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.
Learn About Alcohol
Alcohol is a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug that affects the way we think and behave. It is a depressant that slows down our heart rate, breathing, thoughts and actions. There are many different types of alcoholic beverages made from fermented or distilled grains, fruits or vegetables. These beverages are available in our local liquor stores as beers, which usually contain 5% alcohol, wines with 12%, and spirits with 40%.
Discussing Canada’s New Guidance on Alcohol and Health
Reprinted from the The Many Faces of Neurodiversity issue of Visions Journal, 2023, 18 (3), pp. 42-43
I Beat the System
An employee fights to get sober
Reprinted from the Recovery: Living Your Bestish Life issue of Visions Journal, 2022, 17 (4), pp. 9-10
Can We Cork the Wine Memes for Good?
Reprinted from the Supporting Parents issue of Visions Journal, 2021, 17 (1), pp. 20-21
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.
How do I know if I’m drinking too much?
Sorting out if you are drinking too much can be complicated. You are unique and your relationship with alcohol is unique. No one has the same combination of life experiences and influences that you do. So even though you and your friend may choose to drink, how and why you use alcohol may be different.
Writing Through Loneliness
By Grade 8, Tabitha found that drinking and drug use made it a lot easier to fit in, and drugs became part of her life. When her father and then her best friend died of a heroin overdose, Tabitha tried to change her own substance use, but social connections were challenging because drug use was everywhere in her community, and Tabitha found herself drowning in grief…alone. Now sober, she reflects on her path to accept her past, find new connections and reconnect with all parts of her story.
