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BC ECHO on Substance Use
BC Centre on Substance Use
Addressing the complexities of abstinence-based perspectives within Indigenous communities by emphasizing cultural strengths
Addressing the complexities of abstinence-based perspectives within Indigenous communities by emphasizing cultural strengths
Thursday 8th February 2024
Dive into the complexities of abstinence-based care in Indigenous communities with David P. Ball, Dr. Nolan Hop Wo, and Keshia Cleaver on the Addiction Practice Pod.
36 minutes
Empowering
Informative
Supportive
Transformative
Hopeful
About this podcast
Author:
BC ECHO on Substance Use
Overview:
Addiction Practice Pod is a podcast series on addiction and substance use care for health care providers, offering practical tips and guidance to improve addiction care.
Categories:
Innovative Treatments & Recovery Paths
Sobriety Toolkit
Family Recovery from Addiction
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Nutritional Pathways to Recovery
Links:
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Episodes:
31 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Cultural Strengths in Substance Use Care: Indigenous Perspectives on Abstinence and Harm Reduction
Episode Overview
- Abstinence-based treatments offer physical health benefits like weight loss and improved sleep quality
- Challenges and potential harms of abstinence-only approaches include seizures and increased overdose risk post-relapse
- Indigenizing harm reduction involves undoing colonial harms and connecting people to culture and resiliency
- Balancing abstinence-based and harm reduction approaches can optimize substance use care
- Listening to clients and understanding their experiences is key in discussing treatment options
We should be able to use harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches and recovery-based all in the same lovely package and basket. Harm reduction is more than just giving supplies and giving a place for someone to use. It's connection, it's love, it's compassion, it's culture, it's language.
Imagine navigating the tricky waters of substance use care within Indigenous communities, where abstinence-based approaches intersect with the lasting impacts of colonialism. In this thought-provoking episode of the Addiction Practice Pod, award-winning journalist David P. Ball teams up with Dr. Nolan Hop Wo, the Medical Officer of Mental Health and Wellness at the First Nations Health Authority, to unpack these complexities.
They explore how abstinence-based perspectives can either align with Indigenous teachings or be a result of imposed colonial values, and sometimes both. The conversation takes a deep dive into understanding why these approaches might be promoted and how they can offer a healing path when they resonate with Indigenous worldviews. You'll also hear from Keshia Cleaver, a Harm Reduction and Program Advisor with The Four Directions Team at the First Nations Health Authority.
She sheds light on why abstinence-based perspectives are prevalent in some Indigenous communities and how to effectively meet these communities where they are with harm reduction strategies. This episode is a must-listen for healthcare providers looking to enhance their cultural competency and better support Indigenous patients on their recovery journeys.