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In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

The award-winning guide to the causes of addiction – and how to heal it

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In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

By: Gabor Maté
Narrated by: Daniel Maté
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Brought to you by Penguin.

The audiobook edition of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté, read by Daniel Maté.

The award-winning bestseller on the root causes of addiction – and how to heal it – from the author of When the Body Say No, Dr Gabor Maté

What causes addiction? And how can we truly heal from it?

In his profound and compassionate book, leading voice in trauma and addiction recovery, Dr Gabor Maté, explores the psychology of addiction and the path to self-understanding and healing.

As one of the world’s most revered thinkers on the psychology of addiction, his radical findings – based on decades of work with patients challenged by catastrophic drug addiction and mental illness – are reframing how we view?all?human development.

In his groundbreaking work, now updated with a new chapter on the Opioid crisis, Maté takes a holistic and compassionate approach to addiction, whether to alcohol, drugs, sex, money or anything self-destructive. He presents addiction not as a discrete phenomenon confined to a weak-willed few, but as a continuum that runs through (and even underpins) our society; not as a medical ‘condition’, but rather the result of a complex interplay of personal history, emotional development, and brain chemistry.

Distilling cutting-edge research from around the world, Maté avoids glib self-help remedies, instead promoting self-understanding as the first key to healing and wellness.

Blending personal stories and science with positive solutions, and written in spellbinding prose, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts is a compassionate must-read that has transformed how we think about healing, trauma, and addiction.

‘[Maté] is a healer to be cherished’ Naomi Klein, bestselling author of The Shock Doctrine

'One of the most important, wise and compassionate voices in the world on addiction. Everyone should read this profound book' Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections

© Gabor Maté 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

 Addiction & Recovery Brain & Nervous System Personal Development Personal Success Physical Illness & Disease Mental Health Health Inspiring Substance abuse Thought-Provoking Emotions Medicine
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Critic reviews

Gabor Maté’s connections—between the intensely personal and the global, the spiritual and the medical, the psychological and the political—are bold, wise and deeply moral. He is a healer to be cherished and this exciting book arrives at just the right time
Gabor Maté is one of the most important, wise and compassionate voices in the world on addiction. Everyone should read this profound book
I recommend this wonderful book for anyone struggling with the heartache of addiction personally or professionally. Gabor Maté makes the thought-provoking and powerful arguments that human connections heal; and that the poverty of relationships in the modern world contribute to our vulnerability to unhealthy addictions of all manner. His uniquely humane perspective—all too absent from much of the ‘modern’ approach to addictions—should be a part of the training of all therapists, social workers, and physicians
With unparalleled sympathy for the human condition, Gabor Maté depicts the suffocation of the spirit by addictive urges, and holds up a dark mirror to our society. This is a powerful narrative of the realm of human nature where confused and conflicted emotions underlie our pretensions to rational thought
In its sheer force, originality and deep scholarship, this book represents a landmark in the theory, treatment and prevention of addictive disorders. No-one seriously interested in this subject can afford not to be aware of what it says about addiction and how we should respond to it
An insightful, multilayered discussion of the nature of addiction generally, and our society’s epidemic of addictions in particular
All stars
Most relevant
Even though I’m the type of person who sees the person and not their addiction this book was put together in such a poignant way that I’m sure anyone with judgmental views about addicts would have no choice but to find some compassion for drug addicts and even look within themselves at their own addictions.
The first chunk of the book is based around the behaviour and stories of some of his patients and it’s emotional to say the least
Dr Gabor provides evidence for all his findings and the reference to the war veterans and their drug use and outcomes were really interesting.
I loved how down to earth and realistic himself and his team were and of course his patients.
One nurse said she loved working with the people that society considers the scum of the earth because on a daily basis she could come to work and be unapologetically exactly who she was without fear of judgment and she felt totally free unlike when she had worked in hospitals with all of the red tape and conditions to not speak openly and behave in a certain way that society thought you should.
The book indicated many things that are the problems in our society on many levels.
The narrator was really good and at one point I wasn’t sure how I felt about him adapting different voices for people until I recognised how it made the person talked about recognisable in later chapters.
I laughed, I cried, I spent time thinking about my own struggle with addiction on a deeper level and in the end I was left feeling full of belief that the collective consciousness could make the tip and become aware of how uncaring and cruel we have treated our most vulnerable brothers and sisters from our lack of understanding addiction and how it works in the brain, body, everyday life and start to make the much needed changes and make sure these people know they matter and are worthy and deserving of love, kindness & respect and the things that happened to them should never have happened and it’s not their fault.
People bang on about wanting a better world but forget to be the change they want to see in the world and a good place to start is to have some compassion for people less fortunate than ourselves because let’s be honest, all of us have some healing to do so why not help each other along the way
Definitely one of the best books I’ve ever listened to.
Sending love to everyone who took the time to read my rambling lol and most of all Thank you Dr Gabor Maté 🫶

Highly recommend on every level

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This book legitimately changed my life. Helped me look at both of my addict parents with huge compassion and even inspired a life changing conversation with my Dad, who id estranged myself from because of his addiction.

It also helped me to notice my own addictive traits and behavioural addictions and look at myself with the same compassion I was giving to others.

Also gives step-by-step practical advice on how to fight addictive tendencies and behaviours. Takes into account the spiritual nature of all that is human.

AMAZING.

Life changing, just life changing.

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I learned a lot from this book, not just about addiction to substances but to behavioural addictions too. I think most, if not all, people could benefit from this information.

Excellent

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what an amazing book. It delves deep into the lives of the most forlorn drug addicts and what they do and how they ended up there as well as talks about the brain functions and chemistry that causes them to be stuck in their endless hellish cycles. But it also shines a light on addiction in all of us. Pretty much all the current issues within the healthcare and environmental crises are caused by underlying addictive tendencies we have to fill some emptiness with something whether a shot of hard drugs, booze, a tub of ice cream or some tat which we buy. Anything that can help cast the light of awareness on this within ourselves and society is precious indeed and Gabor's book is a gem that casts light on so many shadows. Hard not to feel more compassionate towards all our addicts and convicts when we boil it all down to endless childhood abuses of all sorts. Punishing addicts with a war on drugs just splits up more families and perpetuates the cycle to the next generation who lose their parents and get shunted into care. Perhaps the most shocking part is that we can develop these problems in the womb or in first years of life due to stressed or depressed parents struggling to show us the love we need. Actually makes me wonder if androids are needed to break the cycle.... random thought of the day there. Anyway, read it or listen to it. It is precious. Thank you Gabor...

I think everyone should read it

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Total game changer for anyone with addiction struggles. Absolutely mind blowing!! Four more words ok

Incredible

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