“Addiction is mostly about emotional pain; it is an attempt to escape the suffering that comes with being human”
— Gabor Mate
Simplified Meaning:
When people become addicted to something, it usually happens because they are trying to deal with feelings that hurt them deeply. Imagine having a lot of stress or sadness and not knowing how to make it go away. For some, turning to drugs, alcohol, or other addictive habits seems like a way to feel better, even if it's just for a while. Consider someone who lost a loved one and feels overwhelmed by the grief. Instead of facing the pain, they might start drinking heavily to numb their emotions. This shows how addiction can be a coping mechanism for avoiding difficult feelings. In real life, a person might manage their stress by talking to friends, exercising, or seeking professional help. Applying this idea means finding healthy ways to deal with emotional pain instead of masking it with harmful behaviors. By understanding the role of emotional pain in addiction, we can be more compassionate towards those struggling and seek better solutions to help them.
