Summary Of Gabor Mate's In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts

Dr. Gabor Mate, a Hungarian born Canadian physician, who is also a neurologist, psychiatrist, and psychologist, but who specializes in the study and treatment of addiction, reveals revolutionary evidence pertaining to addiction. In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Dr. Mate worked with patients suffering chronic drug addiction for 12 years. With 20 years of experience as a family practitioner, Dr. Mate is a renowned speaker and teacher throughout North America; sharing his extensive knowledge with diverse audiences including health care professionals and educators (Mate, About Dr. Mate, 2016). The Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Dr. Mate’s most recent best-selling book, illuminates the origins and causes of addiction. As Co-founder of Compassion for Addiction (a non-profit organization), Dr. Gabor Mate encourages a greater understanding; “addiction is the attempt of affected human beings to escape a profound discomfort with themselves and their world” (Mate, Compassion4Addiction, 2015). Drawing on cutting-edge science, Dr. Mate presents the world with a shocking discovery: “The source of addiction is not to be found in genes, but in the early childhood environment.” Therefore, Dr. Mate simply “calls for a more compassionate approach toward the addict.” (Mate, 2016) As cutting-edge science concludes addiction to be a mental health issue, rather than criminal behavior, the American legal system demonstrates a devastating disservice to its own society.

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

Another considerable factor of this problem is the influence these substances have on children. Alcoholism in the home is an extremely hard issue to cope with as a child. Domestic violence, which is often worsened by alcohol abuse, causes a lot of mental issues that affect children permanently. Many kids do not have a stable home and are forced to see their parents and loved ones struggle with drinking (Hopkins 7). Suffering through the effects of drugs and alcohol also make education a challenge. Children often times stay home from school or are inattentive during class due to lack of sleep from late-night parties or rowdiness at home.This makes it almost impossible to succeed later in life and lets the problem continue onto the next generation.

Annotated Bibliography Thesis: In the American society today, many families today and individuals are affected by the constant abuse of drugs and alcohol. Both alcohol and drug abuse victimize children and teens of all ages, ruin lives and damage families. Crimando, William, and T. F. Riggar.

Substance use Disorder is the new term that the DSM-5 uses to replace substance use and substance dependence. Analyzing the criteria of the individual the disorder is labeled mild moderate or severe. Evidence of a substance use disorders is found when the use of alcohol or drugs leads to significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home. According to the DSM-5, a diagnosis of substance use disorder is based on the amount of control of the impairment, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological criteria. The most common substances of abuse are alcohol, tobacco, cannabis (marijuana), stimulants, hallucinogens, and opioids. Taking a closer look at each of the

Substance abuse is a prominent psychiatric disorder that continues to be one of the main complex issues impacting public health today (Hser, Lanza, Li, Kahn, Evans, & Schulte, 2013). Children affected by maternal substance misuse of are at high risk for a wide variety of negative outcomes including: emotional, developmental, social, cognitive, and behavioral issues as well as challenges in academic functioning (Stamler & Yiu, 2012). The main reason these children are at risk is because from conception to throughout their childhood, their environment has been compromised by an accumulation of social determinants of health. These may include poverty, low maternal education, instability of income, poor

Employment, family and friend are seriously at jeopardy when addiction overshadows and become more important. Family suffer tremendously from the neglected due to a family member plagued with this disease. The constant worry for the person’s welfare causes emotional stress that can break down the family structure. Children are the most venerable when a parent suffers with addiction. Child Protected services state approximately 50% to 80% of all child abuse and neglect cases involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents (NIDA, 2000). Babies born with birth defects due to a mother cocaine use during pregnancy is another unfortunate reality (NIDA, 2000). There are over 45,000 cases of cocaine-exposed babies per

In research conducted by Kyzer, Conners-Burrow, & McKelvey (2013), it is estimated that more than 8 million children under the age of 18 live with at least one parent who abuses substances. This leads to a host of other issues for the children in their care, including abuse, neglect, placement in foster care, poverty, and homelessness or poor-quality neighborhoods. The children from these environments are exposed to several different risk factors, thus are facing a long road in front of them. One of the most troubling aspects of parental substance abuse is just how pervasive the detriment to the family can be. If parents spend needed resources to obtain their drugs of choice, they cannot pay for needed essentials, such as safe transportation or good housing. Exposure to poor neighborhoods, where the child is exposed to violence and disadvantaged areas, can put him or her at risk in the future (Kyzer et al.,

An estimated twenty five percent of youth under eighteen are exposed to familial alcohol abuse (Bellum). The Illinois Department of Human Services says that nearly six hundred seventy five thousand children per year suffer serious abuse or neglect as a direct result of substance abuse (‘Children”). What makes this a big problem in society?

In addition to physical neglect, children of substance abusing parents often experience emotional problems. They show high rates of emotional problems compared to their peers (” Understanding the Diverse Needs of Children whose Parents Abuse Substances” 5). The emotional problems that those children experience include: depression, fear, anxiety, mistrust, confusion, eating disorders, mood disorders, and lower self-esteem (“Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Children and Families” 2). Those emotional problems may be the result of parental neglect or prenatal substance exposure. As studies found out, prenatal substance exposure is associated with emotional and psychological problems of the children (Smith and Wilson 2). Children who grow

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) deals with abuse and dependency of a drug. Drugs of choice are alcohol, cocaine, heroin, prescribed medications, and many more. Drug dependency is among the most prevalent illnesses. Substance abuse and dependence are both a maladaptive pattern of substance use, which leads to significant impairment or distress (Varcarolis, E, 2005). The difference between the two, is that abuse impairs responsibility at work, school and home. There is a recurrent legal problems but use continues regardless of the consequences (Varcarolis, E, 2005). There are problems

Substance abuse is an addiction and it is the addition, which is referred to a chronic disease. It is this chronic disease that is a significant and growing issue, especially among family units where either one or two parents and/or parental guardians suffer from. Despite the various and complex reasons that cause the parents or parental guardians to abuse substances, it is their children who suffer thus, significantly affecting the parent/parental guardian and child bonding relationship. It is this bonding relationship when compromised that negatively affects the child’s overall socio-emotional and psychological well-being, as well as times when there are physical risk factors such as abuse, neglect, or mistreatment (Johnson, 2015). According to a study by

Monique, interesting reply addiction in the family can cause both short term and long term harmful affects .You mentioned the harsh affects of substance abuse often have on youngsters; which in my opinion can be very devastating on a child/children. I have seen it recently firsthand. Your post reminds me of a case that was bought before the judge where a young lady had been using a heavy substance for quite some time now and had 3 small children ages 3-1 years of age. Some one had reported how the Mom often left the children home unattended quite often: roaming the neighbor hood, in need of food and unkempt. The case was bought before the judge due reckless behavior. The women was taken away by authorities and her 3 small children given over to child protective services due to neglect, until they could find relatives to take them in for a few months or until the mother agreed to straighten out her life.

Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences” (“What is drug addiction?”). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worry on the people that are closest to them such as friends and family. Children with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can be severely affected by the actions of their parents which can cause them much harm in terms of biological and

Children can be subjected to the negative effects of parental substance use in a variety of different ways. For example, substance use during pregancy can cause detrimental outcomes for newborn infants by placing them at a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), being born with birth defects, developing behavioral and developmental delays, being born premature, etc. Children with addicted parents, are placed at a higher risk of: lacking appropriate supervision; lacking basic needs such as: food, clothing, housing, and medical care; exposure to violence; developing substance abuse issues themselves.