Episode Description

For episode 196 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks to special guest Dr. Gabor Maté. Gabor is highly sought after for his expertise in working with addiction, stress, and childhood development. He has written several bestselling books, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, When the Body Says No, and Scattered, and co-authored the book Hold On to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in nearly thirty languages. Gabor’s new book, The Myth of Normal, has just been released in September 2022.

In this episode, Sharon and Gabor discuss

• How Gabor defines the term “normal”
• Human’s incredible and sometimes dangerous adaptability
• How our culture engenders illness
• The essence of interconnection across culture, science & spirituality
• Thích Nhat Hanh’s inter-being teaching
• The concept of the “identified person”
• Traumatic events versus the dramatic wounds we sustain as a result
• The complex factors that motivate caregivers
• Why caregivers tend toward trauma
• Compassion Fatigue is a lack of self-compassion
• Negative self-talk as an impact of trauma
• The difference between responsibility and blame
• The role of community in healing
• Authenticity versus attachment
• Gabor’s practice of Compassionate Inquiry
• The evolution of addiction treatments
• How our culture profits off of addiction

Additional Resources

The conversation closes with a twelve-minute guided inquiry exercise by Gabor. To learn more about Gabor’s work, you can visit his website here or find his latest book, The Myth of Normal, available in hardcover, audio and ebook formats.

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