Addiction Recovery Resources 

What Recovery Resources Can I Afford?

While it may initially seem overwhelming to consider paying for private treatment, the cost of addiction is immense. Not only is it destroying your health, relationships and quality of life, but it’s also incredibly expensive. If you look back over your substance use history you’ll see clearly that the amount of money spent is tremendous. Not only on the substances themselves but on behaviours associated with your usage. The idea of investing in your health can be difficult when all your needs have been covered by our Universal Health Care system. However, ensuring a future and having a life worth living means investing in yourself. Consider all the other areas of your life that you’ve financially invested in. 

If you have no money and no familial support getting residential addiction treatment help is more difficult, however, there are a variety of government-funded centers. Before getting on a waiting list you may wish to give your family an opportunity to help. As uncomfortable as it is to ask for help, many families are relieved to invest in your recovery. Likely they’ve been paying for your addiction in either up front, or subtle ways, for years. Asking your family members to cover the cost of treatment will ensure you receive a higher quality residential treatment to support long-term recovery.

Lines of Credit, Personal Loans and Credit Cards

Many people take out personal loans or lines of credit through their banks to fund their treatment. If you think this is an option for you, contact your bank. Additionally, credit cards can be used to finance your treatment.

Some Employers Cover the Cost of Private Treatment

Depending upon where you work, you may be eligible for coverage through your employer or your Employee Assistance Program. We’ve had many large companies send employees through our treatment program here at Aurora. It’s always beneficial to check into what resources are available to you with your employer.

Your Private Insurance May Finance Private Addiction Treatment

Many people have private insurance coverage through their employers and are able to get covered for addiction treatment under their plans. Private insurance may cover the full cost or a portion of it. Some of the private insurance companies that have provided residential treatment have included; Manitoba Blue Cross, Manulife Insurance and Great-West Life. Contact your private insurer for information. 

Community Agencies May Finance Private Addiction Treatment

Community agencies such as Child and Family Services, and Victim Services may also finance private addiction treatment costs for those eligible. If you are involved with any of these agencies contact them for details.

First Nations Bands May Cover Cost of Private Addiction Treatment

Depending upon which First Nation you’re a member of your band office may cover the cost of private addiction treatment. Contact your band office for more information.

Treatment Finance offers flexible repayment terms and requires no financing fees upfront. Interest is only paid on the amount borrowed and can be paid off in whole or in part at the borrower’s convenience. They understand the urgency of processing time due to the need to get addiction help now, so they are available 24/7, they respond promptly and will do everything they can to assist the borrower in finding a way to make it work. Click Here to Apply with Treatment Finance Now

Medicard is Canada’s patient financing company and can be used for any type of paid medical procedures or care. Here’s how it works:

• Submit your application on their website. 
• You can choose to finance the entire cost of treatment or just a portion.
• Choose your terms from 6 months – 6 years.
• They will notify you of the credit decision by phone.
• Sign and return the required documents along with your banking information. (Approval is quick)!
• Medicard sends payment to your service provider automatically.
• They will deduct your monthly payments from your bank account automatically.

Click here to apply for Medicard now

Millions of people worldwide are in sustained recovery and have achieved it by attending support meetings. See list below for options. It’s recommended that you attend 90 meetings in 90 days in order to build new neural pathways, practice new behaviors and have accountability. Try a variety of meetings to find one that resonates with you. 

Free Support Meetings For Addiction

• AA Online Meeting Directory
• AA Online 
• Alanon Online Meetings
• IDAA (International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous) – Home
• NA Recovery – Narcotics Anonymous Chat and Online NA Meetings for Drug Addicts
• Narcotics Anonymous Online Meetings
• Meeting Schedule — Online Recovery Group – ORG
• In The Rooms
• Medication-Assisted Recovery International
• Manitoba AA Meetings Online
• Saskatchewan AA Meetings Online
• Wellbriety Movement
• Families Anonymous Online Meetings
• Codependents Anonymous Online Meetings
• Codependents Anonymous International Online Meetings
• Buddhism Based Recovery Online Meetings
• Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Inspired Path to Recovery from Addiction
• SMART Recovery
• LifeRing Online Meetings 
• Young People In Recovery All Recovery Meetings
• Unity Recovery Meetings
• Women For Sobriety
• She Recovers International Group Women

Online Addiction Recovery Resources

Facebook Groups like Sober Grind-Addiction Recovery Support offer an online community of others in recovery that interact with one another and share their success stories. 

Addiction recovery podcasts like Sober Grind, The Bubble Hour, and The SHAIR Recovery Podcast offer audio content from people in recovery themselves and offer their best advice on what has worked for them. There are also AA, NA, and ALANON meetings nearly every day depending on where you are located in the world that you can go to for in-person support. 

Recovery Support Apps For Addiction

Sober Grid allows you to create online profiles and interact, support, and engage with other people in recovery using a platform similar to Facebook. You can also use the app to create anonymous check-ins about whether you’re sober or not, your mood, and what’s going on.

SoberTool is an easy way to track your days of sobriety. The app includes daily motivational messages and reminders to keep you on target.

AA Big Book Ultimate Companion 

This app, available for free in the app store, gives you access to the full text of the Big Book, along with a meeting finder, podcasts, prayers, and personal stories. You can use the app to bookmark meaningful passages, make notes on individual chapters in the comment section, and search for specific keywords.

12 Step Meditation Daily Reflections for AA, NA, Al-Anon 

This app, available for free in the app store, features hundreds of easy-to-follow guided meditations, as well as soothing music, prayers, and 12-step recovery audio.

I Am Sober

This app, available for free in the app store, tracks your sober days and milestones, helps you build new habits, and provides ongoing motivation from a community of people in recovery. 

Meditation Apps That Help With Addiction

Insight Timer – #1 Free Meditation App for Sleep, Relax & More

Guided Meditation and Mindfulness – The Headspace App

Simple Habit | The Best Meditation App for Busy People

Calm – The #1 App for Meditation and Sleep

MyLife | Find Your Quiet Place

Ten Percent Happier: Mindfulness Meditation Courses with Dan Harris and Joseph Goldstein

Buddhify: Meditation & Mindfulness App

Free Guided Meditations | Stop, Breathe & Think

Podcasts That Help With Addiction

The Bubble Hour invites listeners to share their stories of recovery from alcohol addiction. Each week, host Jean McCarthy holds space for a guest to tell their story, and together they explore topics relative to recovery. 

Busy Living Sober a podcast with the mission of “giving people an opportunity to listen, learn and live a sober lifestyle without shame while having fun.” 

The Addicted Mind is about understanding addiction, its impact and the latest treatment options available. This podcast aims to create an environment of compassion for individuals caught in the destructive grip of the addictive process. It works to deliver real hope to people who are suffering from addiction’s painful impact. 

That Sober Guy Host Shane Ramer is in recovery from alcohol. He interviews a mix of celebrity guests and everyday people who have experienced addiction or felt the impact of drug or alcohol use. He focuses on living a positive, healthy and sober lifestyle, and uses his podcast as a platform for sharing inspiration with others who want to live the same way.

Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery Hear what leading addiction and recovery experts are talking about—addiction trends, topics and challenges as well as research, practices and advances that point the most promising way forward. Provoking interview series, brought to you by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

The Boiled Owl Coffee Club Casual conversations about recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. Listen online or with any podcast management app. 

Ten Percent Happier Podcast– A podcast series from a meditation-based app company featuring interviews with different experts on topics ranging from trauma and resilience to thoughts on relationship building.

Recovery Recordings 

The AA History Symposium  Password: thebroadhighway

Recovery Books Online

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• 12 Steps And 12 Traditions 
• Recovery Dharma Book
• Refuge Recovery Book

Online Mental Health Resources

• Mental Health and Substance Use
• Library Mental Health Commission Library Resources
• Webinars Mental Health Commission Training Resources
• Newsletter Mental Health Commission Newsletter
• Workplace Resource Hub
• Mental Health First Aid Virtual Training
• The Working Mind Virtual Training

Alcoholics Anonymous Speaker Tape Websites

• AA Speaker: Home
• Speaker Tapes mp3 Archives | Alcoholics Anonymous, in Los Angeles County, Southern California
• 6000 AA Speakers & Tapes | Alcoholism & Addiction Recovery

Alcoholics Anonymous Speaker Tape Apps

• AA Audio Companion
• ‎AA Audio Companion for Alcoholics Anonymous on the App Store
• AA Big Book Ultimate Companion on the App Store
• AA Speaker Tapes
• ‎AA Speaker Tapes & 12 Steps on the App Store
• AA Speakers Free (Alcoholics) – AA Audio Tapes – Apps on Google Play
• AA Speakers – Speaker Tapes on the App Store
• AA Speaker Tapes on the App Store
• Alcoholics Anonymous – Bill W. – Apps on Google Play
• Daily AA Speakers
• Daily Bread | AA Speakers on the App Store
• Daily Bread | AA Speakers on the App Store
• Joe & Charlie – AA Big Book – Apps on Google Play
• AA Joe & Charlie Big Book Work on the App Store
• AA – Sandy B on the App Store

Aurora Recovery Centre also offers an Intensive Outpatient Program as an alternative to residential care for a fraction of the cost. Click here for more information

Interventions for People Who Won’t Accept Addiction Help

Sometimes, the trance of addiction is so powerful that despite repeated negative consequences, and pleas from loved ones, a person refuses to get help. A person might believe that their use is not a problem and simply rationalize the usage, by either blaming circumstances or comparing to others whose problem is more severe. Interventions can be exactly what’s needed to break through the person’s denial. The role of an interventionist is to facilitate a fruitful meeting that will inspire the individual to seek treatment. The interventionist makes all the arrangements and provides support for the family too.

Our commitment to your recovery means Aurora is with you every step of the way with ongoing personalized treatment, for addiction, substance use and mental health disorders. We provide what you need when you need it for addiction treatment and sustainable recovery. Feel free to contact us. Everything shared with us is kept strictly confidential and we’re happy to make recommendations if you need a different level of care than we provide.