DCO Discourse...
Moving Forward Through Partnerships
About the show
Here at DCO Discourse we have discussions related to mental health, addictions, and life. We aim to provide listeners with tools and resources that will help them improve their own mental health and wellness, and support their family members, loved ones, and their community at large. If you would like to provide feedback or request future topics, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/MhSNiyMm2c2xsiv8A.
If you are seeking support, we encourage you to visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to locate your nearest member centre.
DCO Discourse... on social media
Episodes
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    Episode 37: Understanding HomelessnessAugust 9th, 2019 | Season 1 | 20 mins 29 secsunderstanding homelessnessHousing is one of the most important factors for a healthy life. A good home is important for individuals and for overall population health. There is a growing number of Canadians who are precariously housed or homeless. Changes in the economy and in the housing market are adding to homelessness. The supply of affordable housing has not kept pace with the needs of the population. There has also been a decline in the amount of affordable rental housing in many cities. Combine that with declining incomes and a widespread reduction in social benefits for low-income Canadians, and you get a population that has to spend a greater percentage of its income on housing. 
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    Episode 36: First Nations or Aboriginal Cultural SensitivityAugust 1st, 2019 | Season 1 | 19 mins 47 secsaboriginal perspectives, first nations or aboriginal cultural sensitivity, native cultural sensitivityAs 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 HoardingJuly 25th, 2019 | Season 1 | 18 mins 42 secscollecting or hoardingHoarding 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 AidJuly 18th, 2019 | Season 1 | 17 mins 37 secsmental health first aidGood 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 AnxietyJuly 12th, 2019 | Season 1 | 33 mins 39 secsanxietyWe 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 - LonelinessJuly 5th, 2019 | Season 1 | 44 mins 6 secslonelinessDCO Conference 2019 Talk - Loneliness 
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    Episode 31: The Seeds of Self-CareJuly 3rd, 2019 | Season 1 | 23 mins 58 secsself-careAccording 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 SpencerJune 25th, 2019 | Season 1 | 58 mins 54 secsfinding the passion in what you do with nina spencerMotivational speaker, Nina Spencer discusses how to find the passion in what you do. 
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    Episode 29: Gambling is a Family ProblemJune 23rd, 2019 | Season 1 | 21 mins 56 secsgambling, the family impact of gamblingOur 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 secsgamblingMost 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. 
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    Episode 27: Opiates Addiction and Providing Support - Part 2June 6th, 2019 | Season 1 | 19 mins 50 secsopiates addiction, providing supportPeople 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 TreatmentJune 5th, 2019 | Season 1 | 18 mins 46 secsopiates addiction and harm reduction treatmentOpiates 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 JourneyJune 4th, 2019 | Season 1 | 35 mins 20 secsandrea's journeyIn 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 MattersMay 28th, 2019 | Season 1 | 21 mins 15 secstaking care of the heart, your resiliency mattersOur 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 
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    Episode 23: How to Talk About Eating DisordersMay 23rd, 2019 | Season 1 | 28 mins 18 secshow to talk about eating disordersResearch 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 secsconcurrent disorders, part 2Substance 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 
