2016-17 Annual Report

James’ Story

“I began drinking at a young age with occasional binge drinking. As I got older, got married and had children, my drinking frequency increased greatly. At 47 years old, I lost my job. After 10 months of unemployment, I resumed full time work – for which I was not ready. Within weeks, I started to drink more and more. I got to the point where if I didn’t drink on a Monday, I congratulated myself; believing that was proof that I wasn’t an alcoholic.

Then, a series of events happened that affected me greatly. My closest friend, and drinking buddy, got sober. Another dear friend, who at one time shared a common interest in fitness, died suddenly of lung cancer. Her downfall was her inability to stop smoking while she made great headway in virtually all other aspects of her life. Thirdly, a childhood friend of mine was diagnosed with ALS. I was shattered that such a good person, a great father, and husband, could be stricken with such a horrific hand in life through no fault of his own. While these served as nudges, I continued to drink, an attempt to bury the guilt and shame that my drinking and eating habits were piling on top of me on an almost daily basis.

On Monday May 24, 2016, I woke up after a weekend of relentless drinking and realized that I had hit my bottom. Something had to be done. I called my best friend, now sober for over a year, crying that I thought I was an alcoholic, and I didn’t know what to do. He encouraged me to see my doctor and he also mentioned ASYR as a possible solution. I didn’t know such a place existed, but I was anxious to get counselling. At the time I had no idea of the amazing journey that lay ahead of me.

I was very fortunate to be connected to a counsellor who has been nothing short of amazing for me. My counsellor has been my confidante, my sounding board, my guide, my rock, and of course the occasional dose of reality. She has helped me rediscover myself, to lead me to understand who I can be without the weight of my addiction bringing me down. Her ability to listen, without judgement, to all that I am, all that I’ve been, and all that I want to be, has made the experience both serene and thought provoking. I value her insights immensely.

I know that my success is a direct result of who my counsellor is and her ability to accept me at face value. Still, ASYR is much more than just a one-on-one counselling service. My after care group has also been instrumental in my recovery. This is a place where I can feel free to share anything and everything that’s going on in my life without fear of judgement or repercussions. ASYR is also the friendly receptionists who treat every client with dignity, acceptance and sincerity. Their cheery, welcoming attitude is something I look forward to with each visit.

ASYR is a team of caring people, who understand the challenges of achieving harm reduction and/or abstinence; who work with individuals like me to delve into our lives and help identify what led us to addiction and addictive behaviours.

I owe my 16 months of sobriety to many things. My family, my friends, my employer, my doctor, my AA group, and even to myself. None of it though, would have been possible without the amazing care and attention that I received at ASYR. Hours of counselling, e-mail follow ups and phone calls and weekly group meetings, have all been absolutely crucial in my journey of sobriety.

ASYR has taught me the skills and the patience to manage my life differently; to deal with challenges and obstacles in a productive and meaningful way. That’s not to say that life is a bowl of cherries. There are still some difficult days; days when I think of returning to my old ways. That’s when what I’ve learned and experienced means the most to me. To understand how to meet those challenges and stay sober means everything to me, and of course to my family, my friends and anyone else who relies on me to be me.”

Colin’s Story

“So much has taken place since the first time I walked through the doors of ASYR. A typical office building from the outside, but an ever-changing landscape inside. Don’t judge a book by its cover; that’s the first thing I learned.

Warmer days had begun that year. Sunshine and blossoms. But, the cold, numb, hallow self remained. I met my counsellor and the thaw was instantly initiated. The non-existent self-esteem I had started to plant roots within.

Emotions were sprouting out of me, something I had not felt in years, even decades. This whole life thing everyone keeps talking about was becoming a part of me for the first time. I spoke of things that I’ve not told anyone. Trust was improving. Resilience was taking effect. Stubbornness was slowly evaporating. My life was changing.

I took the opportunity to attend the Men’s Aftercare Group and it helped me considerably along my journey. Knowing you’re not alone has so much power, and your perspective in life begins to alter… for the better.

I’ve taken so much positivity from ASYR that it flows out of my pores. It latches onto others around me. It compounds on top of itself and envelops my world. I thrive on it.

I now have a very well-paying job, my bills are paid, my car has fuel, my bank account has more zeros.

My heart is full.”