Quote by Gabor Maté: “If you want to understand addiction, you have to understand trauma.”

This direct statement links addiction deeply to past trauma, suggesting that one cannot truly grasp why people become addicted without first exploring their underlying emotional wounds. It implies addiction is often a coping mechanism for unresolved pain.

In the 2020s, a more integrated understanding of mental health and substance use disorders gained traction, moving beyond purely biological or behavioral models. Public discourse emphasized the need for trauma-informed approaches in care and policy.

Hungarian-Canadian physician and author whose work on addiction, trauma, and the mind-body connection has reshaped mainstream understanding of mental health. His books include In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and The Myth of Normal.