. Inside this books it is well explained in detail, if drugs create addictions, why humans take drugs, what happens to the brain on drugs, what happens in long term usage and what somehow all users share…
on “I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem” ↗‘ADHD is a coping strategy’ Dr. Mate wrote In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, which I found quite helpful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabor_Mat%C3%A9
on “Gabor Mate Gives His Analysis on ADHD and Anxiety” ↗…then I have no cravings of see alcohol for what it is - a toxic substance that harms me. A book I can recommend is "Sober Curious" by Ruby Warringtom, but I also went deep into Trauma & Addiction here "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" by Gabor Mate (check his talks on Yt) and also read studies e.g. this one https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256931v... and the scientific literature is pretty clear: no amount of alcohol…
on “Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?” ↗In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté might be even more insightful then for you. Healthy and happy people don't take drugs or engage in excessive dopamine-based activities. This is not a trivial insight as it explains why only…
on “The TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting 'attractive' people” ↗…series of personal experiences that led me learning a lot more about mental health,and tangentially, addiction, which encompasses a lot more than just drugs. The book which shaped my thinking the most was In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by the Canadian physician Gabor Maté, who spent years working as the house doctor in housing for addicts. It's a hard book to read, one of the most difficult books I've ever gone through. But if you genuinely…
on “Why shouldn't you give money to homeless people?” ↗…cheap to produce, expensive to buy. The poverty is quite related to the costs, and I think that's where I challenge your take. That said, the most compelling take i have heard in the first half of 'In the realm of hungry ghosts' by Gabor Mate`. He points out that we need to consider the fact that some people may be much more predisposed to opioid addiction, by either default wiring or by life experiences. In this case, is the…
on “New SF public health chief was part of McKinsey opioid-marketing operation” ↗I highly (and regularly) recommend reading Gabor Mate's "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" It's an incredibly enlightening read on addiction that will make you more empathetic for addicts of all types: gambling, substances, shopping, whatever. Definitely worth a read if you find yourself…
on “Bombarding gamblers with offers greatly increases betting and gambling harm” ↗