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...
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...
While ‘risky’ or ‘binge’ drinking is more common among men, studies show this behaviour is increasing rapidly among young Canadian women. In 2013, 56 per cent of young women (ages 15 and older) said they partook in binge drinking within the last year—up from 44 per cent in 2004 (Public...
In 2012, Harvard researchers attempted to determine why human beings devote 30 to 40 per cent of their speech to informing others about their “subjective experiences” (Tamir and Mitchell, 2012). They concluded that “self-disclosure”—communicating about oneself—was intrinsically...
As an addictions case manager and sober coach, Kamal Singh plays an important role at Together We Can (TWC)—a partner organization of Rhodes Wellness College. TWC is a Vancouver addictions centre that helps men enter recovery from substance misuse, empowering them toward more healthy and...
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) (2012), youth aged 15-24 have the highest rate of self-reported use of prohibited substances in comparison to other age groups. The Canadian Centre for Addictions (CCFA) (2018) further cites data compiled by Statistics Canada...
With the advent of mobile phones and tablets, nearly everyone has access to a plethora of information and various types of entertainment in the form of apps at their fingertips. At present, the biggest category of apps and also the most popular is that of mobile games, comprising 20% of the...
As a future addictions counsellor, you’ll likely not only work with clients who have an addiction, but you may also work with their family members and loved ones. An addiction can take a significant toll on family dynamics. Therefore, counselling the family members can be an important part of the...
Addiction is a widespread problem that affects many Canadians and their families. In fact, approximately 20 per cent of the population—or one in every five Canadians—will struggle with addiction or mental health (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2017). The process of addiction can happen...