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Substance abuse and interrelated mental health issues have had, and continue to have, a strong negative impact on First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) communities throughout Canada. Whether on the reservation or on the streets of Toronto, FNMI people who could be vital to their families and communities are struggling with drugs and alcohol. Many … Continued
Our education system does a remarkable job in teaching us about addiction and the brain but it could do a better job in teaching us about the beauty of recovery. If we educate our students better about recovery, this will equip them in the battle against stigma. Addiction is a disease—point blank.
Among oppressed communities, substance use prevalence rates are generally higher because these communities are disproportionately exposed to factors that are known to increase the risk of addiction. In the case of trans communities, we face stressors to which the general population is not subject, including stigma, prejudice, discrimination and violence.
Many people who quit drinking or using think all they need to do is participate in a treatment program and show up at a supportive recovery meeting now and again. They assume that all will be well … that everything has been “fixed.” This is rarely ever the case. Recovery is not just about abstinence, it is about doing the work it takes to be able to live a life that is “happy, joyous, and free.”
The Dry Drunk Syndrome is a term that should not be used as a catch-all when one has a bad day or a bump in life throws us for a while. Those are ups and downs that everyone experiences and shouldn’t be labeled to be anything more than what they truly are. The Dry Drunk is a condition far more serious than the highs and lows of our day-to-day existence.
Link to HRM Online Article How to Handle Employee Addiction A recent report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission revealed a worrying level of addiction among employees in the province – an issue which poses a myriad of legal and financial problems for employers. HRM caught up with Dr Patrick Smith – CEO of Toronto-based … Continued
Many people, in the process of trying to regain control over their life, chase an “illusion of control,” believing that the latest attempt at control (switching drugs) has and will have a lasting effect, and that control has once again been re-established. It has not. It is only a matter of time, usually a short amount of time.
You can make a difference. Join Renascent for this outstanding production of the classic JP Miller portrayal of a young couple’s descent into alcoholism and addiction, featuring an all-recovery cast. All funds raised by the Renascent Foundation help families reclaim their lives from alcoholism and drug addiction.
These doctors are usually compassionate people, dedicated in the extreme to the well-being of their patients — to their own detriment and often that of their families. They tend to be perfectionistic, obsessive and rigidly self-controlled. Stressed and lacking healthy coping strategies, some find ease and comfort in drugs or alcohol. Thus, the seeds of abuse and dependence are sown, especially when there is a family history of substance use disorders.
As time went on I found that my understanding of the steps continued to change. Rather than a linear conception like a ladder with a bell at the top, I started to see it more like a pyramid with Step One as the foundation and the other steps built on top. I started to see my sobriety as not just abstinence from my drug of choice (or no choice!) but as a place of emotional and mental sanity.
