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Shouting it out loud: You can香蕉视频直播檛 wish away addiction and mental illness

Who is John Vassilaki to say what is 香蕉视频直播榥ormal香蕉视频直播?
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Parliament Hill is viewed below a Canada flag in Gatineau, Quebec, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. In 2014, Parliament and the Canadian War Memorial were the sites of a terrorist attack. (Canadian Press - Sean Kilpatrick)

In the midst of the ongoing feud between Penticton council and BC Housing, something Mayor John Vassilaki said struck me.

It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 anything directly about the closure of the Victory Church shelter.

More, it was his words about how the money going to the shelter could be better spent, funding a mental institution that was closed more than eight years ago because it was out of date, and sending people in our community who need help down to the Lower Mainland.

香蕉视频直播淢aybe they could get rid of their addictions and their mental illness, and make them somewhat normal, so they could live a better life,香蕉视频直播 said Vassilaki during a council meeting March 16.

That sentiment 香蕉视频直播 those words 香蕉视频直播 have no place coming from anyone香蕉视频直播檚 mouth in 2021, let alone from an elected government official.

Let香蕉视频直播檚 get something straight. You do not 香蕉视频直播榞et rid香蕉视频直播 of a mental illness. You do not 香蕉视频直播榞et rid香蕉视频直播 of an addiction.

What you can do, is learn to live with your illness and to manage it 香蕉视频直播 like diabetes or Parkinson香蕉视频直播檚, or any other disease.

An addict can stop drinking or taking drugs, but they will always have a dependence 香蕉视频直播 their brains and bodies are rewired forever. All they can do is learn to live with their addiction.

People now learn to 香蕉视频直播榤anage香蕉视频直播 their addictions and their mental illnesses, because our understanding has grown and evolved beyond the thought that we can simply wish it away.

There is another aspect of the mayor香蕉视频直播檚 words that I find distasteful, and that is that by magically removing someone香蕉视频直播檚 mental illness or addiction, that they will be made 香蕉视频直播渟omewhat normal.香蕉视频直播

What is this 香蕉视频直播榥ormal香蕉视频直播?

There is no such thing for every individual, and to say that because of something out of your control, you no longer fit that nebulous concept, is simply astounding.

Making people 香蕉视频直播榥ormal香蕉视频直播 has been the justification behind centuries of harsh treatment, and even until recently, was used as a justification for horrific 香蕉视频直播榗onversion therapies香蕉视频直播 for people who were homosexual, because that wasn香蕉视频直播檛 香蕉视频直播榥ormal.香蕉视频直播

Modern society, science and medicine have long left that way of thinking behind.

It香蕉视频直播檚 no longer a binary of 香蕉视频直播榥ormal香蕉视频直播 or 香蕉视频直播榥ot-normal香蕉视频直播, everyone falls somewhere on a scale.

Get rid of their mental illness and make them somewhat normal.

That sentiment may have been acceptable 30 or 40 years ago, but it must be left where it belongs 香蕉视频直播 in the past.

Not a single councillor called out the mayor on his words.

No statement or even acknowledgment of his utterances have been made.

When people talk about the stigma around mental health, illness and addiction, they are probably thinking along lines similar to the mayor香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播 just get rid of these mental illnesses?

If those words had come out of the mouth of an MP, or even an MLA, there would be calls to apologize and resign. Words matter.

I have Asperger香蕉视频直播檚 Syndrome. I know several people on the Autistic Spectrum who in the past would have been considered 香蕉视频直播榥ot normal香蕉视频直播 and because of that likely wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have been able to get a job, or live with any independence.

Yet, the world has moved on.

The mayor and council are the people elected to lead the city, and are in theory, a reflection of the people they serve.

A suggestion: Look in the mirror and ask, what do I see香蕉视频直播nd what do I want to see?

Brennan Phillips is a journalist with Black Press Media.



Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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