Is addiction the biggest crisis we've ever faced? Can we do anything about it? In a candid conversation about addiction, Gabor Maté and Joe Polish define what addiction is and why it's actually a solution to pain. Gabor Maté is a Hungarian-born Canadian physician with a background in family practice and a special interest in childhood development and trauma, and in their potential lifelong impacts on physical and mental health, including on ADHD, addictions and a wide range of other conditions. Recorded LIVE at the 2017 Genius Network Annual Event If you would like access to the full video presentation, the show notes, and the special resources for this episode, please visit GeniusNetwork.com/66. Here’s a glance at what you’ll learn from Gabor in this episode: Why addiction is the biggest crisis we've ever faced and what we're doing about it… Gabor Maté defines what addiction is and why it's actually a solution to pain How the criminal justice system treats addiction and why we must change how people view and treat addicts Gabor and Joe discuss the opioid epidemic and why it’s been happening for decades The reason why every case of addiction originates from trauma and deep pain Joe shares his struggle with addiction and Gabor shares his personal story of workaholism Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton: A fascinating insight into the difference between overt trauma and developmental trauma Joe asks Gabor, "If someone was raped or molested as a child, how do you interact with your perpetrator if you still know them?" Addicts lie, cheat, steal and cause trouble through self-destruction. Gabor and Joe discuss how to interact (and be compassionate) with addicts… Gabor talks about epigenetics and how our environment influences our genes The meaning of recovery and how we reconnect with ourselves in recovery Gabor talks about "respectable addictions" and how disdain gets projected onto other people How parents unknowingly pass on trauma from one generation to the next… Gabor discusses why A.D.D. is a response to trauma and how A.D.D. is an adaptation Traumaphobia: Why we're surrounded by trauma and yet we don't talk about it What Gabor would ask Harvey Weinstein and how Gabor suggests we treat addiction Why we can’t punish pain out of people and how we can help people fighting silent battles What we can do to heal the family system, heal the individual and recover from addiction