Understanding Substance Use
Health is a state of total well-being—physical, mental and social—helping us both survive and thrive in our everyday lives.
Resources
Reprinted from the Intergenerational Trauma issue of Visions Journal, 2023, 18 (2), p.
Healing Happens in Community
Reprinted from the Intergenerational Trauma issue of Visions Journal, 2023, 18 (2), pp. 35-36
I became a community builder and it saved my life.
The Branch
Piloting innovative, safe, supported, temporary bridge-to-housing in Kamloops
Trauma
Trauma is a very scary event or situation like a major accident, crime, natural disaster, or armed conflict. Trauma affects people who experience the situation first-hand as well as witnesses, family members, first responders, and people who treat trauma.
“It Helped me Forget”
A young mother’s journey through loss—and finding hope
Reprinted from "Opioids" issue of Visions Journal, 2018, 13 (3), p. 23
Growing up, I lived with my mom until I was about 12 and then I moved in with my grandma (me and my stepdad just didn’t get along). I lived with Grandma for about a year. She was an awesome lady. Then I got taken away by MCFD [Ministry of Children and Family Development, child protection services].
The Language We Use to Talk About Mental Health and Substance Use
Words matter. They impact the assumptions we make about others, the way we understand someone else’s experiences, and the value we place on others.
Recovery
When we talk about mental illnesses and substance use problems, it’s easy to talk in clinical terms: that person has this symptom, or that person uses a certain drug. But recovery is so much bigger than a checklist.
