A WARM WELCOME

With the official launch of S.U.E.S.S., it seems appropriate to utilize this blog post to formally welcome you to the tribe! Although the development of S.U.E.S.S. is rooted in the entirety of my lifetime, its conceptualization took place over the course of this past year. It is my hope with S.U.E.S.S. to develop a supportive community for individuals engaging in substance use, family or friends navigating relationships with loved ones engaging in substance use, neighbours who have a vested interest in lending a helping hand, and other professionals who are looking to form partnerships to fill gaps in service delivery.

You may have noticed that I refrain from using the term addiction when possible. This is intentional, as I feel it is important to use "person first" language. Addiction has been commonly used, and is seemingly loaded with stereotypes and misconceptions. I cringe when I hear the term "addict" or "junkie". I am aware discussions are taking place about the political correctness of our language development, but I promise there is a method to my madness. Although substance use can feel all encompassing to the individual using or those looking in, I think it is imperative to create a distinction between substance use and the individual engaging in the behaviour. It is timely to point out that when I say substance use, I am also referring to non-substance related disorders which more loosely are defined as process addictions (gambling, shopping, sex, exercise, internet/gaming). With the amount of distraction and instant gratification, seemingly any behaviour can form an unhealthy pattern. For example, those who know me are likely aware of my fondness for Starbucks. In complete transparency, I am working on navigating the itch to grab a latte or frappe daily.

In a change of direction, I want to share a few tidbits about the site. The content is entirely self-derived, which is why it took me so long to publish the damn thing. Expect many, many more quotes to come because words are the channel to my soul. If you have any quotes or acronyms to share, I am all ears. Another fun tidbit of information is that all of the photographs (except the lotus) on the S.U.E.S.S. website were taken by me on some travel or wandering experience. The reason being that S.U.E.S.S. must be the truest expression of myself.

This feels like a good place to end before my first post turns into a novel. In case you have been wondering, I have a slightly sarcastic sense of humour which may or may not be discernible in my writing. Thank-you for flattering my ego and giving a shit enough to read this; you will never get those eight minutes back!

Carpe diem,

Sherise