Pedersen Recovery Inc.

By: Darcie Khounnoraj Kipling Citizen "The conflict is that so many people will show up and listen to you speak about the Roughriders, they all yell and scream and go crazy and that's good, but the recovery/mental health aspect isn't as sexy or glamorous so it's a quieter group, yet you're having a bigger impact," Rod Pedersen, known as the Voice of the Riders, shared in Kipling, SK this month how he uses his voice to help those with addictions and mental illness versus the play-by-play commentary. "The only problem that I have is that I wish more people would speak up because addictions and mental health affect everybody in some way but nobody wants to talk about it." Rod Pedersen kept the target audience up to date across Saskatchewan for 30 years with the play-by-play commentary for sports fans. Visiting the Kipling community, Pedersen presented his story to more than 120 people at the Kipling Community Centre on Sunday, March 31 sponsor...

By: Mathew Liebenberg Swift Current Prairie Post  Sober Coach and Mental Health advocate Rod Pedersen hopes his personal journey of battling with alcoholism can make a difference to help others to find a way to recovery. The Drug Strategy Action Committee in Swift Current hosted two events where the former voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders shared his story. A community presentation took place during an evening event at Walker Place on April 7 and he spoke to Grade 9-12 students at Swift Current Comprehensive High School the following morning. “I don’t find it difficult at all,” he said after his first presentation. “From the moment I gave my first speech about getting sober. You heard it, I lived 25 years in shame and guilt and I’m not going to live the next 25 that way. So if it helps somebody along the way I’m going to do it.” He struggled with anxiety since a young age, but he only realized he was suffering from mental illness after he began his recovery. He di...

With Health Minister Jim Reiter From CBC.ca: Saskatchewan's government is putting $30 million more toward mental health and addictions in 2019-20. About half of that money — $13.7 million — is going toward North Battleford's new Saskatchewan Hospital, which offers long term psychiatric rehabilitation. The federal government has also contributed $6.25 million, bringing the Ministry of Health's total dollars for mental health and addictions to $402 million in 2019-20. "We just think we need to do better on the whole mental health front and this is, I would say, a huge step forward," Health Minister Jim Reiter said. He said the budget includes "the largest commitment ever to mental health services in our province." Reiter highlighted more beds, extra staff and new mental health clinics as some of the province's key areas of spending. The province has also sectioned off $1 million for harm reduction initiatives. The government outline...

1. Rod, we are so grateful to have you join the Do More Agriculture Foundation for a Q and A. We wanted to connect with you because you have been a beacon of strength for many as you overcome alcoholism. Could you tell us about what prompted you to start drinking in the beginning? - I was raised in a farm community (Milestone, SK) and drinking really was the "thing to do" once you hit high school. Road parties, bush parties, park parties, etc. That was fine for most everyone else but I was drinking to blackout from virtually the beginning. I had a history of alchoholism in the family and some underlying mental health issues that alcohol erased temporarily. I felt like I was just "going with the flow" but it was clear early on that alcohol and I shouldn't mix. 2.  Was there any point in your years of drinking that you thought maybe it had become a problem? Did you tell anyone?  - My Dad was a recovering alcoholic and he warned me for years that I could ...

This is the most difficult thing I've ever written. In fact, I came to tears a few times while writing it but there's one reason and one reason only why I'm doing it: I know for a fact there are young people out there going through the same things I did years ago. If this piece strikes a chord with just one of them and it spurs them to go make a change in their life, then it will have been worthwhile. Here goes: Dear Rod , Look at you right now. Just look at you. When you look in the mirror each morning, I know you don't like the young man who's staring back at you very much, do you? It's okay. I've walked in those shoes and realize they're very uncomfortable. I know you don't like looking in the mirror at all. You think everyone hates you but you're wrong. The fact is everyone who knows you, loves you. When you're not drinking . Deep, deep down, reallllly deep down, you know that's true but you don't want to do anything...

It's been several months since I invited questions from blog readers on Alcoholism & Addiction, and did my best to provide answers. The last time proved to be a very worthwhile exercise as it shed plenty of light on what peoples' loved ones, or themselves, are battling with substance abuse. So after inviting more questions last week, here's my best swing at answering them: 1 - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ALCOHOLIC OR ADDICTED? This comes up a lot and I'm guessing it's because people want to know if the symptoms they're feeling are a sign that they have a serious problem. The first thing that comes to mind when answering this question is that the person-in-question has a pre-occupation with alcohol and their current supply of it (or whatever substance they're hooked on). It's on their mind most of the time throughout the day. For example: planning when's the next time they can drink, what they'll drink, where they'll get it, perhaps h...

I have to say I'm tremendously excited for you to hear this month's Recovery podcast interview because I think it's going to help A LOT of people. National sports broadcaster and Mental Health advocate Michael Landsberg is our latest guest on the Pedersen Recovery Rodcast for Fine Foods, Milk2Go Sport and CJ Evans Home Designs! The award-winning broadcaster and host of TSN's Off The Record  is a household name in Canada but has only recently hit the speaking trail telling his story about his struggles with Mental Illness. Specifically, Landsberg suffers from generalized anxiety disorder and depression which are a bitch. (In case you didn't know).  You'll learn from this interview that Landsberg knows all the ins and outs of Mental Health struggles, and is now a huge supporter for mental health awareness, popularizing the hashtag #sicknotweak in tribute to his mental illness. Michael and I first crossed paths in the fall of 2008 when I was a guest...