Help for Nunavut’s alcoholics: let it be known

My mother is an alcoholic. Does this sound familiar to you?

Here in Nunavut, this rings true for many children, youth and young adults.

All my life, I have been forced to live with this. As a child, it never really occcurred to me how much it could affect so many aspects of my life or the lives of others. Society as a whole is affected.

Alcoholism can be very disruptive to one’s emotional, physical and mental state. Alcoholism leads to so many problems, such as crime, abuse and suicide. It causes sadness, depression, shame, anger, pity and sometimes even hatred amongst people. The list goes on. Even as a child I felt sadness, I felt the anger and fear, even if it wasn’t as strong as I feel it today, I still felt it, I was still affected, and I still cried.

What baffles me is that people know a lot of this. Alcoholics themselves know this.

So why is it so disturbingly common to Nunavummiut? Why do some Inuit choose to drown their sorrows and problems with the bottom of a bottle? Why do they not hold faith for a better future? Can they not see other alternatives leading to a life of happiness? Do they know what they are doing to the people they love? To the people that love them?

In my opinion and the opinion of others I’m sure, it is an illness where someone cannot cure themselves. And it is they themselves who need to decide to seek professional help. But where does that professional help come from? What steps do they need to take in order to know what to do and where to go for help? I’ve seen an ad in the paper for Alcoholics Anonymous but is AA enough for them? Is it enough for us?

I want information about treatment centres, what they do and where they are. Is help such as this being provided and if so, is there financial aid provided for people who choose to attend a treamtment center?

I want to know where to get information on alcoholism and what people can do to help. I want to know the percentage of alcoholism in Nunavut compared to the rest of Canada. I want to know what Inuit think and feel about alcoholism.

Can you tell me the answers to all these questions? Is there even such a place in Nunavut to find these answers? Is there hope for my mom? For me? For you? For Inuit?

If somewhere out there, there is such a place to find these answers, let it be known. People should be aware of the options thay have, both victims of alcoholism and those who are exposed to alcoholism.

It is a small request for such a massive issue, and it is only the first step in people’s possible recovery but the first step is the most important and the first step is just knowing the support they might have should they decide to seek help. Let it be known.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit