DCO Discourse...

Moving Forward Through Partnerships

About the show

Discussions on topics related to mental health, addictions, and life in Ontario, Canada. We aim to provide our listeners with tools and resources that will help them to improve their own mental health and wellness, as well as tools to help them support their family members, loved ones, and their communities at large. If you would like to provide feedback and/or request future topics, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/MhSNiyMm2c2xsiv8A.

We regret to announce that the ONTX text and chat program will cease operations on November 30th, 2023. Text and chat services will remain available until that date, however, they will no longer be accessible starting December 1st, 2023. If you are seeking support alternatives, we encourage you to visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to locate your nearest Member centre, some of which provide their own text and/or chat support services.

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Episodes

  • Episode 36: First Nations or Aboriginal Cultural Sensitivity

    August 1st, 2019  |  Season 1  |  19 mins 47 secs
    aboriginal perspectives, first nations or aboriginal cultural sensitivity, native cultural sensitivity

    As help line call responders, you are asked with every contact, to provide care and sensitivity to the needs and conditions of the caller. That sensitivity involves being open and accepting of the person’s background, values and experiences and being awar

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    Episode 35: Collecting or Hoarding

    July 25th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  18 mins 42 secs
    collecting or hoarding

    Hoarding is a complex behaviour that has been recognized as a distinct mental health disorder in the influential Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). People who hoard accumulate extreme, disorganized clutter in their homes and su

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    Episode 34: Mental Health First Aid

    July 18th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  17 mins 37 secs
    mental health first aid

    Good mental health involves feeling good both physically and mentally; possessing the ability to enjoy life, and coping effectively with everyday challenges. ‘Easy enough’, you may say, but for many, this can seem like a lofty goal.

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    Episode 33: A Focus on Anxiety

    July 12th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  33 mins 39 secs
    anxiety

    We all feel nervous, tense or worried at certain times and in certain situations. This anxiety is normal and can be a helpful feeling when it motivates us or warns us of danger. Anxiety is commonly experienced in high pressure situations, for example, pri

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    Episode 32: DCO Conference 2019 Talk - Loneliness

    July 5th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  44 mins 6 secs
    loneliness

    DCO Conference 2019 Talk - Loneliness

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    Episode 31: The Seeds of Self-Care

    July 3rd, 2019  |  Season 1  |  23 mins 58 secs
    self-care

    According to the 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey, 21.2% of males (2.8 million) and 23.4% of females (3.2 million) aged 15 or older reported that most days were quite a bit or extremely stressful. This is an alarming number of people who indicate str

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    Episode 30: DCO Conference 2019 keynote - Finding the passion in what you do with Nina Spencer

    June 25th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  58 mins 54 secs
    finding the passion in what you do with nina spencer

    Motivational speaker, Nina Spencer discusses how to find the passion in what you do.

  • Episode 29: Gambling is a Family Problem

    June 23rd, 2019  |  Season 1  |  21 mins 56 secs
    gambling, the family impact of gambling

    Our second part/episode on this topic looks at the family impact of problem Gambling. People gamble for a variety of reasons, and there are many vulnerability factors that can contribute to the development of a gambling problem. While most people do not e

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    Episode 28: Is Gambling really a problem?

    June 15th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  30 mins 33 secs
    gambling

    Most Canadian adults gamble—and do so without experiencing problems. Many young people gamble as well. In a 2006 survey of Ontario students aged 15 to 17 years, it was found that one in three youth (35%) reported gambling at least once in the past year.

  • Episode 27: Opiates Addiction and Providing Support - Part 2

    June 6th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  19 mins 50 secs
    opiates addiction, providing support

    People with drug dependence may be suffering in silence, missing opportunities for treatment and prolonging the process of recovery, as a result of the stigma and prejudice that society clings to regarding those with drug addictions.

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    Episode 26: Opiates Addiction and Harm Reduction Treatment

    June 5th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  18 mins 46 secs
    opiates addiction and harm reduction treatment

    Opiates refers to a group of drugs that includes heroin. Other opiate drugs include opium, morphine, pethidine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone and buprenorphine. Opiates are classed as depressants. They slow down activity in the brain and central nervous s

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    Episode 25: Andrea's Journey

    June 4th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  35 mins 20 secs
    andrea's journey

    In this episode of the DCO podcast we talk to Andrea about her struggle with addiction.

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    Episode 24: Taking Care of the Heart - Your Resiliency Matters

    May 28th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  21 mins 15 secs
    taking care of the heart, your resiliency matters

    Our primary task as crisis/distress line call responders first and foremost, is to be supportive and empathetic listeners. This can be immensely rewarding, and the main reason why so many people volunteer for several years. However for some, there can be a personal cost for all that caring. Some might ask, why is it that some people can do shift after shift on crisis/distress lines and others report they feel overwhelmed by some of the callers, or say they need a break as it becomes too much to handle? Why can some people bounce back quickly after taking a particularly difficult call while others might lose sleep at night worrying if they said the right thing or wonder how that person made out? Some people are just able to rebound from almost any adversity and carry on with their lives while for some, it is not so easy. The answer is resilience - our ability to bounce back and adjust to challenges that life sends our way. It is our self-righting mechanism, our ability to restore our equilibrium, when it has

  • Episode 23: How to Talk About Eating Disorders

    May 23rd, 2019  |  Season 1  |  28 mins 18 secs
    how to talk about eating disorders

    Research indicates that many people are not happy with their appearance. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre estimates that up to 40% of nine year old girls have dieted to lose weight. Television ads and programs inundate us with weight loss and exercise regimes, suggesting that thinner is better. Statistics Canada describes eating disorders as being severely disturbed eating behaviours that typically begin in adolescence or young adulthood. It is reported to affect women ten times more than men. The two most common and disabling eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

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    Episode 22: Concurrent Disorders (Part 2)

    May 16th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  26 mins 24 secs
    concurrent disorders, part 2

    Substance Abuse in Canada: Concurrent Disorders Report (CCSA, 2010) states that concurrent disorders are a significant health issue in Canada—more than half of those seeking help for an addiction also have a mental illness. These individuals can represent

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    Episode 21: Concurrent Disorders (Part 1)

    May 10th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  27 mins 10 secs
    concurrent disorders, part 1

    Health Canada (2002) defines those who have a concurrent disorder as experiencing a combination of mental/emotional/psychiatric problems along with the abuse of alcohol and/or other psychoactive drugs. Studies have shown that up to 50% of people with subs