Trades and construction are among the industries with the highest rates of alcohol consumption and drug use. Substance use disorder is roughly twice as common in the trades than in the general population. Given this disparity in prevalence, it is unsurprising that the trades show very high rate of overdose deaths, and concurrent mental health issues. At the same time, the culture of construction and trades has not fostered open discussion of these problems. For this reason, many who struggle with substances in the trades feel discouraged in their pursuit of recovery, and unaware of the supports available to them.
Hammer Time addresses this issue by providing those in the trades with an opportunity for connection, support, and education. Facilitated by an Umbrella staff member with extensive construction experience, Hammer Time offers a safe space to openly discuss substance use and recovery. Further, participants are directed toward helpful supports and resources.
Hammer Time is held online via Zoom on Thursdays from 7-8pm. No registration is required. To access this group, please click here.
Traditionally, addiction has been almost exclusively associated with substances. Increasingly, however, certain behaviours are being viewed as addictive because they produce a rush of feel-good chemicals in the brain which mimics the effects of drinking and drugging. We are now learning that the high experienced from engaging in certain behaviours, such as gambling, sex, exercise, video gaming or eating, can be just as addictive as that experienced from alcohol or drugs.
Combating these ‘behavioural addictions’ can, in fact, be very difficult because the neurochemical response is achieved internally, and comes from activities which are either part of normal life, or cannot be completely relinquished without negatively impacting quality of life. To achieve abstinence, the drug user or alcoholic has to stop using or drinking. The overeater, however, cannot abstain from eating. Further, the compulsive shopper, the romance addict, and the obsessive exerciser could completely give up these activities, but not without compromising well-being and potential happiness. Unlike the alcoholic or drug addict, then, the behavioural addict must learn moderation.
Umbrella’s Behavioural Addiction Group addresses these complex issues in weekly meetings which mix education, peer support, and coping strategies. This group meets online via Zoom on Thursdays from 7:30-8:30pm. No registration is required. To access this group, please click here.
Every Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:30 Umbrella offers SMART Recovery via ZOOM.
Use the link below, to join the weekly ZOOM Meeting.
Please join us weekly to explore and express All Things Gratitude.
In All Things Gratitude, participants share, explore and discover new ways to practice Gratitude, making thankfulness comfortable and fun. Hosted by a skilled Umbrella facilitator, All Things Gratitude allows participants to practice gratitude and experience its countless benefits. A few of these include the experience of more positive emotions, the release of toxic thoughts and feelings, deeper sleep, better immunity to sickness, greater empathy, reduced depression, and many other markers of well-being and life satisfaction. For many in recovery, the most valuable result of daily gratitude practice is sobriety! Whether our practices are internal, external, personal or social, we learn in All Things Gratitude to make Gratitude a natural and habitual state, bringing a steady flow of its rewards into our lives.
All Things Gratitude is held online via Zoom on Tuesdays from 7-8pm. No registration is required. To access this group, please click here.
This weekly online check-in group provides those in early recovery an informal opportunity to develop connection, generate discussion, and build accountability. Participants are encouraged to share where they are at, including their struggles and achievements, and receive feedback and encouragement. This group’s regular, strong attendance testifies to its sense of community, and success in helping participants achieve their recovery goals.
Held Friday from 1-2pm via Zoom, the Umbrella Experience is facilitated by an experienced Umbrella staff member. No registration is required. To access this group, please click here.