Recovery From Addiction

As Canadians, we pride ourselves in having a strong and healthy nation. We are fortunate to have access to ample resources that keep us healthy, like clean water and nutritious foods, not to mention the wealth of healthcare and education systems that support us. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that we’re exempt from dangerous habits, like substance abuse. In fact, in recent years, the rate of substance abuse in Canada has been steadily climbing.

Case in point: the Government of Canada estimates that upwards of five million Canadians 15 years and older self-report having used an illicit drug in the last year. Furthermore, these numbers don’t even scratch the surface when it comes to understanding the full extent of substance abuse in Canada. In fact, these statistics fail to take into account those who misuse prescription drugs, consume alcohol to excess, or turn to other recreational drugs for self-medication.

It’s no surprise, then, that substance abuse in Canada is costing us dearly. According to a recent report by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the direct and indirect costs associated with substance abuse in Canada amount to more than $38 billion annually, with a disproportionate impact on our Indigenous population.

What’s more, substance abuse in Canada isn’t just a financial burden. It’s a public health crisis with serious consequences to individuals and communities across the nation. Sure, substance abuse can cause serious physical health complications, such as organ failure, respiratory depression, and addiction. But, it can also lead to mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, as well as social problems, like relationship issues or unemployment.

The good news, however, is that not all hope is lost. Prevention and intervention initiatives are being implemented across the country in hopes of reducing the prevalence of substance abuse in Canada.

For starters, schools in Canada are now offering substantial prevention and education programs for students and their families. Such programs help to educate families about the risks associated with substance abuse, provide resources for intervention and treatment, and offer peer support in communities.

In addition to this, many communities are putting into place programs that provide support for those impacted by substance abuse. Programs like Addiction Helpline Connect, for instance, provides individuals with access to low-cost, 24/7 counselling services, as well as resources for connecting with in-person help.

Finally, more and more provinces in Canada are introducing harm-reduction strategies, such as supervised injection services, needle exchange programs, and drug substitution therapies. Such measures are geared towards reducing the risk of overdose, managing the health of individuals who use drugs, and providing a safe space for users to access services and connect with support.

Ultimately, while the rate of substance abuse in Canada is a growing concern, there are many prevention, intervention and harm-reduction strategies helping to address it. It’s encouraging to see our healthcare systems, schools, and communities working together towards a common goal: reducing the number of individuals affected by substance abuse in Canada.

Are you bothered that you might be addicted to food? Even though many people don’t like to do without their favorite food, you need to be careful not to cross the line. When your love for food spirals out of control, food addiction might be in play.

Canada is home to top-notch professionals who are vast in treating different forms of behavioral addiction, where food addiction belongs to.

If you are not sure whether you are addicted to food or not, here are some signs to check

• Having cravings even when you’re full

Getting cravings is normal for almost everyone. However, if you notice that you usually have cravings even when you’re filled up, it is a sign that you’re addicted. A craving happens when you want to eat something even though you are full.

If you have cravings often, and it is hard to ignore them, you might be suffering from food addiction.

• Eating more than intended

Everyone has their limit and capacity when it comes to eating. If you discovered that you find it effortless to exceed your bandwidth almost every time, you might be struggling with addiction.

When eating, a good rule of thumb is to ensure you don’t eat up to the point where you begin to feel filled up.

• Giving excuses for eating a certain food

When you discover that you love giving excuses for eating a particular type of meal, you might be addicted. You would be forced not to focus on other meals because this particular one triggers your brain’s reward system.

• Inability to set rules for self-control

One of the best ways to achieve self-control is to set rules for yourself. If you feel that you are struggling with food addiction, you can know if you keep failing your rules.

For instance, if you decide not to take soda for a week, and you end up taking it several times, you might be dealing with food addiction.

If you have continuously tried to quit food addiction and it’s not working, you can see any reputable addiction therapist in Canada to get help.

Many people use drugs for different reasons. Some of them use drugs because of peer pressure, others might want to use drugs to escape from the painful realities of life. When a drug is abused, it can develop into an addiction.

During this phase, drug use becomes an all-inclusive activity that takes the highest priority in their life. Drug addiction can affect physical and mental health, and getting professional and profound help is one of the ways to get back on track.

Canada is home to some of the best counseling help for drug addiction. The essence of counseling is to primarily guide the addict as they begin their journey to recovery.

Here are some functions of counseling for drug addiction in Canada

• Forming a therapeutic alliance

It becomes easier for a patient to desire treatment when he has a therapeutic alliance with the addiction counselor. In Canada, counselors are adept at creating a strong relationship with patients that calls for comfortability and openness.

When a therapeutic alliance is created, the patient can easily open up to the counselor which would make it easy to sort out their problems and work on arriving at a solution.

• Encourage the patient to get better

It is difficult to make a firm decision to stay clear of drug addiction. However, your decision can be reinforced when encouraged by the drug addiction counselor.

While the counselor encourages the patient to get better, they work towards developing a unique motivation style that fits the peculiarities of the patient.

• Develop a relapse prevention plan

Many people think that once drug addiction treatment is over, there is no need to undergo any form of treatment.

Some of them are unaware that people still get addicted even after recovering. This is why going for aftercare treatment is non-negotiable.

The counselor is aware of the possibility of a drug addiction relapse, and it is their responsibility to create a prevention plan that would fortify the individual with effective coping strategies.

Many people do not know what addiction stands for and this is why they would hardly believe anyone who tells them they are addicted. There are some addicted individuals who are unaware of their condition and they are endangering their lives each day.

One of the major types of addiction in Canada is Drug addiction and alongside with alcohol addiction, it is one of the primary types of addiction which is prevalent in several people.

Below are some of the effects of drug addiction in Canada

Poor immune system

Drug addiction affects the immune system in a number of ways. In the long-term, drug addiction adversely impairs the digestive system, damaging the tracts in the digestive tract.

This results in the slow-down of how the body absorbs vital protein. Also, the liver functioning is affected which results in an abnormal storage of essential vitamins.

In addition, the body becomes incapable of producing enough white blood cells, which affects the body’s response to cancers and other diseases.

The effect on the Heart

Someone who is addicted to drugs is at a higher risk of coming down with heart-related problems like stroke and heart attack. These drugs regularly increase the heart rate and increases blood pressure, which makes the individual more susceptible to stroke and heart attack.

The effect on the Brain

The brain is where the rush of the chemicals are felt, and if the brain continues to experience this intense rush, its optimal functioning is affected. The brain’s structure is affected when drugs are used for a very long time. And since the brain is still developing, alterations can induce long-term effects.

In addition, some studies have shown that there is a connection between mental disorder and drug addiction. In most instances, the brain reconfigures itself according to what the drug dictates. This is what occurs during long-term use of drugs.

If you know someone who is addicted to drugs in Canada, it is important for you to get involved by trying to help them.

According to the erstwhile Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey in 2012, an estimate of 21.6% of Canadians met the criterion for all the substance use disorders. This implies that, as at 2012, about 8 million people were struggling with addiction in Canada.

The challenge several people have is identifying those who are addicted, and with the signs and symptoms below, you can spot an addicted person.

• Financial Issues

Those who are addicted usually have issues with their finances. You will discover that they run out of cash quite too often. This is because they spend excessively and regularly on their addiction.

These individuals can go to the extent of borrowing money to fund their addiction, and they usually run into debts.

• Show of irresponsibility

Individuals who are addicted usually ignore their personal obligations because of their addiction. For the addicted students, they would concentrate more on their addiction instead of school.

The bulk of their attention would be on their addiction and their interest in academics would drop.

Similarly, the working-class individuals would find it challenging to focus on work. Rather, their attention would be invested in their addiction. And it is easy for this set of people to get sacked.

• Isolation

Addicted individuals prefer to keep to themselves rather than mingle with others. The reason is they are aware that their addiction is a nuisance to their family and friends. And to prevent the stigmatization, they would rather keep to themselves instead of staying with others.

• Unhealthy relationships

One feature typical of addicted individuals is the kind of relationships they keep. The worst part of these relationships is, they promote the individual’s addiction. And since there is no one available to correct them, they would continue to get worse in their addiction problem.

It would be difficult for addicted individuals to let go of these relationships because of the pleasure that comes with addiction.

Once you have spotted someone who is addicted, it is advised to help them seek help before their problem gets worse.

When it comes to addiction recovery, it could be the same like other parts of the world.

The major difference would however be that, Canada being a developed country and having a top-notch medical system, would facilitate a quicker and safer means of addiction recovery.

The processes involved however, are pretty much the same like other countries in the world.

No two persons have the capacity to recover from addiction, in the exact way. It could be the same process, but there would surely be a clear difference.

Addicted individuals need to own up to the fact that, they are addicted, and they need help to break through. This is the first step to recovery from addiction in Canada.

The next step is to seek a search support. The quicker you get support, the faster your recovery process. You need to get someone that can be trusted.

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Someone who will be willing to go down the recovery route with you, even though they are not addicted. If there is no loved one around, then it would be beneficial to consult the services of a counselor.

Addiction has a certain peculiarity, and this is the process of carrying out the same routine repeatedly. To break free from addiction, you need to quit the usual routine, this would make it difficult for addiction to surface.

You need to take up new challenges and tasks, and modify the way you address some issues.

The process of substituting a bad habit with a good one is important, and this would go a long way in ensuring you recover faster from addiction.

In addition to this, people who are recovering from addiction need to make amends for their shortcomings.

During the course of addiction, there are tendencies to have misunderstandings with people, particularly those who are close to you. This is why it is necessary to make amends.

Also, you also need to make sure you avoid relapse. One of the best ways to do this, is to be under the guidance of a counselor.

Mental health counseling is a profession which specializes in the use of various psychotherapy techniques and methods, for the purpose of helping people who are going through psychological distress.

Mental health problem is highly prevalent, and this stresses the demand for the need of mental health counseling.

In Canada, mental health counseling is very common. People are known to encounter various psychological challenges at different points in their lives.

A good number of times, they find it difficult to cope all by themselves, and hence, they need the help of a professional to help them pull through.

One of the functions of mental health counseling in Canada is, the proper assessment and diagnosis of clients who are going through symptoms of psychological problems.

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This form of assessment is usually conducted without any form of bias. The counselor approaches all cases with an open mind.

In addition to this, mental health counseling also provide a platform where they can discuss with their clients concerning their emotions, thoughts and experiences.

Mental health counselors are professionals whose job is to ensure they are always here for you. Not everyone feels safe opening up to family and friends, so they would rather opt for a mental health professional.

Mental health counseling also provides an avenue whereby they work with clients, with the aim of identifying thoughts, behaviors and situations, which could affect their wellness and recovery.

They also pinpoint and evaluate social issues, which might be responsible for influencing the mental health of an individual.

When it comes to the form of treatment which a counselor would give, they are usually personalized. This is because, no two clients can have the same mental health problem.

Hence, it is important for a counselor to take out ample time to listen to the client, and take the necessary deductions which would be quintessential to providing a working treatment plan.

A good number of people who are in the mental health counseling wing in Canada, are those who have a bachelor’s degree in sociology, psychology and the likes.

Food is needed for our survival, and hence, it is difficult to do without food for a long period of time. Food provides pleasure, enjoyment and the likes, and it is needed to sustain us. We are motivated to eat food based on the taste, texture and smell.

There are some people who are addicted to food, but they are unaware of this.

As a matter of fact, the severity of food addiction is likened to alcohol and drugs addiction. It is very easy to spot people who are addicted to food.

They love foods which have high contents of salt, fat and sugar. Foods which are extremely rich in the above mentioned contents provide gratification feelings.

When you compare these feelings to what an alcohol or drug addict would experience, they are basically the same thing.

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It has reached the extent that, some people depend on these feelings of gratification, and you will find them opting for the foods which provide them.

In some cases, there are some people who go through strenuous work, and the only way they can prevent themselves from burning out, is by eating much food.

Hence, taking food in excess prevents them from being stressed out.

In Canada, food addicts are known for depending on the feelings which they get from some foods. So, even though they are not hungry, they will still feel the desire to eat, and this results in an addictive cycle.

As they eat the food, pleasurable feelings are produced, and they do not take a balanced nutrition in the process.

When food addicts do not get the feelings they desire, or the food they want becomes difficult to access, there are adverse consequences which comes with it.

These consequences are usually unpleasant, and they have severe implications which could ruin their lives in the long run.

The symptoms which come with food addiction are chronic ones, and they damage the life of an individual slowly.

People who are addicted to food need ample care and love, and they need to receive treatment from the best of professionals.  

Drug addiction exists in Canada, and just like the rest of the world. No matter how developed a country might be, drug addiction is a disease which would always be present.

Till now, the healthcare sector is putting strict measures in place to ensure that drug addiction is drastically reduced, particularly the opioid epidemic which is somewhat rampant in the country.

However, based on statistics, drug abuse and addiction in Canada seems to be on the decline. The percentage of people using opioid in Canada has seen a 2% drop in the last few years.

In addition to this, less than 1% of adults have been reported to use the drug. In the world and Canada particularly, one of the commonest homegrown drugs, is methamphetamine.

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This drug is responsible for drug seizures which is a common cause of death in the United States. However, in Canada, it is not a cause for concern because people rarely use it, even though it is commonly grown.

The most abused recreational drug in Canada is cannabis, and the usage is still at a minimal rate.

Based on research, female addicts are likely to die from drug addictions than male addicts, and this probability is pegged at 54%. However, male addicts are more than female addicts.

The people who are at most risk, are teenagers, as a good number of them are found to indulge in both drug and alcohol abuse, which often leads to addiction.

A good number of the drugs which are responsible for drug addiction, are shipped in through the Canada/US border, and they have their origin in Mexico.

A good number of dangerous drugs like opioid fentanyl have their origin from Hong Kong and China, where they are manufactured on a large scale. Thereafter, they are distributed in smaller packages to distributors.

People who are addicted to drugs in Canada, are known to spend massive each year. This is because they have to spend on healthcare costs.

Alongside drug addiction in Canada, another top form of addiction is alcohol addiction.

The good part is, Canada has a proficient medical system, which is enough to cater for the treatment needs of addicts.  

Alcohol addiction results from alcohol abuse and dependence, and it would interest you to know that, it is one of the commonly most abused substances in the world alongside with drugs.

Taking alcohol in large quantities, on a long-term basis is dangerous. There are chances that, health problems would be cause, some of which could result in death.

There are some people who control the rate at which they take alcohol, and there are no effects. While for others, they take alcohol, develop a dependence, and they become addicted in the process.

Based on ample research, alcohol addiction has the capacity to affect the state of health of a person. The organs could be affected such as the kidneys, pancreas, liver and the likes.

On the brain as well, alcohol addiction can affect both long-term and short-term. In essence, the communication pathways of the brain are affected.

The same applies to the behavior and mood of an individual. Alcohol affects the body and brain nutrition, and this could cause damage.

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However, if proper treatment is provided, the brain problems induced by alcohol can be treated. When someone does not take alcohol for a long period of time, there is a tendency that the effects would wear out.

The behavior of an individual can also be affected by alcohol. The person’s speech becomes slurred. Confusion sets in on a regular basis.

The person is also bound to experience memory loss on a temporary basis. This is one of the reasons why drunk drivers are always advised not to get behind the wheels.

They are not in the perfect state of mind, and they are a potential threat to pedestrians and other car users.

People who are addicted to alcohol, find it difficult to own up to their addiction problem. When in fact, this is one of the best ways to commence the journey to defeating addiction.

A counselor is always needed at this phase, because he or she would be there in every step of the way to provide the best treatment plan.