Alavi, S. S., Ferdosi, M., Jannatifard, F., Eslami, M., Alaghemandan, H., & Setare, M. (2012, April). Behavioral addiction versus substance addiction: Correspondence of psychiatric and psychological views. International journal of preventive medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354400/ 

  • This source contains insight on the science behind addictions that individuals experience. This International Journal concluded the differences and similarities between behavioral addictions and substance abuse addictions. One of the many examples the contributors of this journal provided was how behavioral addiction highlights the enjoyment and pleasure that comes with a certain repetitive action, hence causing the addiction. The type of addiction that comes with substance use highlights the enjoyment or physical need to consume such drugs. This may be a great source for those not informed of the difference between behavioural and substance addiction and could provide them with a sense of understanding within their situation. Those who are struggling with addiction may at times feel isolated not knowing whether or not what they’re doing is problematic. This may even help families with information and insight on what to look out for when a pattern is starting to arise for a loved one. Human service workers of all types may benefit if they’re feeling unsure or are experiencing situations like this with their client, and this source is great for providing an understanding of individuals struggling with addictions of any kind.

Canada, H. (2021, December 20). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canadian-alcohol-drugs-survey/2019-summary.html

  • The Government of Canada website provides the most recent and accurate statistics and demographics for substance use in Canada. There are statistics for the separate age demographics from 15-19, 20-24, and 25+. The website also shows the trends of substance use since 2008 among the age groups as well as the substances used. The website also covers most, if not all, of the substances someone can misuse, instead of only focusing on one or two which is very helpful for an individual trying to learn more. Community workers who help individuals that are struggling in Canada, can use this resource to their advantage and try to learn about the most common addictions they will see people face. This may positively impact a service worker’s practice, helping them to be as prepared as can be whilst helping educate others struggling in their addiction. This site also provides many other sources surrounding recovery, including how to find help, treatment, or someone to talk to near you, which is easier to find being all on one site.

Canada, H. (2022, July 11). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help-problematic-substance-use.html

  • The Government of Canada page also provides resources for individuals that are struggling with substance use as well as resources for their family members. These resources include support group information, help-line numbers, recovery meeting information both nearby and all around the country, and information on treatment centers. This can help support diverse populations in finding help faster and more locally, having a positive impact on their motivation to start their recovery journey. Qualified workers, such as social workers, human service workers, and support workers, may find this an excellent resource to use when supporting vulnerable populations due to how accessible it is. This source provides hundreds of questions answered, and on top of that, provides a sense of relatability to other individuals struggling with similar obstacles.

 Free by the Sea. (2016). The Three C’s of Dealing With an Addict. https://freebythesea.com/the-three-cs-of-dealing-with-an-addict/. 

  • We chose this picture because we thought it would be a great visual for family members visiting our website. In this picture it gives a visual of do’s and dont’s of helping an individual struggling with addiction or substance use. It is often hard to stay engaged when reading paragraphs of information, so we thought this picture would give a clearer explanation of what to do and what not to do, while also making it more reader-friendly. This would be a user-friendly picture to share with youth and adolescence in our future Social Work Practice. 

Grant, J. E., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2014, May 10). Impulsive action and impulsive choice across substance and behavioral addictions: Cause or consequence? Addictive Behaviors. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460314001348 

  • This is another peer reviewed article we used that goes into depth of addictions individuals can experience. It goes into detail of behavioral addictions including gambling, stealing, and persistent internet use all categorized under repetitive and continuous behavior. Along with types of behaviors, this article explains what this could look like for someone who may begin by having more control to refrain from an action, into struggling to find control in cutting back from the recurring action that can bring an overwhelming sense of pleasure to an individual. This can be an excellent source for loved ones that are being affected because it provides meaningful insight into addiction. Furthermore, those that are in the support workers field, such as social workers or human service workers, may provide them with more information on how to help a client experiencing behavioral issues, even though they may not have experienced this type of issue themselves.

YouTube. (2017). How Addiction Happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDfSx_Q7_Yk

  • This video is a great resource for families to help them understand ways of recognizing and potentially preventing addiction, and of supporting their family members if addiction has already begun. For individuals experiencing addiction or substance use, this video could raise awareness to the key points they may want to explore to understand their own addiction and therefore receive necessary support. We picked this video because it is an excellent resource to show clients a different perspective in a short amount of time. We personally think videos will help individuals further by having something that can be informative while being eye-catching and easy to follow along.

How do I help my alcoholic family member or friend?: Al-Anon Family Groups. Al-Anon Family Groups. (2021, January 13). https://al-anon.org/newcomers/how-can-i-help-my/

  • Al-anon was founded by the wife of the founder of Alcoholics anonymous. This resource is specific to families of someone afflicted with addiction; there are regular group meetings all over the world. Since this website is specifically for families, it is possible that a human service worker could utilize this information by sharing it with families experiencing addiction or substance use to provide added support in the family system. Addiction is a family disease.

Improvement Pill. (2021). Tamed course : Season 1. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE_vQWWxgaiH1Xcri6_WJDZnC_XezkyAO

  • These videos discuss strategies such as building habits, self-discipline and the importance of the person’s environment. Family members and individuals could find relatable information in this video in order to work together on the person’s recovery. This video mentions focusing on the solution rather than the problem.

 Lander, L., Howsare, J., & Byrne, M. (2013). The impact of Substance Use Disorders on families and children: From theory to practice. Social work in public health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725219/

  • This in depth article summarizes how substance use disorders (SUDS) uniquely affect each family member. It goes on to state that solely treating the individual limits the success rate due to the fact that the individual’s environment and family system has a direct impact on their SUD. Families can start to understand the function of factors such as attachment theory, family systems theory, and development stages of the family in relation to the SUD; within this understanding it is possible that the family may have a more positive outcome. This article is critical for family members and individuals with addictions as it explains how one affects the other and vice-versa.

Moore, | J. (2021, October 4). Calgary Dream Centre. https://calgarydreamcentre.com/is-addiction-a-mental-illness/ 

  • In this website, we used the picture at the top of the article of a character carrying a very heavy weight of addiction. We felt this was important to use in our website because it may show people the difficulties that can come with addiction issues as well as the consequences along with it. For those who are struggling may resonate with the powerful impact this image carries, as well as how many metaphors that can come with it.

Moore, | J. (2021, December 12). Statistics on Addiction in Canada. Calgary Dream Centre. https://calgarydreamcentre.com/statistics-on-addiction-in-canada 

  • This article provides statistics for individuals and families who reside in Canada as a resource to not feel so alone. It provides information on types of substances used most frequently in Canada, such as alcohol, marijuana, and opioids, giving people an idea of how many other people are struggling with very similar issues. Unlike some other resources provided, we chose this one because it provides resources for men specifically too. There were not many insightful sources out there to find information for people that includes men specifically. This may help men find more resources that can work for them too. Considering human service or support workers deal with a very diverse community, this resource will be evident for workers to use to help provide more support for this population.

Mphty, S. W., Reupert, A., Ward, B., & McCormick, F. (2018, August 28). Family‐focused recovery: Perspectives from Individuals with a Mental Illness. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/inm.12528 

  • This article breaks down the definition of “family” and what this means to each individual that had participated in the qualitative study discussed. It is important to understand the different family constructs and what they mean to the individual that human service workers are supporting. It describes how families can help and hurt; adding awareness to human service workers while they work with individuals and families. Not all families were created identically, and it reminds the reader that it is crucial to ask the individual what “family” is to them, and who makes up their family system. It cannot be assumed that the individual’s blood relatives are someone’s best support system. 

Nik, H. I. (2018, June 11). Photo by hello I’m Nik on unsplash. Beautiful Free Images & Pictures. https://unsplash.com/photos/z1d-LP8sjuI 

  • We decided to use this photo because it sends a positive message. We put this photo on our home page to hopefully provide a positive space for people bearing a heavy load. In the background of our website there is a picture of a road. We thought that this picture would be fitting because it says “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations”. I think the picture of this quote would be a positive and beneficial thing to say while helping individuals through difficult times in our future practice as Social Workers.

Oasis Mental Health Associations. (2020). Addiction: Types, causes, and solutions (for teens) – youtube. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsTwo X1cd

  • This video demonstrates the value in coming together as a family to support the individual struggling with addictive behaviors. It allows the viewer to recognize that addiction is not only related to substances, but behaviors as well. This video could aid families in understanding that blame or finger pointing is not the answer; seeking help together and supporting one another is what is most important for positive outcomes. For individuals experiencing addiction, this video is an important reminder that they are not alone and there is help available outside of the family system through counseling. 

Recovery, N. (2022, May 3). Is addiction a disease or a choice? Northpoint Idaho. https://www.northpointrecovery.com/blog/drug-addiction-disease-choice/ 

  • In this website we used the photo closer to the bottom of the page. The image is of an individual crouching down with the question of what addiction is. This is a powerful image because it can have many different meanings, including but not limited to how the understanding of one’s addiction may be hard to come to terms with. Individuals facing addiction may feel that this relates to them and could positively impact their recovery.

Robinson, L., & Smith, M. (n.d.). Helping someone with a drug addiction. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/helping-someone-with-drug-addiction.htm 

  • This article contains information on helping an individual or loved one with their recovery in addiction. It provides people with helplines and support for multiple different countries such as Canada, Australia, the U.S, and the UK which we find to be very impactful considering most resources only include a select few. Along with readily available sources, they provide insight on treatment programs as well as 12-step programs such as alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, and more for all types of specific addictions. Those who are practicing in family support work or individual support work, can use this as a source to give clients perspective or advice on how to start small steps in the right direction while also providing them the site to access resources when they are ready.

Sternlicht, L., & Sternlicht, A. (2022). My loved one has an addiction, what do I do? – A guide to help you navigate recovery. My Loved One Has an Addiction, What Do I Do? – A Guide to Help You Navigate Recovery: Family Addiction Specialist: Addiction Counselor. https://www.familyaddictionspecialist.com/blog/my-loved-one-has-an-addiction-what-do-i-do-a-guide-to-help-you-navigate-recovery

  • This blog is designated to be a helpful guide or tool that an individual who may be experiencing addiction can use for some added support. This blog contains information including, but not limited to the discovery of a loved ones addiction, the denial of a loved ones addiction, and the honest approach to a loved ones addiction. We felt that having background information on other individuals’ stories will provide a sense of empathy for one another surrounding addiction, as well as creating a safe space so the individual may not feel so alone in this process. Service workers may use this tool to provide their own support and might even find resources they can use to help a client using sensitivity and perspective on multiple given situations. This source also provides information on the service specialists, explaining the processes behind the work with an individual, creating a safe space, and providing the most supportive care possible.

Schwartz, A. (2022). How do you cope when a loved one has an addiction? How Do You Cope When A Loved One Has An Addiction? – Addictions.  https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/how-do-you-cope-when-a-loved-one-has-an-addiction/ 

  • This blog focuses more on the families’ roles in experiencing addiction. This blog includes topics covering general knowledge on addiction, how to cope when a loved one is experiencing addiction, as well as how to attend to those who are struggling in a helpful and supportive way. They provide a number of steps an individual can take for their loved ones, with helpful advice on how to do those steps effectively. We included this blog because of the explanations it provides us with. For example it explains that when you find yourself supporting someone with addiction, sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you try to help them, you may not be helping and it may push them away. It uses words like even if you cry, plead, or threaten, sometimes this does not help the situation or the individual and may actually make that person pull away from you. This can provide perspective for those who want to work in this field because many people involved with addiction can at times feel completely helpless, and unsupported and this can help them immensely in finding the perspective needed in situations like those.

Start your recovery: Substance abuse resources & support. Start Your Recovery. (n.d.). https://startyourrecovery.org/ 

  • This website that we provided focuses on the recovery side of substance addiction and how to get there. Along with the recovery side, it includes information about substances and what you should know about them whether you are a user, a family member of a user, or even a support worker. Not only does this include background information on substances but it includes information on numerous populations such as the LGBTQ2+ community, veterans, and even college students specifically. This is an excellent reference that is very inclusive and informative for anyone experiencing addiction. Another reason we chose this site was because of the inclusivity. Not many sources include multiple different populations and this did just that! This can provide support workers of all kinds with further education on common scenarios that are not talked about enough, such as having a client in the LGBTQ2+ community whilst also having experienced substance abuse. 

S;, M. G. O. M. G. (2021, March 14). Living with parents with problematic substance

use: Impacts and turning points.

Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33715197/ 

  •  This academic article provides insight on how children grow up with parents struggling with addiction. Unfortunately, this source is in the library at Thompson Rivers University, so it is not very accessible. However, for those who do attend this school, this is an excellent reference to find information on perspectives on children with parents in addiction. It has topics on childhood trauma, childrens support systems, and the child’s mental health later in life. We provided this resource because if a student is able to access this website, it is here for them to use and hopefully share or further educate themselves on. Fortunately for us, we were able to obtain most of the information that is provided and can share it with those who can’t access it. As human service workers, it will be one of our jobs to make resources accessible to those struggling, and by grasping the information on inaccessible articles, we can do just that. 

(n.d.). Sam Fowler: Wasted: Exposing the Family Effect of Addiction | TED Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/sam_fowler_wasted_exposing_the_family_effect_of_addiction

  • This TED Talk by Sam Fowler depicts the effects of addiction in families. She speaks about her brother who is in active addiction, the stigma around addiction and substance use, and how it can be dangerous for family members of the user as well. Sam does a great job of showing that addiction has many faces and is not something that should to be hidden or kept a secret. Addiction thrives in darkness, but people are often too afraid or ashamed to bring it to the light. Sam suggests we can shed light on the situation by talking about substance use and accepting addiction for the disease that it is, instead of letting fear and shame keep it in the dark. We find this an excellent video to provide for people to have a better understanding in an engaging way rather than yet another article. We feel that having unlimited articles and websites may feel overwhelming and unwelcoming, whereas a video can feel more approachable.

Support yourself. Families for Addiction Recovery. (n.d.). https://www.farcanada.org/family-support/support-yourself/ 

  • This website focuses on the mental health side of individuals experiencing addiction and provides mental health support to the family of the individual. It provides information on finding support and gives advice on how to take care of yourself and others around you. Some support systems that are provided in this website are al-anon groups, family oriented groups, individual oriented groups, and even treatment options for all in between related to experiencing addiction. This reference provides a basis of just how many different options there are for people that are struggling with addiction and substance use. Not only does this site provide helpful resources for those in need of it, but the support workers, social workers, or human service workers can use this as a helpful tool to guide clients through tough circumstances. A supportive website like this can impact so many people, and having more access to it, within more websites like ours, there will be more accessibility to finding resources for everyone looking.

TEDxTalks. (2017, December 11). The ripple effect of addiction | Brennan Harlow | TEDxDayton. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AqjvLAGEQQ 

  • Brennan Harlow describes what some minor disruptions in our everyday environment will affect if we are not aware of why they are being presented. He provides an eye-opening life lesson about substance abuse being brought into a family’s home. Harlow, having grown up in a positive and happy family was brought into another family experiencing substance use. The video explains how the two created a negative spiral effect within both environments. The impact of the emotional ripples he was expressing to his audience about his new perspective on how and why their whole families dynamic had altered so promptly. Those who are experiencing this similar living situation may find peace with this video and may come to a life-altering perspective just like Brennan Harlow did.

Tracy, N. (2021). Types of addiction: List of addictions. HealthyPlace.  https://www.healthyplace.com/addictions/addictions-information/types-of-addiction-list-of-addictions

  • This website provides valuable information for both families and the individual. There are many sources included in the website with all sorts of insight on the different types of addictions, including detailed information on the substances that may be used. It also provides information on how there are differences between a substance addiction and a behavioral addiction and how the two are depicted. We decided to use this source because we find it to be very impactful for those who are experiencing an addiction and for them to feel not so alone. Those who are looking to further educate themselves or to simply gain more perspective are welcome to use a helpful resource like this that may provide them with satisfactory information. 

9 ways you can help someone struggling with depression. Mountainside. (2022, July 18). https://mountainside.com/blog/mental-health/9-ways-you-can-help-someone-struggling-with-depression/ 

  • We decided to choose this photo for our website because we thought it gave a friendly and welcoming space. In this picture there are two people holding hands showing that they are not alone and are being supported. We decided to put this on the “Helping a Loved One” page because we want people to know they are not alone. We put this picture at the top of the page because this picture gives a warm, positive and happy space. 

Whitt, J. (2016, October 4). Photo by Jordan Whitt on unsplash. Beautiful Free Images & Pictures. https://unsplash.com/photos/KQCXf_zvdaU 

  • The image on this webpage insists on what looks like a mother and her young son holding each other. We felt the need to use this because of the potential struggling mothers out there who are struggling with addiction among many other struggles being a single parent. Depending on the person seeing the image, this may also feel personal and relatable, as well as give the individual a sense of comfort in others being a single mother with a young child to care for. Service workers may resonate with this image too with the possibility of feeling empathy towards clients who have similar care situations to them.