Life Unscripted - Stories of Mental Health and Addiction

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Former Ontario member of parliament Lisa McLeod has always talked openly about her depression and living with bipolar 1 disorder. She now shares regularly on Substack in Diary of a Bipolar Wandering Woman.  In this episode Janice and Lisa have an open conversation about what it's like to live with bipolar 1 and some ideas on how to bring calm into sometimes chaotic days.

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What if the most dangerous sports hits aren’t the ones you see on highlight reels?  U.S. bobsled Olympian William Person was on the team for 9 years and he experienced G-forces, track vibration, and micro-concussions that left him with dementia-like symptons from a chronic brain injury - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Person uses a hyperbaric oxygen chamber - HBOT- to help with symptons, a treatment pioneered by football great Joe Namath.  CTE is also a common injury for the military exposed to bombs and the G force from fighter jets. Person talks about CTE and his campaign to raise money for a HBOT centre that would be available to any person with CTE.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cte-recovery-for-athletes-and-military

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The Consumption and Treatment Services location in Niagara may have to close because a school is opening close to the site. Evidence shows that consumption sites save lives, including 1,500 in Niagara since it opening in 2018. Recent provincial policy has mandated that a CTE can't be near a school even if it is already in the location. It also can't relocate so the Niagara CTE will have to close it's doors.

https://positivelivingniagara.com/streetworks/consumption-treatment-services/

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Recovery feels different when someone who has walked the same road shows you where the ground is solid. We sit down with peer supporter Chantel Bellingham to unpack how lived experience can cut through shame and build trust fast.

Chantel has been on the show to share her journey with addiction and how her experience is now her superpower.

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Parents and children can be confused, hurt and hopeless when a loved one  seems to put their subtance use and addiction ahead of their loved ones. Amber Hollingsworth is a therapist who helps families understand the grip addiction can have and tools to help themselves.  Lately, Amber has focused on her YouTube channel Put the Shovel Down, which is full of helpful videos.

Put the Shovel Down

Hope for Families 

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 The Working Mind is an evidence-based program developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada teaching employees and managers about mental health, reducing stigma, and building workplace resilience. Participants learn to recognize mental health changes, have open conversations, and develop coping and stress-management skills, creating supportive and psychologically safe workplaces. This course is available in manager and employee versions.

Janice is a facilitator, providing courses of The Working Mind. You can find more information at Janicearnoldi.com

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Sean Bennett served for more than 25 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and 35 years as a firefighter. For him, the worst of his post traumatic stress disdorder are horrible nightmares - often reliving some of the worst of his calls as a firefighter, which include 23 children.

Sean and his partner Graham Bettes, a police officer for 32 years, run a non-profit program in Niagara called Valhalla Project Niagara. It's a completely free program for veterans and first responders who come together for 5 days at a camp in a safe and serene natural environment where they can share and learn about PTSD, mental health and suicide.

The Vallhala Project is completely free and relies on donations.  Learn more on how to support the veterans and first responders who keep us safe at: https://www.valhallaprojectniagara.org/

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Imagine both parents dying within a month of each other. The grief is overwhelming. That's what happened to mental health advocate Jennifer McCready in 2024. Jennifer has lived with depression most of her life. This was the biggest challenge she'd faced. For more than a decade Jennifer has empowered women with self-love, self-acceptance, and self-confidence through her Lady Luck photograpy. Now Jennifer is putting her experience into a project that connects people with nature to help with their mental health.

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There can be immense pressure to drink during the December Holiday Season. Work, friends and family are having parties and alcohol is synonymous with celebrating. It can be particulary difficult for people who are in early recovery.

Janice Rutgers, Executive Director of Community Addiction Services of Niagara, shares practical, non-judgmental tips on making the holidays healthier for everyone.

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Chantel Bellingham was born 3 months early, weighed just over 3 pounds and addicted to methadone and possibly other opiates. She was adopted by a wonderful family but it’s not a surprise that addiction reared it’s ugly head when she was in college.

Chantel is with me today to talk about using substances and how she is using her experience to help others.  

She is now a peer support worker at Community Addiction Services of Niagara and will be back on the show in January to talk about the importance peer support and how she is using her experiences and to help people who are battling mental illness and substance use issues. 

Community Addiction Services of Niagara