This week’s episode features Dr Gabor Maté, a Hungarian-Canadian physician who’s main interests include childhood development and trauma, and their impact on lifelong physical and mental health. 

Professor Nutt and Dr Maté talk about the inseparable nature of our body and mind. 

How do they affect each other? 

How can psychedelics offer therapeutic potential to both mental and physical conditions? 

Dr Gabor Maté was born in Hungary and emigrated to Canada as a young child. Following years of clinical practice, now retired, he travels around the world to speak about how life experiences shape our physical and mental health. 

In his books including the most recent “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction” he explores the relationship between “early adversity” i.e. stress, childhood neglect or abuse and susceptibility to addictions, autoimmune diseases, cancer and many others. He is also widely recognised for his perspectives on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 

Additionally, after being a part of an Ayahuasca retreat program Dr Gabor Maté advocates the therapeutic potential of this and other psychedelic substances in the treatment of a variety of mental and physical conditions.

Gabor Mate’s website 

In the Realm of Hungry Ghost 

The six realms of Buddhist cosmology 

Vancouver harm reduction program 

Ayahuasca 

Psilocybin 

Psilocybin and depression: Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms by Robin Carhart-Harris et al., 2017 

Ayahuasca retreat with Dr. Gabor Maté and Richard Condon 

Scleroderma patient article:Ayahuasca Let Me Walk Again 

United Nation’s Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress 

Stress and the risk of multiple sclerosis 

Childhood Trauma in Multiple Sclerosis 

Psychedelics for psychological and existential distress in palliative and cancer care

Become a Drug Science Community member