Addressing Alcohol Addiction in Indigenous Communities: Challenges and Pathways to Healing in Canada
Alcoholism: The persistent and recurrent use of alcohol leading to psychological, behavioral, and physical symptoms such as intense cravings, engaging in use despite day-to-day disturbance/interference, and observable strain in relationships.
The reason I wanted to write an article about alcoholism in the Indigenous community is because this population has faced historical and ongoing discrimination, which has contributed to their use of substances. I wanted to educate myself about the circumstances that have led to the current landscape of use and how a way forward could help pave the way for reconciliation. From my research, I was able to gather that “the historical experiences of dispossession and subjugation and ongoing discrimination have been associated with increased risk of symptom onset” in the Indigenous community¹.
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol is a commonly used liquid drug that acts as a depressant when individuals consume it. Depressants slow down the activity of the central nervous system (heart rate, reaction time, processing speed, etc.) by decreasing electrical activity in the brain, producing a calming effect in the body, and slowing down the brain’s normal functioning². Moreover…
