10% Happier App

Ready to begin or deepen your meditation practice? Join Dan Harris and world-class meditation teachers on the 10% with Dan Harris app here: https://app.danharris.com/membership What if your addiction isn't a disease or a moral failing — but an attempt to solve the problem of pain? And what if your scattered, distractible mind isn't something you were born with, but something that happened to you? Dr. Gabor Maté is a physician, bestselling author, and one of the world's leading voices on addiction, ADHD, and the relationship between childhood stress and adult mental health. His books include Scattered Minds, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, and The Myth of Normal. In this conversation, Gabor shares: - Why addiction is a spectrum — from heroin to ice cream to Instagram scrolling — and what all of it has in common - The biology of addiction: what opiates, endorphins, and dopamine reveal about why people get hooked - Why ADHD is not an inherited disease — and how childhood stress shapes the developing brain - Why the twin studies used to argue for genetic causation of ADHD are, in his view, scientifically flawed - His mantra: don't ask why the addiction, ask why the pain - What "compassionate curiosity" means — and how to apply it the moment you hit the bottom of a pint of ice cream - The five-step practice (adapted from UCLA psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz): relabel, re-attribute, refocus, revalue, recreate - Why blaming your parents keeps you stuck — and what responsibility actually means - The concept of "reparenting" — and how adults can create the conditions for their own healthy development - What bare attention is and how to develop it without formal meditation Subscribe to watch more 10% Happier videos: https://www.youtube.com/tenpercenthappier Follow Dan Harris on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/ https://www.tiktok.com/@danbharris https://www.facebook.com/DanHarrisABC https://twitter.com/danbharris https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harris-91ba5716b/ Timestamps: 0:00:00 Introduction and framing: childhood stress, addiction, and ADHD 0:02:00 Defining addiction — and why it has nothing to do with drugs specifically 0:05:00 Don't ask why the addiction — ask why the pain 0:08:00 ADHD as a coping mechanism, not an inherited disease 0:10:00 The Harvard brain development research and what it actually says 0:15:00 Why twin studies don't prove genetic causation 0:18:00 Why stimulant medications work — and what that does and doesn't tell us 0:24:00 The biology of opiate addiction: endorphins, dopamine, and love 0:29:00 Compassionate curiosity: the foundation of healing 0:32:00 What to do right after finishing a pint of ice cream 0:35:00 How to work with addiction consciously — harm reduction in practice 0:38:00 Bare attention and mindfulness as tools for separating from impulse 0:40:00 Meditation with an ADHD brain — and alternatives that work 0:44:00 The five steps: relabel, re-attribute, refocus, revalue, recreate 0:51:00 Why these steps work best as a writing practice done before the moment of crisis 0:53:00 What parents need to hear: no blame, but understanding 0:59:00 The flip side: why understanding your past doesn't mean playing victim 1:02:00 Blame vs. anger — and why healthy remorse is different from guilt 1:04:00 Practical ADHD tools: reparenting, relationships, diet, nature, therapy 1:06:00 "What do I need right now?" — self-compassion and the work of healing #addiction #ADHD #mentalhealth This episode is sponsored by: BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier Northwest Registered Agent — LLC formation, registered agent service, and free business resources at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/Happierfree LinkedIn Ads — Reach the right professionals with precision targeting. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit at http://www.linkedin.com/happier