Is addiction a choice? | Big Questions with Gabor Maté

not, that, I'm, claiming, to, be a, fully, cooked, meal, but, I'm, certainly much, more, ripe, than, I, used, to, be, a, lot of, us, are, normal, and, unhealthy, at, the same, time

can, people, change, who, they, are they, need, to, become, who, they, are hello, my, name, is, Gabor, mate and, I'm, here, at, penguin, in, England, to

answer, some, big, questions [Music] so, the, Assumption, in, legal, circles, and

throughout, the, whole What's, rightly, called, the, criminal justice, system, because, it, is, a, criminal system the, criminal, justice, system

in, his, criminality, makes, the, utterly unscientific, unfounded, and, false assumption, that, people, choose, to, be addicted, now, first, of, all, I, worked, with

severely, drug, addicted, people, in vancouverton, East, Side, the, Western, was the, most, notorious, area, of, drug, use, by the, way, it, was, in, Vancouver's, downtown east, side, in, my, 12, years, of, work, there, I

met, not, a, single, female, patient, who, had not, been, sexually, abused, as, a, child the, who, the, heck, chooses, to, be, sexually abused, as, a, child all, the, men, had, been, severely traumatized, in, multiple, ways, who, the

heck, chooses, to, be, traumatized, in childhood, the, addiction, then, is, an attempt, to, soothe, the, pain that's, imposed, by, childhood, trauma nobody, wakes, up, in, the, morning, says, my ambition, is, to, become, a, drug, addict, and

break, the, law I, mean, think, about, it it's, a, response, to, pain not, only, that, those, traumatic experiences, shape, the, brain, itself

the, physiology, of, essential, brain circuits, in, a, way, that, will, bias, that brain, towards, addictive, behaviors including, with, substances, I, won't, go into, the, neurophysiology, of, it, now, but

it's, simply, brain, science, that's, not even, vaguely, controversial, but, of, course even, Physicians, don't, learn, about, it, let alone, judges, lawyers, or, prosecutors another, point, is, that, if, we, actually

understand, what, an, addiction, is we, realize, that, it, drugs, are, only, a small, part, of, the, addictive, Spectrum, I Define, addiction, as, manifested, in, any behavior, that, a, person

finds, temporary, pleasure, or, relief, in and, therefore, craves, but, suffers negative, consequences, in, the, long, term as, a, result, of, but, does, not, give, up despite, negative, consequences, so, craving pleasure, relief, in, a, short, term

harm inability, to, give, it, up, that's, what, an addiction, is, now, we, notice, in, that definition, I, said, nothing, about, drugs

yes, they, could, involve, substances, some illegal, like, heroin, some, even, more, toxic than, heroin, but, legal, like, alcohol, the

definition, also, includes, people, are addicted, to, gambling, to, shopping, to eating, to, work, to, the, internet, to pornography, to, sex

to, power to, a, whole, lot, of, other, human, behaviors why, are, we, ostracizing, a, particular segment, of, the, addicted, population, where virtually, all, of, us

in, this, particular, stressful, culture have, some, addictive, patterns, in, our lives, or, have, had, so, it's, a, criminal and, this, whole, belief, that, addiction, is

a, choice, is, so, in, scientific, as, it, would be, laughable, if, it's, consequences weren't, so, tragic so, the, method, normal

uh, what, does, it, actually, mean, well knowing, first, of, all, is, is, a, statistic but, it, doesn't, say, anything, about healthy, or, not, healthy, just, as, it's, in, a certain, range

now, in, medicine, there's, legitimate, use of, the, word, normal, where, where, the, norm is, actually identifiable, with, natural, and, healthy

but, for, example to, give, you, an, egregious, the, fanciful scenario, if, everybody, in, London, tortured their, pets than, not, torturing, your, pet, would, be

abnormal that's, just, a, statistical, statement it's, got, nothing, to, do, with, health, or well-being, or, naturalness

now, in, New, Society, a, lot, of, behaviors practices, policies, cultural, enormous are, not, just, the, norm, in, the, statistical sense, in, that, most, people, engage, in, them but, they're, also, confused, with, healthy

and, natural riches, I've, been, seeing, in, this conversation, they're, not so, that's, what, I, mean, first, of, all, by the, death, of, normal does, this, admit, that, what, we've, got, here

is, normal, it's, not not, when, it, comes, to, understanding, human needs and, human, health, in, a, holistic, sense, the other, sense, in, which, I, talk, about, the myth, of, normal, is, that

there's, this, belief, that, there's, those of, us, that, are, quote, unquote, healthy, and then, there's, the, rest, of, them, who, are abnormal, I'm, saying, no, first, of, all Health, whether, physical, or, mental, is, a spectrum, it's, not, that, you, can, sort, of

deal, in, it, the, healthy, from, the unhealthy these, are, normal, these, are, not, normal that's, a, very, dangerous, game, number, one number, two, the, illnesses, of, body, and

mind, are, actually, normal, responses to, an, abnormal, cultural, Amelia reflectable, human, beings, is, that, we're not, solitary, isolated, creatures, either

physiologically, or, psychologically emotionally, or, spiritually, so, our physiology, is, bound, up, in, fact, it's, a unit, with, our, emotional, and

psychological, spiritual, existence that's, the, reality, of, human, beings, the second, reality, is, that, none, of, that, can be, separated, from, a, social, an, emotional environment, so, that, how, we, feel, about

ourselves has, a, huge, impact, on, our, physiology and, how, we, feel, about, ourselves, is, very much, determined, by, our, relationships

neutral, onwards, from, our, existence, in the, womb, you're, being, affected, by, the emotional, states, of, our, mothers, that's been, demonstrated, in, multiple

studies, it's, not, even, in, doubt, but, the emotional, states, of, our, mothers, depend on, so, much, else, other, than, just, how, they feel, as, individuals, on, their, social class, on, their, relationship, with, their

Partners, if, any on, their, own, childhood, experiences including, traumas, on, the, work, they, have to, do, and, many, other, social, factors and, I'm, only, talking, about, in, the, womb

so, already children, or, infants, of, mothers, who, are straight, stressed, during, pregnancy, have biological, markers, of, that, stress, in their, bodies, already, at, Birth

these, influences, act, on, us throughout, our, childhood, and, of, course throughout, our, adult, existence, because what, we, are, is

at, what, has, been, called, bio, psychosocial creatures, our, biology, is, not, separable from, our, psychological, emotional experiences, in, a, social, context

so, therefore, the, nature, of, the, world that, we, live, in, has, much, to, do, with, our physiological, health, and, with, our, mental health, is, the, society, making, us, sick let's, look, at, the, statistics, anxiety, is

rising, internationally, childhood diagnosis, of, ADHD, and, other mental, health, conditions, is, rising internationally, the, rate, of, autoimmune

disease, is, rising, so, in, a, sense, what, I'm saying, is, that, there's, qualities, of, this particular, society that, actually, make, people, sick, some, of those, qualities, are, physical

such, as, the, food, that, we, eat, and, the pollutants, in, the, environment many, others, are, emotional, and psychological, such, as, the, ruthless

competition, it, isolates, people, from, each other, in, in, Britain, they, had, to, appoint a, minister, of, loneliness, the, rates, of obesity, are, rising, throughout, the, world dramatically

children, are, not, developing, metabolic diseases, that, only, adults, used, to, have in, the, United, States seventy, percent, of, the, population, of, the adult, population, is, at, least, on, one medication

50, Center, on, two, medications so, yes, I'm, saying, in, this, book, that's, my whole, point, is, that, this, particular culture, this, particles, Society promotes, illness, so, that, illness, is, not

an, aberrant, event, it's, not, an abnormality it's, a, normal, response, to, what, is basically, a, very, unhealthy, culture, and by, culture, I, don't, just, mean, the

physical, aspects, of, it, but, also, the emotional, political, and, social, aspects people, change, who, they, are they, need, to, become, who, they, are my, whole, point, in, this, book, and, what

have, I, ever, learned, as, a, physician, and as, a, therapist, and, a, teacher, and, just, as a, human, beings, who, myself, had, my, own struggles to, become, myself, it's, not, a, question, of changing, who, we, are, it's, a, question, of

becoming, who, we, are, and, my, whole critique, of, this, culture, is, it, takes, us away, from, Who, We, Are and, it's, a, struggle, to, get, back, to, that no, but, can, people, achieve, that, yes

I, can, tell, you, personally the, answer, is, yes, not, that, I'm, claiming to, be a, fully, cooked, meal, but, I'm, certainly much, more, ripe, than, I, used, to, be, in, a very, positive, sense, I've, seen, all, kinds

of transformations, in, people I've, seen, people, with, significant illnesses finding, that, disease, some, teaching, that led, them, back, to, themselves

which, actually, promoted, their, healing can, people, change, to, become, themselves the, answer, is, very, much, yes, in, fact it's, a, need, of, human, beings

and, a, woman, would, alienated, from, who, we are, disconnected, from, we, are, we, suffer we, suffer, and, we, suffer, mentally, or spiritually, and, very, often, physically, as well

because, God, exists, there's, one, of, those questions, where, one, would, have, to, really understand, what, the, questioner, means, by God, I, grew, up, as, a militant, atheist

now, as, a, child, I, mean, no, I, grew, up, in communist, Hungary, leaving, Hungary, when, I was, 13, after, the, Hungarian, Revolution there, was, a, joke, in, Eastern, Europe, you

could, be, honest, and, intelligent or, a, member, of, the, kindness, party, in fact, you, could, be, any, two, of, those, three things, but, not, all, three, at, the, same time if, you're, honest, and, intelligent, you couldn't, belong, to, the, party, if, you, if

you're, honest, and, belong, to, the, party you, couldn't, be, very, intelligent, and, so on, and, I, had, the, same, relationship, to God, God, could, be omniscient, all, good, and, all-powerful, in

fact, two, of, those, three, things, but, not three, at, the, same, time, if, God, was all-powerful, and, all, good, then, it doesn't, know, very, much, otherwise, why, did he, let, my, parents, my, grandparents, died

in, a, die, in, Auschwitz and, why, did, I, almost, as, an, infant, end, up in, an, oven, myself so, it, could, be, all, good, and, all, powerful but, he, can't, know, much

or he, can, be, all-powerful, and, all-knowing but, they, can't, be, very, good and, so, on

so, the, God, that, I, was, faced, with, this image, of, the, all-knowing, all, prayerful all, good, entity, that, had, some, kind, of, a

physical, existence, in, some, other, realm that, ruled, this, Earth, was, nonsense, to, me from, the, time, that, I, knew, my, mind that, there's, something, greater, and

deeper, in, that, concept that, had, to, do, with, the, Oneness, of, all and, the, connection, and, the, power, and intelligence, of, the, universe

and, the, goodness that's, around, us I, had, no, concept, of, that, I'm, not, a worshiper but, I'm, no, longer, uncomfortable, with, the

word, of, God, when, I, think, of, the, word, I do, mean, it, in, that, all-encompassing phase, for, which, the, word, itself, is really, quite, inadequate and, it's, inadequate, mostly, because, how

it's, been, used, but, that, there's, such, an experience, of, Holiness, and, godness I, fully, accept, that not, that, I've, fully, have, had, it, but, I also, know, that, it's, real, it's, not, a

question, of, belief, and nobody, can, or, should, ever, be, talked, into any, particular, way, of understanding, God, it's, more, an experiential

reality, than, uh, certainly, is, a, concept or, just, as, a, rigid, belief, so, yes, in, that sense yes in, most, other, senses, that, the, word, is

used, no thank, you, for, watching, you, can, get, my book, The, Myth, of, normal, in, hardcover audio, or, ebook by, clicking, the, link, below, in, the description

and, thanks, again