Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 157 Shining a light on the lived experience of addiction in Saskatchewan (continued) unresolved trauma. Then, rather than saying ‘I need you to stop using,’ we can get to the root of the issue, focus on the unmet needs, and say, ‘I trust you to be there for me,’ and allow the couple to focus on how that can be achieved.’’ When Fletcher teaches her master’s-level course on addiction, she acknowledges that some of her students may struggle with their own past experiences with addiction. “The stats say that in our lifetimes, one in four people will be touched by someone with an addiction. That’s a parent, sibling, or best friend. No one is immune.” THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE One of Fletcher’s students is Heather Kernohan, a Saskatoon social worker who has been on the frontlines for 15 years. “What I appreciate about Kara is she’s presenting master’s-level material in a way that really resonates. We’re not just reading academic papers, but listening to podcasts, sharing stories, and reaching out to those with lived experience with crystal meth. Because every batch of meth is slightly different, and because everyone responds to the drug differently, people can have erratic behaviour, or paranoia, or super-human strength, so there’s lots of fear. My job has always been to make sure the person is safe and can get the help they need.” Kernohan, who is currently on mat leave while completing her grad studies, says she doesn’t understand the approach of people who act as if addiction only happens to someone else. “This whole ‘not in my family so it doesn’t concern me’ attitude has to change,” she says. “We’re all trying to cope with things that are painful to us. There’s really not that big of a divide between numbing your mind with video games or VLTs and taking that next step and using. We all need to escape reality from time to time because we all live with pain. People have to set aside what they think addiction looks like and who it affects, because our human experience unites us all.” “We need a world where people who use drugs have the ability to inform drug policy, and have access to safe supply, support, and resources to live the lives that they want to live.” While Kernohan has worked with substance users from “every cultural and racial background,” she says systemic levels of oppression and racism are particularly impacting those from marginalized groups, particularly Indigenous people. “When you see people struggling to meet their basic needs such as food and shelter, there’s a lot of pain associated with that, on top of past trauma.” Heather Kernohan is a graduate student and a Saskatoon social worker who has been working on the frontlines for 15 years. (Photo by Matt Smith) continued
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