Dr. Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts is a book I return to again and again — not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. With deep compassion and clinical clarity, Maté invites us to see addiction not as a moral failing or behavioural choice, but as a survival response to pain. He writes with the authority of a physician and the tenderness of someone who truly sees the people behind the symptoms.

Drawing from his work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients living with severe addiction, Maté explores the neurobiology of trauma, attachment, and early childhood development — revealing how environmental and social determinants can shape brain function and behaviour. He then weaves these insights with personal reflections and a broader critique of societal systems that perpetuate trauma and disconnection.

For me, this book is an essential resource when working with patients whose stories include addiction, trauma, or neglect. It offers not just understanding, but humility — a reminder that healing is not linear, that our patients are not their diagnoses, and that true support must come from a place of empathy, not authority.

Although not a herbal text, it is one of the most powerful books I’ve read in terms of reframing how we hold space for suffering. It deepens our ability to practise trauma-informed care and strengthens our awareness of the nervous system, relational safety, and the long shadows cast by early life experiences. This book stays with you.