The Addiction & Recovery Resource Blog

Support Groups for Family & Friends of Addicts

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 1 May 2020

Loved ones can be tremendous sources of motivation and inspiration for someone battling with addiction. Their support plays a pivotal role in seeing the person through addiction recovery. However, family and friends of addicts also suffer from a great deal of emotional turmoil in the process. Who is left to support them? This is where joining addiction support groups can...

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COVID-19, Addiction Services & Accessible Testing: A Letter to Doug Ford & Christine Elliott

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 21 Apr 2020

UPDATE - May 25, 2020: Freedom From Addiction is pleased to see Doug Ford & the Ontario Government open up and encourage testing to all those who need it. On Sunday May 24th, Ford encouraged the public to get tested for COVID-19, including those who may be asymptomatic or think they may have been exposed. The messaging from Ford is...

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Our COVID-19 Response & Action Plan

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 16 Mar 2020

UPDATE - May 25, 2020: Freedom From Addiction is pleased to see Doug Ford & the Ontario Government open up and encourage testing to all those who need it. On Sunday May 24th, Ford encouraged the public to get tested for COVID-19, including those who may be asymptomatic or think they may have been exposed. The messaging from Ford is...

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How to Differentiate Binge Drinking and Alcoholism

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 31 Jan 2020

We’ve all experienced a night drinking with friends where it’s gone too far and we’ve had to deal with a major hangover the next morning. In fact, binge drinking is probably one of the most common patterns of alcohol consumption in North America. While you may associate binge drinking with younger, college-age people, it’s something that people of all ages...

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Effects of Drug Overdose on Your Body

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 9 Jan 2020

Illegal drugs are not new and has been an increasingly severe problem since the 80s. In 2017 alone, there were more than 4,000 drug-related deaths in Canada caused by overdose. This dangerous statistic highlights the importance of ensuring the continuation of drug addiction recovery centres in Toronto and across the country as well. With so many people affected by this...

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A Brief History of the Canadian Opioid Crisis

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 6 Jan 2020

Drug addiction starts somewhere small and simple - it can be from cigarettes to something more dangerous like cocaine or meth. Illegal drugs can be found anywhere around the globe, and Canada is no stranger to this kind of danger. Keep reading to find out more about where the Canadian Opioid Crisis all began. What Are Opioids? Opioids are drugs...

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Debunking Myths About Opiate Addiction

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 30 Dec 2019

As opiate disorder continues to kill thousands of people in North America annually, it receives increasing amounts of mainstream media coverage. In some respects, this is a good thing – the information does help spread awareness of the dangers of opioid use, after all. In other respects, however, the coverage does quite a bit of harm to those struggling with...

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What to Do If You See Someone Who Has Overdosed on Opioids

• Mandeep Sandhu
• 23 Dec 2019

Opioid addiction negatively impacts all aspects of life, from relationships with family and friends to physical and mental health. One of the most heartbreaking realities of addiction, however, is overdose. When an opioid addict overdoses, their life hangs in the balance and, depending upon the exact opioid in question, quick action could be the difference between life and death. Let’s...

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Which Opiates Are the Most Commonly Abused?

• Kate Pindera
• 9 Dec 2019

Opioid addiction is a serious issue currently affecting millions of people in North America. In fact, experts describe the current addiction issue as an “epidemic” worse than anything we’ve seen in the past three decades. Because it’s such a widespread problem, it’s important to understand the basic facts surrounding the issue to better handle any potential situations you might face...

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How Do I Know If Someone Is On Opioids?

• Kate Pindera
• 2 Dec 2019

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 10 million people misused or abused opioids in 2018. As the number of individuals addicted to opioids continues to increase, it is imperative to better understand this health crisis. You should know that almost 10 million of those people abusing or misusing opioids in 2018 were using...

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