In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

by Gabor Maté

I have been reluctant to take this step until recently, despite the fact that I’ve not had a problem admitting and describing my addictive tendencies either in private or in public. The difficulty has been threefold. First, since I pride myself on a strong intellect, I’ve resisted accepting that I’m powerless over any mental process. On the contrary, it is in the nature of the ego to turn anything to its advantage. Even the public disclosure of my addictive patterns has served to reassure me of my sincerity and honesty and “courage.” Audiences greet such self-disclosure with nods, appreciative smiles, and applause. But real courage does not lie in speaking about addiction; it resides in actively doing something about it—and that, until very recently, I have not been prepared to take on.