Teena Clipston is inviting everyone to a seminar at Kelowna's Mary Irwin Theatre on Nov. 13 to delve into the realities of substance use disorders.

The seminar will serve as a book launch for 'Healing Mind, Body & Soul: Recovering from the Trauma of Addiction', a compilation of pieces written by those who battled addiction and survived and by those who cared for and loved the addicted person. 

Clipston, a contributing author, wrote about her son Andrew now that he is clean and living a healthy life. The mom found her son deep in an opioid addiction in Kelowna in 2021 and details the challenging journey the two of them faced in accessing treatment. Clipston also addresses the toll it took on her own health. 

"I went through months of hell trying to keep it together and keep him safe," Clipston said. The mom commented that she walked on eggshells never knowing if she was going to find her son dead from an overdose.

"I felt very alone when I was trying to take care of him. I didn't have access to the tools I needed." Clipston hopes the seminar and the launch of the book will be a positive resource to someone caring for a loved one struggling with addiction like her. 

Peachland's Pam Rader offered a similar story for the book while Kelowna's Luke Wiltshire wrote about his own battle with addiction and life on the streets. The authors will both be speaking during the seminar. 

The author of the book's forward, Guy Felicella, will be the evening's keynote speaker. Felicella will share his journey from addictions and homelessness to recovery and leadership in harm reduction. 

Tickets to the Nov. 13 seminar are available through Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts. Clipston said anyone who cannot afford a ticket should contact her at teena@clipstonpublishing.com. 

Books will be on sale for $20 during the event and the speakers will stick around to answer questions from guests following the seminar. 

A portion of proceeds from the seminar will be donated to Lit From Within, a platform that supports the integration of yoga and meditation into mental health and addiction recovery across the Okanagan.