In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

by Gabor Maté

As the famed stress researcher Dr. Bruce McEwen has pointed out, a key determining factor triggering the stress response is the way a person perceives a situation.3 We ourselves give events their meaning, depending on our personal histories, temperament, physical condition, and state of mind at the moment we experience them. Thus the degree to which we’re stressed may depend less on external circumstances than on how well we are able to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally. We may also take on chronic stresses because of ingrained beliefs of how we “ought” to be. Some people, for example, may find themselves unable to say no to work demands or the emotional expectations of their spouse, adult children, or family of origin. Something has to give—and what gives, if not our physical health, is our mood or peace of mind. Addiction comes along as an “antidote.”