Freedom from Addiction: COVID-19 through the eyes of a recovering addictWhen I think of addiction, I sometimes see a rat running on a track inside my brain. This is, of course, a metaphor, but, in fact, our brains are wired into what might be thought of as “tracks,” some more trodden than others. These networks of neurons can be created, destroyed, strong, or weak. The […] Continue Reading |
Camosun MyWellness Column: Five tips for affordable, healthy cookingEvery college student knows the struggle of trying to juggle time, money, and energy. Cooking healthy meals in the midst of it all can be a challenge. So, the MyWellness program wants to bring you easy, affordable tips that you can incorporate into your time in the kitchen this week. 1. Cook soups, chilis, and […] Continue Reading |
Freedom from Addiction: Facing vulnerabilityWe are shaped into the person we are going to be when we are very young. Addicts are no exception. An addict is formed in the primary years of their life, as far as I have experienced, witnessed, and read. When we are young we are vulnerable, and if we are not carefully nurtured, we […] Continue Reading |
The Examined Life: Finding freedom from technologyAt your school, in your car, in your home, in your bed: it follows you, begging for attention. How much time does it spend in your hand, or in your pocket? When was the last time you were away from it? How often does it vibrate to let you know it’s time to check it […] Continue Reading |
Politics and other Nonsense: Free tuition means a better CanadaFree tuition has been a hotly debated topic for some time now in many countries, including Canada. It’s in the best interest of millions of people to provide free tuition, as it means equal access to education for all. Free tuition also promotes education and fixes a broken system of teaching that focuses more on […] Continue Reading |
Camosun MyWellness column: Creative ways to deal with mental healthAs a creative person who’s struggled with anxiety most of my life, I’ve found many ways to write, paint, and sing my way to mental freedom. Author Neil Gaiman once said that when things go wrong (which they most certainly will), you should make good art. Now, you may be thinking that there’s no way […] Continue Reading |
Politics and Other Nonsense: Protect people, not pipelinesMost media sources are reporting the Wet’suwet’en protest as an anti-pipeline protest, when in truth it’s much more about the sovereignty rights of an oppressed people than it is about a pipeline. The Wet’suwet’en never signed any land treaties with the colonizing government; in 1997, the Supreme Court of Canada even recognized their Aboriginal title […] Continue Reading |
Freedom from Addiction: Connection or addiction?Central to the quest of a sex/love addict is connection to another. Whether fleetingly, through pornography or sex, or longer-term, via the promise of a committed, fulfilling romance, connection—or rather the great imitator of connection, addiction—makes us feel alive and powerful and free. That is, until it leads to inevitable disappointment and emptiness. Some sex […] Continue Reading |
Freedom from Addiction: Choose the red pillWhen I think of waking up to reality, I often think of the popular 1999 movie The Matrix. The main character, Neo, must choose either the red pill, which would allow him to know things as they really are, or the blue pill, which would enable him to continue his life as usual. Neo doesn’t […] Continue Reading |
Camosun MyWellness column: Helping those with mental-health issuesAs we roll into February, seasonal depression is in full swing, and so are those year-round disorders that so many of us struggle with. But what if you’re on the outside? How can you offer support to someone that doesn’t know how to ask for it? Often, when people you love are dealing with anxiety, […] Continue Reading |
