As Canada marks Mental Health Week, conversations around emotional wellbeing have expanded beyond anxiety and depression to explore a deeper, often more complex reality—how mental health and addiction are intrinsically linked.
In communities across the country, including right here in Norfolk County, local organizations like South Coast Wellness Addictions and Mental Health are leading the charge in treating these issues as two sides of the same coin.
That was South Coast Wellness CEO Bill Helmeczi.
The traditional view of addiction as a moral failing or personal weakness is rapidly being replaced by a more compassionate, science-based understanding: that addiction is often rooted in mental health struggles.
For some, addiction begins as a way to cope with anxiety, trauma, or chronic stress.
For others, what starts as prescribed medication for pain or mental health symptoms can spiral into dependency.
Recreational use can lead to the same place. In nearly all cases, no one chooses addiction-it’s something that develops over time through a mix of circumstances, biology, and unmet needs.
South Coast Wellness offers a broad spectrum of supports including outreach services that meet people exactly where they are-on the street, in shelters, at home-and wraparound programs like addictions counseling, psychotherapy, and case management.
One of the biggest shifts over the past decade, Helmeczi notes, has been the growing understanding of how medication can play a crucial role in recovery.
Helmeczi has seen firsthand how intertwined mental health and addiction are.
And thanks to greater public awareness, more people now recognize the value of integrated care-places that treat the whole person, not just the substance use or the psychiatric symptoms in isolation.
But despite progress, stigma remains one of the most enduring barriers to care.
Many people living with addiction internalize blame, believing they are at fault for their struggles.
That sense of shame can keep them from reaching out, or from accepting help when it’s offered.
Helmeczi stresses the importance of compassion in these moments-especially from friends and family wanting to help.
If you’re concerned about someone in your life, he suggests approaching the conversation through the lens of connection.
Think about what bonds you to that person-a shared past, a relationship, a sense of care-and use that as the foundation for dialogue.
If they say no to help, don’t give up.
Revisit the conversation another time, with the same calm, non-judgmental approach.
Recovery is a process, and setbacks are part of the journey.
What matters is that people don’t feel abandoned when they need support most.
That support doesn’t end at intake.
Helmeczi emphasizes the importance of staying engaged.
If your loved one seeks help, follow up. Ask how it’s going. Encourage them.
And if they drift off the path, help nudge them gently back on track.
The reasons people fall into addiction are as varied as the individuals themselves—trauma, medical challenges, mental illness, or even just a moment of escape that grew out of control.
No one plans for it. But with the right care, understanding, and support system, recovery isn’t just possible—it’s happening every day.
This Mental Health Week, South Coast Wellness reminds the community that addressing mental health means acknowledging addiction too—and that healing comes from compassion, not judgment.