BONNYVILLE – It’s a newer group in the community and its membership is growing as word of mouth finds its way to people who are wanting to part ways with their addictions.
The first Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting held in Bonnyville took place in a boardroom at the Bonnyville Friendship Centre on Jan. 18.
The organizers of the NA meeting reached out to the Bonnyville Friendship Centre to see if they could utilize the centre’s space after being turned away by other potential venues.
“We were very happy to offer that space because there is a huge need in our community and any efforts that we can do to support it and those individuals, we are always more than willing to do so,” said Cynthia Gamache, a crisis support worker with the Friendship Centre.
While NA meetings have been temporarily relocated due to ongoing construction at the Bonnyville Friendship Centre, meetings are continuing every Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Lakeview Gospel Centre (4801-54 St.).
Prior to the first NA meeting, there were concerns that the 12-step program would not be well attended, said Gamache. Instead, what they found was the opposite – people had been waiting for the opportunity to attend a local NA program. All that was missing was a group and a safe space to meet.
“It's been pretty successful in Bonnyville. They have great leadership, which is amazing to see, and a lot of support not only from its members but also from the surrounding communities,” she said.
Anyone battling with substance use is welcome to attend the NA meeting. This includes substances such as alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, opioids and other narcotics.
“All they need to do is have a desire to quit and stay sober,” explained Gamache. “It is acknowledged that relapses happen, but the support is there.”
Like all programs offered or overseen by the Friendship Centre, non-identifying data is maintained. These statistics have reinforced the need for local NA meetings, with significant numbers of people showing up each week ranging between 10 to 24 attendees.
Gamache noted that there is also a growing trend for people to travel to NA meetings held in both Cold Lake and Bonnyville so they can find support and camaraderie in their sobriety multiple days of the week.
“Their momentum hasn't slowed down since they've started, it's only gotten bigger,” added Gamache.
As a crisis support worker Gamache is onsite during the weekly NA meetings, but she is not present in the meetings unless she is requested to be.
While not always the case, Gamache points out that “Typically, substance abuse comes from trauma in someone's life and the extent to that trauma varies for different people... So, it's all very intertwined and mental health is a huge aspect of that.”
In situations where someone needs to talk with Gamache during or after the meeting she is there to offer that support and crisis intervention. For those who may need to make an appointment or who are in need of more support outside of the one-day-a-week meeting, they can also reach out to Gamache.
Those who want to see the Bonnyville program continue to grow and flourish, note that there are still additional barriers for some members to overcome.
Meetings are child-free due to the nature of the topics being discussed during the NA meetings. “So childcare is a barrier, one that hopefully we can address in the future,” added Gamache.
Another barrier for the program is fighting the stigma around substance abuse and seeking help with addictions recovery.
“It doesn't have to be this whole hush hush thing. Many people struggle with many different things and just knowing what is available is huge,” she said. “Just talking about it in regular conversations, the different supports and programs in place like the NA meeting, brings awareness and ends stigma.”
Increasing community awareness around substance use and being open to listening to someone else's struggles or acknowledging that someone needs support in certain areas will make a difference in the lives of those overcoming substance abuse, expressed Gamache.
This is especially important when considering the extent to which substance abuse varies.
"There can be a very high functioning individual that uses substances that goes to work, holds a job, pays the bills. On the outside they seem like they have everything together. And then sometimes we see that people sort of lose it all. They are homeless, they're committing petty crimes, but I think it's safe to say that Bonnyville has both types of substance use,” acknowledged Gamache.
But slowly, and little by little, a community is forming around a group of individuals committed to their own sobriety.
