For Airdrie residents whose loved ones are in the midst of a battle with substance use addiction, a local group is available to offer support and empathy.
Since 2019, Airdrie resident Shawna Taylor has hosted a monthly support group for people whose family members and friends are dealing with substance abuse disorders. She said she created the informal group – called Here Together – in response to her daughter’s ongoing struggles with fentanyl.
“I just want people to know there is support out there,” Taylor said, adding the majority of the group’s members are from Airdrie and area. “It’s really hard because one thing I’ve learned with my family and myself is that until someone with an addiction decides they’re ready, it’s a cliché to say, but there’s not a lot you can do.
“In our group, we try to teach our parents to be as supportive as they can but realize they can’t help someone else if their cup is empty. That took me years to figure out myself.”
Taylor said her daughter Kenedee, who is now 23, has dealt with opioid addiction since she was 17 years old. Learning to manage her relationship with her daughter throughout the last six-plus years took Taylor down a long and emotionally exhausting road.
“It becomes a way of life, I guess,” she said. “I’ve found the sooner you can release the shame you feel, the easier it is to not care what someone else thinks. I always say if anyone thinks they can judge me more than I judged myself, have at it.”
Shortly after Kenedee’s substance use disorder came to light, Taylor said she spent more than a year volunteering with an advocacy group in Calgary called Change the Face of Addiction. According to its website, the group's mission is to reduce the stigma associated with substance use and addiction.
Taylor said she formed Here Together in January 2019. Since then, the group has acted as a safe space and sounding board for families who are undergoing similar circumstances to what she and Kenedee have gone through.
“I always say the greatest thing Kenedee’s addiction has given me is empathy,” Taylor said. “Seven years ago, I was one of those people who would drive downtown and be like, ‘Oh, those homeless people, why can’t they just get a job?’ and things like that. In my group and through dealing with my daughter, I’ve realized it’s not that simple.”
Up until the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of Alberta, the support group met on the last Sunday of each month at the Airdrie Public Library. Since the onset of the pandemic, Taylor said Here Together has held its meetings at the Best Western Premier hotel near the Calgary International Airport, as the larger room there allows for more adequate social distancing.
The number of people who attend the meetings varies each month, according to Taylor. She said some meetings include just four or five families, while other meetings are attended by more than a dozen.
“Some people come because they just need some reassurance that they’re not alone and there are options for them,” she said. “Some people need to continuously come back because it’s their one outlet so they don’t have to talk to family or friends if they’re not at the point where they’re ready to discuss this crazy skeleton in their closet with an outside source.”
For those interested in joining Here Together, Taylor said the group’s meetings are always held from 1 to 3 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month. If someone is not quite ready to come to a meeting yet, Taylor said she encourages them to reach out to her personally and she can provide support and conversation on a one-on-one basis.
To join the support group, Taylor said Airdronians can visit heretogether.ca or send an email to [email protected]. She said masks are mandatory at the meetings.
“I hope we’re making an impact. I think we are,” she said. “There are families that are with our group religiously – they never miss a meeting and they wish we had more. But I feel we’re not reaching enough people. I know there are so many more out there and I know what it’s like to go through this alone. It’s terrifying to have your kids play Russian roulette every day.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
