Drug Rehab Center

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

Cathy points out that just as addicts have cravings, family members can have emotional triggers. These emotional triggers can lead to emotional overwhelm and hinder personal growth.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

In this video Cathy talks about the importance of boundaries which is crucial to self care, particularly for family members who are faced with a loved one’s addiction.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

Cathy talks about the biochemical impact of stress on the body and why self care is so important. Having elevated levels of stress chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline lead to a fight-or-flight response which can be stressful and a hindrance to healthy living.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterlng, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

Cathy finds that families who are affected by a loved one with addiction tend to neglect their own bodies. Cathy recommends that family members take the time to eat nutritious food, avoid caffeine, tobacco and sugar, and processed foods.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

Do you know where your car keys are? Maybe you need to get organized. Cathy recommends that creating resilience may require that we organize our lives. In fact, many books point to the need for simplicity in our modern world and organization is a great way to begin living a more simple life.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

Cathy points out that sleep is critical to staying resilient in the face of life’s challenges. Ruminating on what has to be done the next day or dwelling on a problem is not conducive to a good night’s sleep.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

In this video, Cathy recommends setting boundaries as a way of fostering resilience. Families of people in recovery need to ask themselves where their responsibilities end and the responsibilities of others begin.

By Cathy Patterson-Sterling, MA, RCC
Director of Family Services
Sunshine Coast Health Center

Why do late-stage alcoholics continue to drink in spite of negative consequences? Cathy’s personal theory is that late-stage alcoholics continue to drink as a way of dealing with suffering but, also, as a form of suicide.

Rosemary Munro, an interventionist based in Toronto, responds to the question, “how do you know if someone has an addiction?” by Wallis Wellness host Margaret Wallis-Duffy.

Cathy Patterson Sterling, Director of Family Services for the Sunshine Coast Health Centre, shares why it is important to not make life in recovery a boring, mundane life. It is important, however, to look at activities in recovery and see what they are contributing to a recovery lifestyle.