We are Niagara Health is a series of stories that celebrates the incredible people working and volunteering in our organization and how they make a difference in the lives of patients and coworkers every day.
Kelsie Guay, an addictions counsellor at the RAAM Clinic, provides a unique lens to helping those who struggle with addiction, as well as their loved ones.
Kelsie Guay never intended to become an addictions counsellor.
Initially studying to work in corrections, it was a chance student placement at the New Port Centre in 2013 that changed the course of her career path.
Now a staff member for more than a decade, Guay helps patients in the inpatient mental health unit and Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) Clinic who are in active addiction or early recovery.
“I sometimes see patients throughout the whole process of their addiction, and it can be hard for people to see the light at the end of the tunnel – with addiction, it’s often harder before it gets better,” she says. “I work really hard to advocate for patients and to see them through to their success stories.”
Primarily working at the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines, she supports patients who are struggling with cravings and withdrawals from substances, and extends that support to their loved ones, including preparing them to visit and helping them understand their loved ones’ addictions.
“It can be a lot to navigate and feel scary for some to walk into an inpatient mental health unit when they don’t know what to expect,” says Guay. “Support is so important, and even though coming in can be really hard, it’s usually harder for people to leave. Mental health and addictions can often run in families, but even if it doesn’t, it still impacts everyone. I often walk families through understanding why addiction isn’t as simple as just quitting. Everyone would love for it to be that easy, but it’s so much more complicated than that.”
Drugs and alcohol can hijack the reward pathways of the brain and super activate a chemical called dopamine, a “feel-good” hormone that affects emotions, behaviour and movement. Ultimately, it alters the brain’s chemistry. When the brain experiences this surge of dopamine, even while having negative impacts on other parts of the body and one’s life, it triggers an overwhelming, physical response to wanting to achieve that sensation again. Unfortunately, chronic use causes the brain to become less sensitive to a high, which is what often causes those struggling with addiction to crave more intense levels of a high.
While Guay has dedicated her career to helping others, working in the field has helped her through her own personal trials.
“I have a lot of friends and family who have struggled with mental health and substance use, so working in this area has helped me process a lot,” she says. “It’s helped me understand things in my personal life and vice versa. It’s also really helped me be able to communicate with family members and to provide them with a unique lens.”
Guay conducts substance use assessments in the RAAM clinic and inpatient mental health units to gage how much patients are using and if they meet the requirements for medication assistance therapy. Following her assessments and depending on the case, Guay provides after-care planning, outpatient resources and psycho educational and social assessments. As difficult as it can be to see patients and their loved ones struggle, Guay knows that overcoming addiction is always possible.
“I went out for lunch awhile ago and ran into a previous patient on the way there,” she says. “She approached me and told me she was four years sober. She looked great and was on her way to work and was so proud.”
To protect confidentiality, Guay never approaches current or former patients when she sees them in the community.
“Working and living in Niagara, it’s inevitable to run into people,” she says. “I usually look at them, smile and acknowledge their presence, but I always want people to have the power and to be the one to make the decision of whether or not to engage outside of the hospital.”
Guay’s husband is also a first responder, and the two lean on each other for support to ensure they’re taking care of themselves.
“There’s a lot of challenges and emotions involved in being a first responder,” she says. “You have to practice healthy boundaries and take care of yourself too. For me, spending time outside is huge. I love to exercise and in particular, I love running to take care of both my mental and physical health. The two influence each other. You have to prioritize your mental health – if you don’t, it can catch up with you.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.”