All the parties that take place during a Calgary getaway can be somewhat of a daunting temptation for those struggling with addictions.
A Calgary organization that provides treatment for those individuals is now getting ready to handle the influx of people seeking help.
The Fresh Start Recovery Center says it typically sees about a 20 percent increase in new customers in the days following a stampede.
“A stampede is an incredibly difficult time for someone who struggles with substance abuse,” said Bruce Holstead, executive director of Fresh Start. “That party atmosphere: a little bit of vodka and orange juice, and some pancakes.”
This is a problem that Fresh Start client Logan Beaulieu is all too familiar with.
Beaulieu says he regrets his years of excessive partying during the stampede, often beginning early in the morning.
“Shot-gunning beer and lots of tequila,” Beaulieu said. “It was used as an excuse: ‘It’s stamped’.”
This caused some traumatic experiences for his family.
“When I drove him to the train station, he could barely see where he was going,” said Logan’s mother, Janelle Beaulieu. “I would cry and I just wish things were different.”
Beaulieus was among a large crowd at Fresh Start’s Stampede Barbecue event on Friday.
The organization expects an increase in the number of people seeking treatment in the two weeks following the stampede.
“It may be a remnant of some of the wrong decisions made, the effects created as a result of the redundancies in the stampede,” Holsted said. “what did I do?”
Logan Beaulieu is recovering as a resident at Fresh Start’s treatment facility in northeast Calgary, he has been sober since December 2021.
“That’s awesome,” Janelle said. “No party. It’s just being together, being a family.”
Her son was also enjoying at Fresh Start Barbecue with his parents and other family members.
Logan said, “This is my first getaway with them.” “this is so beautiful.”
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