From Darkness to Life Podcast: Stories of Recovery & Resilience

We are very grateful to have Alberta’s honourable Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Mike Ellis and MLA for Brooks/Medicine Hat Michaela Frey join us in studio. They join Rick and Ryan to discuss the Government of Alberta’s recent announcements for Medicine Hat and the province of Alberta.

Topics discussed:

• Digital Overdose Response System (DORS)
• Alberta’s award winning Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP)
• $825,000 grant awarded to Our Collective Journey
• Alberta’s Recovery Orientated System of Care

Thank you to Minister Ellis and MLA Frey for taking time out of their busy schedules to share with the FDTL audience.

Download Digital Overdose Response System (DORS): https://www.dorsapp.ca or any App Store.

VODP: Technology Delivered Same Day Medication Starts, Opioid Treatment Transition Service, and Ongoing Opioid Dependency Care available to ALL Albertans. 7 Days Per Week.

1-844-383-7688

Our Collective Journey:

www.ourcollectivejourney.ca

The studio is full of recovery today as Rick and Ryan welcome Jon to the show.

Realizing his story might help someone else take the steps into recovery, Jon is very open to sharing his story of how he went From Darkness to Life. He speaks candidly about his time in the military and how his experiences there contributed to his alcoholism.

Jon shifts gears from past to present and lays out the steps he needed to take in order to challenge his wild relationship with alcohol.

From problem to his solution. A great story that will surely help someone out there struggling with addiction. There is hope, you are not alone!

This week Amber takes the microphone to converse with Ryan and Stacey O. about the topic of surrendering.

Surrender is one of the most important steps we can take to begin the process of change.

Throughout the episode, they cover what surrender looked like for them and how they did it. How surrender does not mean that they gave up and it certainly doesn’t mean there is something wrong with any of us!

If you are struggling with clearing that first hurdle towards recovery, this is the episode for you to hear. Try to listen for the similarities, not the differences and then reach out when you’re ready.

www.ourcollectivejourney.ca

Imagine being 17 years old, surviving a very traumatic accident where you lost four of your teammates to death and not knowing where to turn. Hearing statements like “What’s wrong with you? You better figure it out quickly!” from people who held the next key to your advancement. Negative self-talk and dark thoughts slowly creeping in as you plow your way forward, trying to continue living out your childhood dream.

For our guest, Bob Wilkie, this was his reality. The former NHLer – Best Selling Author of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos – Mental Performance & Life Coach – Elite Hockey Coach – Award Winning Entrepreneur – Motivational Speaker, opens up to give us a glimpse into his journey. Unmet expectations, trauma, striving for perfection, pressure from coaches and peers led Bob to anxiety, depression and eventual substance abuse. Bob shares what the light bulb moment was for him and the action steps he started taking to get out of the “dark hallway”. He then decided to dedicate his life’s work to improving the mental wellness and performance in not only sports, but business and education as well.

You can find Bob and his amazing work at igotmind.ca.

This is an important episode! Rick and Ryan gratefully welcome their Moms to the show this week. Yes, their Moms! If you are a mom to a child struggling with addiction—whether or not they are in recovery—you undoubtedly understand the pain that accompanies it.

Addiction impacts the entire family and Paula and Lynda open up to share their personal experiences with the chaotic lives.

Stop in… take a look at our addictions through the eyes of our courageous mothers as they share some very insightful thoughts.

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Reaching out to Our Collective Journey could be an important step if you don't know where else to turn to help a loved one in crisis.

Reach out on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ourcollectivejourney3

Website:

https://ourcollectivejourney.ca

There IS Help.

Ashley shares her brave story with Ryan and Amber about her sobriety as she reaches her one year milestone! She shares how being in the drug court program & 12 steps have been key to her success in recovery.

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Reaching out to Our Collective Journey could be an important step if you don't know where else to turn to help a loved one in crisis.

Reach out on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ourcollectivejourney3

Website:

https://ourcollectivejourney.ca

There IS Help.

NOTE: Due to Covid and Scheduling challenges, this episode was recorded entirely over ZOOM. Audio quality may be slightly diminished.

THIS WEEK:

Rick and Ryan graciously welcome former NHL goaltender Kelly Hrudey to the show this week.

After finishing his 15 year NHL career, Kelly has been a mainstay on Hockey Night in Canada. More importantly, Kelly is a very passionate advocate for mental health.

Kelly discusses the first battle with his mental health during the 1992 NHL season… while not really knowing what it was. From there, he openly shares his journey along with glimpses into his own daughter’s mental health experiences. Kelly talks about Kaitlin’s passion and bravery which led to her sharing her story with the world almost a decade ago. She has since started an independent clothing company called more “More Good Days”.

As the gentleman converse, it’s clear that they aim to help other have more good days.

Check out moregooddaysclothing.com where a portion of their proceeds are donated to Canada Suicide Prevention Services and other Canadian mental health organizations.

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Reaching out to Our Collective Journey could be an important step if you don't know where else to turn to help a loved one in crisis.

Reach out on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ourcollectivejourney3

Website:

https://ourcollectivejourney.ca

There IS Help.

This week Ryan sits down with Canadian Country Music Artist, Greg Rider. Greg shares candidly about his journey into country music and how alcohol became a fixture along the way.

From the Cayman Islands to Nashville, Ontario to Calgary, Greg openly talks about the challenges he has faced and the impact his relationship to alcohol has had throughout his life.

Although their stories are vastly different, Ryan and Greg find common thread in their life experiences with substances and what they’re now doing to make change.

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📍Greg can be found on FB and Instagram @gregriderofficial. He also has a new private FB group called “Team Rider” that can be found through his FB page. Check him out, stream some of his fantastic music and support a terrific Canadian artist as he unfolds version 2 of his career and personal journey. Sober.

https://www.facebook.com/gregriderofficial/

#ourcollectivejourney #ocj #mentalhealthmatters #addictionrecovery #ccma #recoveroutloud #anxiety #depression #sober #sixteensticks #livedexperience #reachout #youarenotalone

Poncho, Tony Wozniak, and Amber sit down to discuss Tony’s journey to recovery. Tony openly talks about the loss of his son and how that

changed his life, how he shows up everyday to stay sober to best support himself, his surviving son and his community.

From Darkness to Life contains the real stories of courageous individuals who have found their way out of the darkness caused by mental health challenges and substance abuse. If the following episode resonates with you and you yourself or someone you love needs help, please reach out to Our Collective Journey on the web at "http://ourcollectivejourney.ca" or on Facebook at "Our Collective Journey."

https://www.facebook.com/ourcollectivejourney3

An OCJ first today as Poncho holds down the studio while Ryan and Amber join guest Brian McGrath all via Zoom. Brian, who is in recovery, is one of the founders of Optimal Recovery Coaching Associates (ORCA) located in White Rock, BC. He brings a wealth of experience in the addiction recovery field along with his own personal experience to the show this week.

Episode 17 explores what a recovery coach is and what it isn’t; the importance of building trust and rapport and how an RC can help empower individuals in their recovery journey.

Recovery Coaching is simply another resource to help guide individuals along the winding road to recovery!

You can find Brian and the rest of the ORCA team at https://www.optimalrecovery.ca.

Reaching out to Our Collective Journey could be an important step if you don't know where else to turn to help a loved one in crisis.

Reach out on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ourcollectivejourney3

Website:

https://ourcollectivejourney.ca

There IS Help.