Shame and addiction are closely related. People who feel high levels of shame, for example, are more likely to develop an addiction to drinking or gambling (Bilevicius, E. et al., 2018). Such feelings can lead to a negative circle whereby the addiction causes shame and that sense of shame in turn...
For many people, shopping is nothing more than a harmless pastime, as they use their disposable income to buy clothes, shoes, household items, and other consumer goods that promise some degree of pleasure or utility. For others, however, shopping can cross the line into an addiction, as they...
It is well-known that cannabis—often referred to as marijuana, pot, or weed—is “one of the most commonly used drugs in Canada” (CCDUS, n.d.). In fact, according to the 2018 National Cannabis Survey, almost 16% of Canadians reported using the substance at least once in the past three months...
Alcohol is the most popular drug in Canada by a significant margin. According to data from the 2015 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey, 76.9% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past year. Despite its broad social acceptance, however, alcohol is the...
In 1966 close to 50 percent of Canadians aged 15 and over were smokers (Tasker, 2018). Fortunately, this presented the peak of cigarette addiction (Tasker, 2018). By 2015 the number of addicted individuals had fallen to 15 percent of the population, an encouraging figure given the health...
The tactics imposed during the global ‘war on drugs’ divides public opinion. Many people believe that addiction and the factors that contribute to it are not well understood. Drug and alcohol misuse are often the result of loneliness or depression and those who have an addiction turn to...
For individuals living with or recovering from addiction, practicing gratitude may be highly effective. One study found that individuals who completed a daily exercise of writing down three things they were grateful for “experienced lower levels of negative mood and greater levels of feeling...
Across the country, over 6 million Canadians suffer from substance abuse (Statistics Canada, 2015). In addition to drug and alcohol dependency, many more Canadians struggle with other types of addictions including gambling, sex, and internet addiction. Until the 1990s, little was known about the...