92. Gabor Maté: What If Trauma Drives Anxiety, ADHD & Chronic Illness?

Jul 21, 2026

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my favourite people in the world: physician, bestselling author and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, to explore some of the most important questions in mental health: what is at the root of all diseases of the body and mind? How can we heal? And what does it actually mean to be healed? 

Drawing on decades of clinical experience working with addiction, mental illness and chronic disease, Dr. Mate explains why trauma is not simply what happens to us but what happens inside us as a result. He argues that while trauma is increasingly recognised by the public, it remains one of medicine's greatest blind spots – despite growing evidence that early experiences shapes brain development, stress physiology, behaviour and long-term health outcomes. 

Together, we explore why symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and addiction may often be understood as adaptive responses to developmental stress, and why emotional suppression, chronic stress and unresolved trauma may also contribute to autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why trauma remains one of the biggest blind spots in modern medicine – despite a growing body of scientific evidence.
• Why the true cause of many mental health conditions lies in developmental trauma and its impact on our neurobiology, nervous system and relationships.
• Why symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and addiction can often be understood as adaptive responses rather than disorders per se.
• How the conflict between authenticity and attachment in childhood shapes lifelong patterns of behaviour, health and relationships.
• The relationship between emotional repression, trauma and autoimmune disease and other chronic health conditions.
• Why trauma separates us from ourselves and the world around us.
• Why a biochemical approach can be helpful, but still does not address the underlying root cause of physiological and psychological imbalances – developmental trauma and poor relationships
• How connection, whether in person or on our phones, is key, but addiction to connection is problematic, as an escape from feeling difficult feelings 
• Why chronic and unfettered use of social media can cause brain damage, relationship issues and mental health issues in children and adolescents
• AI as therapist, pipe dream or nightmare? 
• The true meaning of healing – and why becoming whole may be more important than being cured.

As a thank you to our community, we're giving you free access to Dr. Gabor Maté's full IMMH 2025 session:

https://www.immh.org/gabor-mate-the-myth-of-normal-session/