Self-Help, Psychology & Counseling, Drug Dependency, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Sciences, Social Work, Medicine, Social Security, Specialty Boutique, Pathologies 

Gabor Maté analyzes the causes of drug addiction from the front lines as a physician for Vancouver’s desperately poor and drug-addicted populations. Maté understands drug addiction as an “emotional anesthetic,” a temporary escape from childhood trauma and an unbearable life, and he sees the War on Drugs as harmful and deeply misguided. This book contains personal narratives of some of Maté’s patients, neurological and psychological explanations of the addictive process, discussion of the important role of emotional attachment in healthy brain development, and humane policy suggestions for reducing the harm of drug addiction. The author believes that all addictions, whether to drugs, sex, or even exercise, involve the same neurological processes, and he seeks to apply his knowledge about addiction to his own addiction to purchasing classical music CDs.