What is Addiction?

Excellent two-part video on some of the root causes of addiction, through the experience of Dr. Gabor Mate.
Be sure to watch his Ted Talk in Part 2. It focuses more on extremes of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Well worth the 18 minutes.
Mate believes addiction is a person’s attempt to soothe their pain from whatever trauma is unique to their story. The first question he asks his patients is not “why the addiction?” but “why the pain?”

http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/what-is-addiction-gabor-mate