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 historyEmotional developmentBrain chemistrySocial conditionsStructural factorsThe unhealed traumas we may not even realize we carryHe 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.
