Renowned physician Dr. Gabor Maté joins Rick and Forrest to explore the many problems for our bodies and minds that arise out of our modern culture, and what we can do to meet our needs, heal ourselves, and become more whole. They discuss our increasing separation from one another, issues with aspects of the medical model, the true nature of addiction, the developmental needs of children, the myth of “normal,” and recovering from traumatic experiences.

About Our Guest: Dr. Gabor Maté is one of the world’s leading experts on trauma, addiction, and childhood development. His work has had an enormous impact on how we understand the interactions between our internal world and the world around us, and he is the bestselling author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Scattered Minds, and his newest book The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture.

Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:55: What Gabor means by a toxic culture

4:25: Interpersonal biology - our physiology is modulated by our relationships

7:10: What components are needed for a healthy culture?

11:55: Examples of toxic culture’s impact on people’s behavior

15:20: Addiction

21:00: How and when to distinguish degrees of trauma

27:05: Where and when to express healthy anger

33:10: How turning against the self manifests as illness 

36:45: What supports people in returning to their authentic nature?

40:00: Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and creating a sacred context

41:45: Grief, integration, and letting go

44:55: Gabor’s relationship with his children

48:25: Five kinds of compassion, disillusionment, and truth

51:20: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?

53:25: Recap

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