Trauma and Mothers in Recovery
Talk Recovery RadioThis Week on Talk Recovery Radio
This week on Talk Recovery Radio, Terrance Kosikar Founder of Camp My Way joins us to talk about PTSD in first responders, guest 2 Mallory F shares her story about being a mother in Recovery and being part of Families Recovery Society.
Guest 1
About Camp My Way
Camp My Way is a Residential Wilderness Program for First Responders and their families who have been affected by PTSD Camp My Way is located completely off the grid in the backcountry Mountains of British Columbia Canada. Our outdoor adventure based program teaches Campers how survive off grid, and respect our land that Mother Nature has provided all of us to enjoy and appreciate our gift of life today. Our self sustainability, combined with outdoor Adventure is aimed to help our Emergency Service Providers who struggle with an OSI (Operational Stress Injury ) PTSD get their lives back … Naturally
OUR MISSION
The ultimate goal is to help people get their lives back and reconnect with their family and friends through teamwork, self-discipline, meditation, exercise, nutrition and sharing positive experiences, in a natural environment.
We have designed a program of activities and adventure for our campers to push personal limits, break down barriers, and re-establish a relationship not only with nature, but also with themselves.
These experiences will provide our campers with the tools to cope with everyday struggles, and teach them about problem solving strategies, setting new goals and the importance of daily routines.
Terrance the founder of Camp my Way, suffers with PTSD, Terrance was one of the first responders who responded to the luge accident at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics when Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvilli was killed on opening day of the Olympics. An hour after the Olympics were done, Terrance tried to die by suicide, and after that Terrance went to his doctor and the doctor said he thinks he has PTSD. Terrance had no idea what PTSD was, but he could not see a psychiatrist for a few months, so they decided to give him some medication. When he was prescribed medication to cope with the PTSD, he was struggling with Terrance became to be “Okay”. Terrance thought the medications were helping him with his PTSD in the long run. Terrance talks about trauma and addictions, and how the coexist with each other. Terrance talks about what trauma is, the majority of people think trauma is normally Rape, murder, violence, hatred, when in fact a 5 year old having a major dental procedure is trauma to the nervous system as much as someone being shot at in a war in Afghanistan.
Terrance explains Camp my Way as a day of life, not a program. Camp my Way allows people to learn how to use tools in their daily life to help they deal with their mental health and trauma in a proper way. Terrance uses the analogy of building a house and having the foundation and tools of building the house the same as having tools to help you deal with life when you have trauma. Trauma and PTSD doesn’t get fixed right away Terrance says it takes practice and application of skills you learn to cope healthy.
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Terrance Joseph Kosikar – Founder – Camp My Way
I was the first responder to a fatal accident during an event at the Whistler Sliding Center during the Winter Olympics in 2010. Although I was well trained in a myriad of life saving techniques, I was not prepared to deal with the emotional impact sustained when those techniques were not enough. As a result of the fatality, I developed Post Traumatic Stress Injury ( ptsd ) that launched me into a very costly downward spiral.
During several years of severe depression, anxiety, nightmares, and substance abuse, I lost my family, my career, and nearly my life. Pushed to my breaking point, I found salvation within. Escaping to the back-country near Lillooet, BC, I found peace and purpose in mother nature’s beauty and simplicity. Many others who have suffered from PTS have not been so lucky.
It is my mission in life to help people who are suffering from PTS overcome this terrible injury. We will be offering a series of week long introspective nature retreats at Camp My Way. These trips will give people suffering from PTS – Mental Health and Substance Abuse challenges an opportunity to leave their real world problems behind, and to find themselves in some of the most beautiful terrain in the world. In my experience, this has proven to be an incredibly effective method to help manage my life .
Guest 2
Mallory’s Story
Mallory Fewster is a mother in recovery with two vibrant and beautiful girls. She is well known in the recovery community for her involvement with Elizabeth Fry Society, Maxxine Wright Community Health Centre and the Growing Great Kids program. During COVID-19 she began attending mothers on recovery Zoom meetings on a regular basis and immediately got involved in helping out with hosting meetings to encourage and support other mothers in recovery. She is the perfect choice to help lead Family Recovery Society’s Outreach & Events Team because she knows how it feels to feel alone, and always makes a special effort to make every single mother and father in our community feel welcome and appreciated at meetings and events. Her energy, creativity and joy are a gift to our community and we are grateful for her service!
Mallory is part of Family Recovery Society, which has been around since 2017, during the beginning of Covid and the pandemic Mallory was feeling very isolated and felt like she was struggling with only having a 12 step program to support her and Mallory felt like she needed to be in a group that helps her specifically with being a parent. Mallory came into recovery and got sober when she was seven months pregnant, so she spend a lot of her pregnancy in addiction, so at once Mallory was learning how to take care of a new born and be new in recovery at the same time.
Giuseppe and Mallory touch on the stigma of addiction and recovery. Mallory says when she was in her addiction and she was needing to go to prenatal care classes and she wouldn’t go because of stigma towards addiction, she felt like she would be judged and felt like the would not help her until she stopped using drugs.
Mallory went to an addiction treatment facility in Surrey where you can go and bring your newborn or go when you are pregnant which is eight months. Mallory says one of the hardest moments for her was waiting between detox and treatment and staying clean through that time. Mallory was also battling addiction with her partner and when she was accepted for help she did not want to leave her partner homeless downtown slowly dying from addiction. Mallory feels as there needs to be a program where families can go together and band together and recover together.
Family Recovery Society
Family Recovery Society is a non-profit organization that supports parents on their pathway to recovery from addiction. We offer weekly support meetings, leadership opportunities, education and resources that help build strong, empowered families.
We believe that supporting and connecting parents is the best way to build long-term, sustainable recovery for families. The work we do in Family Recovery Society is helping break generational trauma patterns by creating opportunities for connection, education and empowerment to the mothers, fathers and children in our recovery community.
Listen and Subscribe
Talk Recovery airs live every Thursday at noon on 100.5 FM, Vancouver Coop Radio. The Last Door produces this weekly radio show discussing the many pathways to addiction recovery. To end stigma we must continue to talk about recovery. Talk Recovery is in its 7th Season, Hundreds of guests, thousands of listeners, thank you. Show ideas? Email community@lastdoor.org
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