Big Idea: How We Can Start to Heal From Traumatic Childhood Experiences that Shape Our Health with Dr. Gabor Mate

7 snips

Jul 7, 2025

Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned speaker and bestselling author, delves into the powerful connection between childhood trauma and health. He reveals how unresolved adversity influences both physical well-being and addiction, challenging the separation often seen in Western medicine. Maté shares insights on the pervasive nature of trauma in society and critiques profit-driven industries for their role in perpetuating these issues. Most importantly, he discusses the essential steps towards healing and the importance of addressing emotional wounds.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Environment Controls Gene Expression

Genes explain little about disease; environment mostly determines gene expression.
Epigenetics shows experiences switch genes on/off, influencing health beyond inherited DNA.

ANECDOTE

Gabor's Childhood Trauma Impact

Gabor's early childhood trauma involved maternal neglect due to strict feeding schedules.
This shaped his lifelong feelings of being on his own and affected relationships and work.

ANECDOTE

Early Separation Trauma Revealed

At one year old, Gabor endured 5-6 weeks separated from his mother during WWII.
Shamans later identified this unresolved fear affecting his life decades later.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This episode is brought to you by Pique Life and Aqua Tru.

If you’ve ever gone to your doctor for pain or discomfort, did they ask you about the pain or trauma you’ve experienced in your life? Western medicine often separates the mind from the body, but in reality, the two are deeply connected.

From a young age, many of us face hardships we don’t fully recognize, shaping the lens through which we see the world. Adversity is a part of the collective human experience, but when left unresolved, it can lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices that directly impact our physical well-being.

Today, on The Dhru Purohit Show, we’re revisiting one of our most talked-about moments with Dr. Gabor Maté about the link between trauma, addiction, and chronic illness. They also discuss how profit-driven culture targets our insecurities and the crisis of separation, disconnection, and loneliness we currently face as a society. Most importantly, they discuss the first steps we can take toward health and healing.

Dr. Gabor Maté is a renowned speaker and bestselling author known for his work on addiction, trauma, stress, and childhood development. He’s the author of several acclaimed books, including In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, When the Body Says No, and The Myth of Normal. For his groundbreaking contributions, he’s received the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor. He also co-developed Compassionate Inquiry, a therapeutic approach now used by professionals worldwide.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Maté dive into:

The role of genes in human health and behavior (1:34)
Gabor’s childhood trauma and its lasting impact (6:10)
Understanding trauma and how it shapes the way we live, love, and interpret the world (12:45)
What society gains and loses from living in a toxic culture (23:35)
Final thoughts (30:25)

Also mentioned:

Full episode with Dr. Gabor Maté

This episode is brought to you by Pique Life and Aqua Tru.

Right now, Pique Life is offering 20% off the Pu’er fermented black and green teas. Plus, you’ll get a free beaker and frother when you go to piquelife.com/dhru.

AquaTru is a countertop reverse osmosis purifier with a four-stage filtration system that removes 15x more contaminants than the bestselling water filters out there. Go to dhrupurohit.com/filter/ and get $100 off when you try AquaTru for yourself.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices