Wallace McCain Institute
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Ross facilitated a one-day workshop on understanding and dealing with addictions, which are the most common and the most misunderstood challenge we face. Most of us find addictions somewhere close by: in our colleagues, in our families, in our peers, sometimes in ourselves. Addictions are everywhere. And yet, it’s tough to know what addiction really is: a habit, a means of coping, a way of just having fun? And at what point does having fun become something else: something darker and much more difficult?
Despite the mysteries and complexities of addiction, we do know quite a bit about how it starts: in adolescence, typically, with a series of situations and events that tend to lead people toward addictive behavior. And we also know a great deal about how to stop addictions: through education, healthy relationships, mentorship, and meaningful experiences.
In this workshop Ross unpacked the matter of addictions: what it is, how to understand it, how it is connected to mental health, and how to deal with it. Participants learned about different kinds of addictions: drugs and alcohol, technology addictions, addictions to risk and recklessness. Ross also provided an introduction to the skills and knowledge required to be safe and self- aware with regard to addictions, and how to help others. This workshop was an open forum for discussion, debate, and learning.