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Taking action against addiction is best accomplished by having a sense of structure to rely on. Although treatment professionals and providers typically build a foundation with their patients, some people may need an extra level of support. The hardiness model of resilience proposes three factors that create a strong and sturdy self: commitment, control, and challenge. Each characteristic is important to have in day-to-day life, but all are particularly powerful throughout the recovery process. Established by Salvatore R. Maddi, Ph.D., the concept of hardiness was developed from a landmark study on Illinois Bell Telephone (IBT) staff. After comparing the wellness of 400 employees before, during, and after a massive company restructuring, Maddi and his research team noticed a significant subset of employees that reacted positively to the change. As a result of further analysis, Maddi identified a trio of personality traits that contributed to this resilience:

A person’s teenage years are a primetime of potential influences. A supportive teacher can inspire students to achieve their dreams. Participating in a sport or extracurricular program can foster a needed sense of teamwork. A life-changing experience could occur at any moment. Unfortunately, this significant situation could be the invitation to experiment with drinking or using drugs.

Although more treatment providers and health care organizations have begun to view addiction as a chronic and progressive disorder, many admitted patients leave early after the detoxification process. In order to match theory with practice, two modern studies have demonstrated that continued treatment after detox is correlated with more successful recoveries.

When addictions become too severe and ingrained within people’s lives, professionals often have to wean patients off their dependencies through the use of clinical medication. A number of different treatments are utilized depending on the type of substance use disorder. While some like Suboxone have been criticized for their regulation and potential for abuse, others like naloxone have saved countless lives from overdose.

Addiction and recovery can be viewed as opposing cyclical systems. There are a number of parallels between these transformative experiences, but the two are also in constant conflict. Whereas addictive behavior spirals a person’s life into distress and turmoil, beginning a recovery program gradually rebuilds a needed sense of stability. Understanding how these mirrored processes are related can help people reduce destructive behaviors and transform them into productive ones.

Although mental health and addiction both require recovery, their attitudes toward using medication are strictly distinct. While addressing addiction calls for an element of abstinence, more severe psychological conditions require pharmaceutical practices in order to ensure stability. However, if people struggling with mental illness become too reliant on their prescription use, treating their disorder can unintentionally lead to a substance use disorder.

Canada isn’t crossing any T’s or dotting any I’s on legalizing marijuana quite yet. According to CBC News, the government recently deployed a task force to investigate best way to plan and execute legalization of marijuana. Legalization was one of the liberal promises made by the young and popular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Right now the legalization movement is in nothing more than a preliminary research phase. However, legislation is expected any moment. The task force has been working and creating a plan since November of last year. They recently stated legislation would be announced April 20. In the article on CBC News, many questions are answered. Some of the questions missing from CBC include concerns regarding addiction, increased substance abuse, and mental health. Canada has led the way on the medical use of marijuana and progressive treatments for illnesses. Currently, Canada is struggling to keep up with addiction and alcoholism issues. Marijuana has many medical properties, but it is still a psychoactive drug which produces mind altering effects. Though research has found that alcohol is more of a “gateway” drug than marijuana is, the use of marijuana can inspire experimentation. Problematically, legalized marijuana will mean it is available in investment-backed and government regulated strengths, which can be incredibly potent. Abuse and misuse of marijuana is a concern. The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders added “marijuana use disorder” to the category of substance use disorders, which is the list of diagnosable addictions. Previously, marijuana wasn’t thought to be dependency forming or addictive. Despite a growing medicalization and legalization movement, there is a growing amount of people becoming dependent upon the drug. Marijuana can cause an intense physical and psychological dependency in which people are unable to function, eat, or sleep, without use of the drug. Without it, they experience symptoms of withdrawal which includes obsessive thinking, compulsive cravings, and many effects similar to withdrawal of other more “serious” drugs.

We all know that energy is transferable – that’s why it’s typically easy for us to tell when someone is upset or very agitated with us – their energy shifts. When we feel an energy shift, we can either ward off the energy or take it on as our own and become upset or agitated as well. The same can happen with anxiety - Dr. Jim Harter and Sangeeta Agrawal from Gallup News, a website aimed at providing businesses and organizations with analytics and advice, found distinct links between the well-being among team members and amongst their managers. In their study, they evaluated 105 teams with 1,740 people whose well-being was measured among three 6-month intervals. With this, they found that the well-being levels among team members were significantly connected to and dependent on the well-being of others on the team. Although the study conducted was in a workplace situation, anxiety can be transferred from anyone within any context. The key is to remember not to allow yourself to take on others’ anxiety. Anxiety.org, a website that provides information on the several types of anxiety disorders, states that unlike anxiety disorders, natural responses of anxiety and stress can easily be taken on by others simply due to exposure. By remaining actively aware of the stress responses of others, we can better manage our own energy levels to ensure that we don’t adopt a response that isn’t beneficial for us. Judith Orloff, MD and author of a book titled The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People, wrote in a 2011 article for The Huffington Post provided a compelling step-by-step guide to avoid absorbing negative energy and anxiety from others:

Personality disorders are more common than you might think. When someone develops an issue with substance abuse, they are likely living with an undiagnosed personality disorder, mood disorder, or psychiatric disorder. Living with a mental illness increases the chances of developing a substance use problem. Prone to thrill seeking, maladaptive behaviors, and a skewed sense of reward, there is a heightened vulnerability to the powerful effects of substances.

With movies, phrases, and common misconceptions, mental illnesses often get a bad reputation. Many people see a major event or upsetting situation that involves a mental illness and they believe that all people with that mental illness act a certain way or they develop negative views of a certain mental illness – causing an unbalance in societal views and perpetuating negativity. Stigmas often lead people to believe that mental illnesses are dangerous, unpredictable, that a person is responsible for their mental illness, or that a person is generally incompetent, and these views promote discrimination. For those of us who suffer from a mental illness, stigmas surrounding our disorder can be debilitating and can perpetuate the negative symptoms of the illness itself. If we can gain a better understanding of how stigmas impact people, we can change the conversation of mental illness to a more hopeful, positive, and realistic one – that each person, circumstance, and disorder is different and should be treated as such. Stigmas surrounding mental illnesses often exclude people from job opportunities, social events, educational opportunities, can cause people to be excluded from receiving patient-focused treatment and care, and even causes internalization. When a person experiences internalization, they believe the negative thoughts of others and think of themselves as unable to recover, undeserving of love and care, dangerous, unpredictable, and responsible for their illness. A 2015 review conducted by Clement and colleagues seen in Cambridge University Press found that of 90,189 participants identified in numerous studies, internalization and treatment stigma were most associated with reduced help-seeking. Disclosure concerns were the most prevalent reason for why people didn’t want to seek treatment. These are perpetuated by stigma and cause us to feel badly about ourselves or others. Stigmas perpetuate fear, and in turn cause people to be treated poorly for no reason. Author Samantha Gluck from Healthy Place identified in 2015 that prejudice, mistrust, and violence on those with mental disorders as mechanisms that further damage us as a society. They cause people to turn from their loved ones, create distance, and delay seeking help when it’s truly needed. On a basic level, stigmas provide no benefit to anyone because they are based on assumptions without knowing the facts. To reduce stigmas surrounding mental illness, we need to share our stories. Telling others about the reality of our symptoms will show that each person is different. Continue researching and providing facts to others. If we hear someone making an incorrect assumption about mental illness, and it is safe to do so, we should stand up for those who suffer from that mental illness and gently correct our loved ones. We should begin conversations surrounding mental illness to educate and inform others. Joining organizations that support mental illnesses is a fantastic way to get involved and to meet others who also suffer. Lastly, we should continue believing in ourselves and embracing who we are, no matter what anyone says.

Canada is going to legalize marijuana, most feel. The federal government is on its way to pushing and officiating legalized marijuana throughout the country. Attention around the world is turning toward Canada as the country prepares to lead the way with innovative production, distribution, and regulation. Yet, not every province of Canada is looking forward to the progressive move. Drug addiction and substance abuse riddle Canada in certain areas making lawmakers nervous about the federal legalization of the psychoactive drug. CBC News reports that Manitoba’s new laws are being called “short-sighted” and “unnecessary”. Problematically, the article reports, Manitoba officials didn’t consult medical cannabis users or cannabis-prescribing doctors to make their decision. “The legislation would bring in restrictions for marijuana similar to those for alcohol, banning people from consuming it in a vehicle and giving police the right to suspend a driver’s license for 24 hours if they thought the person was under the influence of the drug.” Driving under the influence of marijuana is becoming a concern in many areas throughout North America as marijuana continues to see legalization. One source contributing to the article claims that the Manitoba laws increase the stigma and shame faced by clinical patients who depend on medical cannabis for healing. However, the Manitoba authorities may not be far off in their measures. Manitoba is one of the areas of Canada being heavily hit by the opioid crisis. CBC News has also reported that 1 in 10 drivers in Manitoba are tested positive for marijuana, meth, and other drugs.

Making the decision to attend a treatment center is the best decision you could have made. You already know that you want optimal care and a supportive healthcare team to help you achieve your goals. With so many treatment facilities available, it can seem daunting to select the right fit. Depending on whether you have decided to partake in an intensive outpatient program, inpatient program or a residential treatment program, there may be several factors you want to consider. The following is a universal list of questions and concerns that you can utilize to ensure your treatment facility is the best fit for you: