To the government and people of Nunavut, let’s start healing

There are thousands of dollars spent, board member and organizations created to help the people in Nunavut with their addictions, violence, and rage but what they don’t seem to know is that it has to start from the person within.

Money is not the answer, board members and organizations just talk but do they act? Maybe get this out in the open?

In the North, addictions, anger, and rage seems to be getting out of control so much more than ever.

With the tragedy that happened recently in Iqaluit, we should stop brushing this aside and get people talking. I guess this was a wake-up call for the politicians, about time!

Let’s stop pretending that everything is okay and start talking. Let’s start talking about the root of the problem. Let’s get the politicians to work hard for their money. Let Nunavummiut know that alcohol and drugs are not going to heal you. Only talking, crying, and healing can help you.

I think one of the reasons there are so many people with anger and addictions is that many are grieving over a loved one who has passed, some holding on for years, decades and a life-time.

This is not normal. Live your life. You deserve to be happy like everyone else.

What I feel needs to be created is a group for people to get together and grieve together. Alcoholics Anonymous has groups that get together to talk about their addictions. They have stuff in common, so why can’t a group for grieving people be created? Cry together, start healing and start living.

Also, many people with addictions have been sexually abused and see their abuser out there, not behind bars. They see their sexual abuser as successful, with a happy family and they look at themselves thinking they have failed.

They themselves have no jobs, no friends, and no career but their anger and addictions. Many have no more common sense, belief and values. They say the deeper the addiction, the less they have in beliefs and values, which is the case now in many communities.

There are many getting deeper and deeper into addictions, depression, creating more madness and anger in their lives.

First step would be to charge your sexual pedophile and start the healing towards a happy healthy life style. You too can be successful, respected and happy.

Hey, if you go ahead with the charges, I bet you many others would come forward as well. There are pedophiles out there, many who will continue to sexually abuse. Stop the cycle of sexual abuse in your community and start putting the spark back into other people’s eyes.

I feel the only way to get healing is to get professional help from the experts who have gone to school and themselves have gone through this and have succeeded in a life without addiction. Yes, there is life without addiction; you can build your self-esteem.

There are also some people out there who say “marijuana is my medicine.” Come on! Wake up, it’s not medicine, it’s a very expensive addiction.

Also it is now a known fact that marijuana is known to cause depression and psychosis if taken too much. Maybe that is the reason our suicide rates up north are high. Marijuana was known as a “soft” drug, but it’s not.

Alcohol, marijuana and gambling are the three major addictions, but you too can be successful, respected and happy.

When there is an addict in the family, everyone suffers: tchildren, elders, spouse. There is confusion, hurt, neglect, no trust and blame.

Those drugs are just cheap thrills that last only an hour or two, while the pain lasts forever. When our kids see it, as with partying and getting drunk, they don’t forget these scenes.

To the government and people of Nunavut, let’s start healing, start talking about addictions and get this out in the open. It’s time to start somewhere. It’s unpleasant and hurtful but that’s where the healing starts.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

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