We at ROC want to share and celebrate recovery stories in hopes of inspiring other individuals. 'My Recovery Story' is a space where people with lived experience can share their stories, experiences, journeys and insights. Our goal is to eliminate the stigma people in recovery often face and show that recovery is possible.

Mansel Waskewitch

We sat down to talk with Mansel Waskewitch, a student Lakeland College Canada about his recovery journey.

"I grew up being a man, thinking I don't need help, 'you can do it yourself'. And what I did myself was drink."

After +20 years of drinking, Mansel decided to start asking for help. As soon as he understood that there was help, Mansel began his sobriety journey. Watch Mansel tell his story.

Teneaka Laboucan

I am Teneaka Laboucan, a ROC Recovery Champion Award winner, a First Nations Indigenous of Northern Alberta, a mother of 3, spouse, and an addict in recovery.

This year I will be celebrating 6 years of sobriety.

Kurt Blind

I am Kurt Blind, I am Nehiyaw (Plains Cree), from George Gordon First Nation. I was born in 1968.I attended Gordon Indian Residential School 1974-1984.

I left George Gordon’s in 1984, rarely going back to my traditional lands out of shame, fear, anger and resentment. At age 15 I moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and began experimenting with substance misuse.

Zoltan Varadi

Hello, my name is Zoltan, and my drug of choice is More.

Thankfully, it’s been 21.5 years since I’ve awoken in a spot. I’ve achieved this remarkable feat of well-being by never, ever having a drink. 

That said, some forms of More are, well, more deleterious than others. In my case, that’s alcohol.

Kayla French

My story of addiction is not a single event that occurred, rather a series of events that led me to coping negatively to adverse childhood experiences. I grew up in a middle-class family where I was afforded many privileges until this picturesque family fell apart because I also came from a family who did not understand their own addictions.

Nicole Sobus-Jensen

My substance use began when I was 10 years old with smoking cigarettes and quickly lead to cannabis, over the counter medication, and alcohol abuse. At 15, I was using methamphetamines, crack cocaine and drinking heavily. As my addiction progressed, I experienced homelessness, domestic violence, sexual assault and exploitation, an eating disorder, autoimmune diseases, self harm and suicide attempts, miscarriage, and several mental health diagnoses.

Holly

A little openness and honesty about the trials and tribulations in your life can help you and others – something I didn’t realize until I participated in Canadian Mental Health Association’s School of Peer Support Recovery College. It was a safe space to process things that I had been through with others who were caring and supportive. The feelings of isolation when battling our inner demons dissipated.

Jenny Godley

Hello! My name is Jenny. I had anorexia when I was 11, and I was diagnosed with severe depression in my early 20s. It took some time and several psychiatrists to work out the correct medication for me, but eventually we found it. I have been taking anti-depressants for over thirty years now. Depression is part of my life, part of who I am, but it does not have to rule my life.

Corey Whitecap

My name is Cory and I’m a recovering addict. On August 29, 2006 I walked into my recovery and I have been working on it since. I am a Sixties Scoop survivor, and both my parents were residential school survivors. Because there were no services available to Native people back then, they both turned to addiction to cope with their experiences, and I was lost to the system when I was 6 months old.

Liam Sorrenti

“Spring of 2018, I boarded a small plane to Prince George, B.C. at 630am with my aunt, uncle, their two close friends, and my typical daily hangover. I was invited to be a facilitator and support coach at a 4-day retreat that was hosted by my aunt and uncle’s friend who had spent the last few years learning and working alongside remote Indigenous nations in northern BC and had created a recurring wellness retreat.

Chelsie Graham

“Hi, my name is Chelsie, and I am a recent graduate of U of C’s Bachelor of Social Work, a registered social worker, and, like ROC Team Member, Noor, a dog mom!

I am the child of parents who experience problematic relationships with alcohol and have since I was very young. Because of this, my thoughts and feelings towards substance use and addiction were coloured darkly by experience and misconceptions about addiction.

Noor Hadad

"Hi! I’m a recent UCalgary graduate, researcher, dog mom, and aspiring psychologist.

I graduated with a B.A. (Hons) and have been an advocate for mental health and overall wellbeing for as long as I can remember!

I am also a person in recovery, although I didn’t always identify that way, even after I had begun my recovery journey. As a psychology student, I was only taught about addiction through a medical DSM-5 model, with the concept of recovery not being mentioned at all.