I came across this video randomly on Youtube. Gabor Mate breaks down the causes of all addiction in simple terms. The points that he makes about addiction stemming from childhood trauma is very relatable. He describes it as a way to temporarily solve a problem within yourself. Filling a void within that feels empty. Pain relief. His references to Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Hitler, and his reasons of why they were addicted to power were eye-opening. The talk also made me take a step back and observe how easy it is to label someone, without knowing the full story. My personal take away is to be able to heal yourself without having to turn to external things. Not healing yourself can cause harm to many people, not just yourself. I love the phrase he used, “find the light within.” Inspiring talk.