CMHA Waterloo Wellington Marks National Addictions Awareness Week

From Nov. 13 to 19, CMHA Waterloo Wellington will join with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
(CCSA) and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery organizations across the country to
mark National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW).

NAAW is an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about substance misuse, prevention,
treatment and recovery. This year’s NAAW theme is Addiction Matters. In Canada, it is
estimated that approximately 21 percent of the population (roughly six million people) will meet
the criteria for addiction in their lifetime.

CMHA recognizes that while there is no single set of factors that represent the complex causes
of addiction, mental health and addictions are linked and impact one another. A mental health
issue in conjunction with addiction or substance misuse is known as a concurrent disorder.
While it is difficult to obtain an accurate statistic of people living with concurrent disorders,
research shows that more than 50 percent of those who are seeking help for an addiction also
have a mental illness.

CMHA Waterloo Wellington is the lead agency for Here 24/7, the single access point for addictions, mental health and crisis services provided by 12 agencies across Waterloo Wellington, we also offer Self Help – group and peer support, and the Drug Treatment Court program.
For more information on addictions, visit the CMHA Waterloo Wellington.