Alumni Stories
Tags: February 2023, Vol. 3, Issue 2
Iman Minaz
I graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in Psychology and Health Studies. I’ve always had a deep interest in healing different forms of trauma; my father is in active addiction and with that came many personal moments of angst. I know I am not the only one with a parent suffering from this disease. Humber’s Addictions and Mental Health program along with my placement at 1000 Islands Addictions Rehab taught me the art of self-love and self-compassion. Many a time the reality of addiction is misconstrued and stereotypes tend to lead the way – isolation is the breeding ground for bonding towards other substances, or behaviours which then become maladaptive. Hence an addiction forms. Johann Hari stated in his TedTalk “the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it is connection.” We tend to lose sight of ourselves and others when we are in active addiction or are in an environment where survival is the main goal. The education brought to me from this program has allowed me to work with individuals from different walks of life and enable them to see their inner power. Becoming an addictions counsellor through this program helped me help others get their voice back while also gaining my own.
