A groundbreaking look at addiction and recovery from the bestselling author of The Myth of Normal--the modern self-help classic that reframes everything you were taught about trauma and substance abuse Addictions always originate in pain, whether felt openly or hidden in the unconscious. In
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, world-renowned physician and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté offers a frame-changing approach to understanding substance abuse and recovery--and challenges us to rethink everything we thought we knew about how addiction happens, who's labeled an "addict," and why our social systems and government structures fail to support real healing and wholeness.
This #1 international bestseller advocates for humane approaches to treatment and recovery and explores substance use disorder as an outcome of unhealed developmental trauma. Through case studies, cutting-edge neuropsychiatric research, and clear-eyed analysis, Maté reveals the root causes of addiction:
- Personal history
- Emotional development
- Brain chemistry
- Social conditions
- Structural factors
- The unhealed traumas we may not even realize we carry
He convincingly makes the case for solutions grounded in real, whole-person, whole-culture healing--not the punishment, stigma, isolation, and criminalization that actually lead to worse outcomes.
Since its original publication in 2010, this book has been essential reading for anyone seeking to understand addiction. It reframes substance use disorder as a response to suffering--not a "choice" or a moral failure. For readers struggling with substance abuse, for those looking to better understand their loved ones, and for anyone who wants to make sense of the twin epidemics of trauma and addiction,
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts offers a radical, authoritative path toward understanding, hope, and societal repair--and lights the way for true recovery.
Gabor Maté, MD, is a physician, author, seminar leader, and acclaimed public speaker. His bestselling books include
Scattered, When the Body Says No, and
Hold onto Your Kids. In 2022, he also co-authored
The Myth of Normal, the instant
New York Times bestseller, with his son, Daniel Maté. A former medical columnist for
The Vancouver Sun and
The Globe and Mail, Dr
. Gabor Maté
lives in Vancouver, BC.
Peter A. Levine, PhD, holds doctorates in both medical biophysics and psychology. He developed Somatic Experiencing, a body-awareness approach to trauma treatment, and his bestselling book
Waking the Tiger has been translated into 22 languages. His other works include
In an Unspoken Voice,
Healing Trauma,
Trauma and Memory, and
Trauma Through a Child's Eyes. He lives in Encinitas, CA.
