By Kristin Zita
Ryan Gallagher is the sort of person you
feel you can talk to about pretty much anything. The fact that he’s a firefighter
with the Burlington Fire Department - and is therefore already kind of a hero -
is part of it, but it’s mostly because Gallagher is an open book when it comes
to talking about difficult experiences that have changed and shaped his life.
In fact, Gallagher is so good at reaching
out and empathizing with those around him that he was nominated to be a member
of the City of Burlington Peer Support program. Designed to create a safe,
non-judgmental and confidential space where staff can engage in a supportive
conversation with a peer about life’s challenges, the program is an ideal fit
for Gallagher. It’s also what drew him to the Professional Addiction Studies
program at McMaster University Continuing Education, where he’s starting part-time
courses this fall.
“The peer support training I’ve received through
the City of Burlington has been great,” Gallagher states, “but I wanted to take
it one step further. The Addiction Studies program will be perfect additional
training for my job – but also for my everyday life too.”
That’s because Gallagher’s goal is to be
the guy anyone really can come to, whether
it’s a family member, friend, coworker, or someone he meets while on a call. “I
want to be able to recognize people who are struggling and have a better
understanding of what those struggles are like,” he says. “I hope that if
people know I have this additional qualification from McMaster, that they’ll be
more willing to open up and talk to me about whatever they’re dealing with.”
Gallagher understands the value of talking
all too well. After losing his father at the tender age of 16, he struggled
with the weight of his grief, and eventually turned to alcohol as a coping
mechanism. “It was my outlet,” he states. “I wasn’t an alcoholic, but I was
using it in an unhealthy way.”
He eventually sought counseling, and now talk therapy has become a lifelong
habit that he has made a priority. Annual mental health check-ups and regular
therapy sessions are part of his self-care routine, and something he encourages
others to consider.
“More people need to understand that it’s okay to talk about and address mental
health and addiction problems,” Gallagher asserts. “It’s great that programs
like the Professional Addictions Studies exist, because the more people educate
themselves, the less stigma there will be attached to these issues.”
“I
just want people to feel like they’re normal,” Gallagher says. “I’ve been
through it – we’ve all been through something – and being open about your
struggles is the best way to beat them.”
Learn more at McMasterCCE.ca/addiction-studies-program
