This week is National Addictions Awareness Week. I was honoured to be asked, by the Driftpile Maggie Willier Wellness Centre, to deliver the first day workshop on Addictions and Suicide.
This was fun with a great audience of community members. It was such an important topic as we know, particularly in First Nations communities, addictions is such a problematic issues.
There is a definite increase in prescription drug abuse in the communities. Community members were provided with a great handout from the Drug Utilization Prevention and Promotion (DUPP) Project. There is some really great information in the handout. It explains how prescription drugs is becoming the "New Alcohol". That there are consequences in the community as a result of the misuse, The handout answered some questions, outlines different pills that are being misused but also talked about the necessity of awareness. It describes the Path to Spiritual Wellness as being:
1) Help change denial in your community.
2) Help share awareness of the problem and challenges we are facing.
3) Help create and participate in an action plan.
If you want this handout check with your local Health Centre to see if they can provide copies to your community.
In terms of Addictions and Suicide, we discussed many issues. There is a high rate of people who have died by suicide who were under the influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs including prescription pills.
We talked about being able to:
1) ASK about Suicide
2) LISTEN to what they are going through
3) HELP them by using the resources around you, friend, family and professionals all can make a difference and be community supports
Here's their poster for the rest of the National Addictions Awareness Week.
This was fun with a great audience of community members. It was such an important topic as we know, particularly in First Nations communities, addictions is such a problematic issues.
There is a definite increase in prescription drug abuse in the communities. Community members were provided with a great handout from the Drug Utilization Prevention and Promotion (DUPP) Project. There is some really great information in the handout. It explains how prescription drugs is becoming the "New Alcohol". That there are consequences in the community as a result of the misuse, The handout answered some questions, outlines different pills that are being misused but also talked about the necessity of awareness. It describes the Path to Spiritual Wellness as being:
1) Help change denial in your community.
2) Help share awareness of the problem and challenges we are facing.
3) Help create and participate in an action plan.
If you want this handout check with your local Health Centre to see if they can provide copies to your community.
In terms of Addictions and Suicide, we discussed many issues. There is a high rate of people who have died by suicide who were under the influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs including prescription pills.
We talked about being able to:
1) ASK about Suicide
2) LISTEN to what they are going through
3) HELP them by using the resources around you, friend, family and professionals all can make a difference and be community supports
Here's their poster for the rest of the National Addictions Awareness Week.
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