Janet Woititz

The Issue Most Canadians are affected by mental illness, either directly or indirectly, through family, friends or colleagues. Yet there is still a stigma attached to this range of diseases that is a barrier to correct diagnosis and treatment, as [...]

Prevention: Pervasive, consistent messages to young people about drugs and alcohol can be an effective tool. Effective prevention requires that the same messages about alcohol, drugs, and tobacco be delivered by multiple messengers-schools, parents, peers, and the community-repeatedly throughout childhood [...]

Help for Addiction Alcohol and drug abuse problems can be treated. Once someone decides that they need help, help is available. But then, what if the person is unwilling to get help? Addiction thrives in Secrecy We can begin by [...]

Stress Stress is a fact of daily life and is the result of both the good and bad things that happen. Too much stress can cause serious health concerns, but there are many ways of dealing with stress that can [...]

The following article presents four developmental stages of family recovery described by Brown and Lewis, and describes for each stage, the possible impact of the family environment—in particular, parenting practices on child development. These different stages of recovery appear to [...]

Excessive Drinking Alcohol depresses your central nervous system. In some people, the initial reaction may be stimulation. But as you continue to drink, you become sedated. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and affects your thoughts, emotions and judgment. Too much alcohol [...]

Being in recovery means we don’t need or want to lie to ourselves. Denial is our escape from reality, our fantasy. It’s lying to ourselves. All is fine, and we are in control. Denial keeps us from the truth. A [...]

Because each of us is different, there is no one “correct” way to cope with stress. However, there are a number of different things that can be done, and it is helpful to look at both short and long-term solutions [...]

The concept of ‘co-dependency’ (also called ‘co-alcoholism’ when alcoholism is involved) refers to an unhealthy pattern of relating to others that results from being closely involved with an alcoholic or addict, whether they are seeking a drug treatment center or [...]

Shame Shame, as the conductor of the affective orchestra in humans, is a powerful, elusive and tricky emotion that can protect or destroy the organism – depending on the circumstances. Often referred to as the pathological affect of abandonment, indignity, [...]

Becoming aware of addictive behaviors, thoughts, and emotional build-up. Recovery is more than just abstinence; however, abstinence is the first step in recovery. It is stopping drug and alcohol use. The next step is “staying stopped”, a process called: ‘relapse [...]

Can addiction be treated successfully? Yes. Addiction is a treatable disease. Discoveries in the science of addiction have led to advances in drug abuse treatment that help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives. Can addiction be cured? [...]