Addiction In Mate's Embraced By The Needle
Sympathy and Compassion in Mate’s “Embraced by the Needle”
You cannot be quick to judge people that you have never met. Each individual has their own personal story and no two people are alike. As well, each person has their own motivation to do the things that they do. In Gabor Mate’s essay “Embraced by the Needle” he has several attitudes toward the subject of addiction, but being judgmental is not one of them. He believes that “No drug is, in itself, addictive” (273), and that beneath each addiction is an underlying cause to where it all began. Sometimes by acquiring a caring attitude, having personal experiences and also having a scientific background it will cause you to be less judgmental towards those around you.
It only takes one person that cares to make …show more content…
Mate states in his essay that “The fewer endorphin-enhancing experiences in infancy and early childhood, the greater the need for external sources.” (274) This is scientifically proven because endorphins reduce the sensation of pain and they also have an affect on the emotions shown. The drug addicts that Mate mentions are all pained in one way or another and the drugs that they are taking cause them to become emotionally stable. For example, the “27-year-old sex-trade worker” (273) specified that the first time she took a shot of heroin “it felt like a warm, soft hug” (273). This goes to show that the drugs not only give a chemical high but a psychological high as well. It gives the addicts a supply to the fundamental neuro-chemicals, such as endorphins. “Endorphins are released in the infant’s brain when there are warm, non-stressed, calm interactions with the parenting figures” (274); if these endorphins are lacking people will find an alternative way to acquire them, like through drugs. “The fewer endorphin-enhancing experiences in infancy and early childhood, the greater the need for external
You cannot be quick to judge people that you have never met. Each individual has their own personal story and no two people are alike. As well, each person has their own motivation to do the things that they do. In Gabor Mate’s essay “Embraced by the Needle” he has several attitudes toward the subject of addiction, but being judgmental is not one of them. He believes that “No drug is, in itself, addictive” (273), and that beneath each addiction is an underlying cause to where it all began. Sometimes by acquiring a caring attitude, having personal experiences and also having a scientific background it will cause you to be less judgmental towards those around you.
It only takes one person that cares to make …show more content…
Mate states in his essay that “The fewer endorphin-enhancing experiences in infancy and early childhood, the greater the need for external sources.” (274) This is scientifically proven because endorphins reduce the sensation of pain and they also have an affect on the emotions shown. The drug addicts that Mate mentions are all pained in one way or another and the drugs that they are taking cause them to become emotionally stable. For example, the “27-year-old sex-trade worker” (273) specified that the first time she took a shot of heroin “it felt like a warm, soft hug” (273). This goes to show that the drugs not only give a chemical high but a psychological high as well. It gives the addicts a supply to the fundamental neuro-chemicals, such as endorphins. “Endorphins are released in the infant’s brain when there are warm, non-stressed, calm interactions with the parenting figures” (274); if these endorphins are lacking people will find an alternative way to acquire them, like through drugs. “The fewer endorphin-enhancing experiences in infancy and early childhood, the greater the need for external