Guy Felicella spent nearly 20 years living on the streets in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside homeless and addicted to drugs before getting sober and forging a new path for himself.

Today, Guy works with BC’s Coastal Health and tours as a public speaker, educating folks on harm reduction and sharing his experiences to prove that there is hope for those dealing with addiction.

But Guy credits Gabor Maté, who was his physician during recovery, with helping him address his traumas and giving him a platform to heal.

Today Guy and Gabor reconnect to chat about addressing childhood trauma and addiction, to examine the shortcomings in Canada’s approach to care and harm reduction, and to discuss the pivotal moments in Guy’s journey to recovery.

00:38 - How childhood trauma plays a part in addiction, addressing undiagnosed illnesses
08:00 - Discussing the reasons why Guy was able to stop using drugs and begin his process of recovery, Guy’s overdoses, why children are more affected to traumas than adults
14:14 - When Guy and Gabor met, gaps in the healthcare system, how childhood trauma is directly linked to addiction
16:24 - Why prison and correctional facilities are typically useless, discussing the prison system as a whole,
19:07 - Is Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) getting more hostile and aggressive, what happens when Guy goes back to visit the DTES?
21:55 - Why Gabor dedicated his time to people struggling in the DTES; anecdotes from the DTES
25:41 - Guy recollects his initial interactions as a patient of Gabor’s and differences in treatment compared to standard healthcare; Guy discusses his bone infections and how he got treatment while using.
31:16 - Guy’s current relationship with his family; building a relationship with his father even after a traumatic past
35:20 - Gabor’s thoughts on what more needs to be done to really help those struggling with addiction; the changes needed to the current healthcare, education, correctional, and housing systems.
38:30 - The current debate around harm reduction and recovery tactics and how it becomes political divisive.
42:49 - The generosity of others, hope for the future; inspiring stories from people dealing with addiction.

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