Maison Dunham House

11/16/2025

When depression and addiction show up together, each one makes the other harder to overcome.
It's exhausting, isolating, and often misunderstood.

Our new blog post cuts through the confusion. Learn how to recognize the signs, understand what's really happening, and, most importantly, discover treatment approaches that actually address both conditions simultaneously.

Whether you're searching for help for yourself or supporting someone you love, this guide offers practical next steps for finding the right path forward.

Learn about dual diagnosis (co-occurring depression and addiction), including causes, signs, and the importance of integrated treatment. Find evidence-based options like CBT, comparisons of inpatient vs. outpatient programs, and practical checklists for choosing the right recovery center and support

11/14/2025

Today is Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day and in recovery, this message hits differently.

For those of us healing from addiction and mental health challenges, we've spent so much time being hard on ourselves.

We've carried the weight of past mistakes, the pressure of perfectionism, and the exhausting burden of trying to control everything.

Recovery teaches us something powerful: we don't have to live that way anymore.

Loosening up doesn't mean giving up on your progress. It means releasing the grip of shame.

It means allowing yourself to laugh again, to be imperfect, to find joy in small moments without guilt.

Lightening up doesn't diminish your journey, it honors it.

When we approach ourselves with gentleness and grace, we create space for genuine healing. Recovery is serious work, but it doesn't have to be heavy all the time.

At Dunham House, we believe that healing includes rediscovering the lightness that addiction and mental health struggles tried to take from you.

You deserve to experience joy.

You deserve to lighten up and truly live.

What's one way you're choosing to lighten up today? 💛

11/13/2025

Taking the First Step Toward Healing

Recovery doesn't always mean stepping away from your life.

Sometimes, it means finding support while staying connected to what matters most—your family, your work, your community.

At Dunham House, our outpatient services offer comprehensive addiction treatment designed to fit into your daily life.

Whether you're beginning your recovery journey or continuing the work you've started, we're here to walk alongside you.

Our outpatient programs provide:

-Individual and group counseling sessions that create real connection and understanding
-Evidence-based therapies tailored to your unique needs
-Flexible scheduling that respects your commitments
-A compassionate team dedicated to your long-term success

You don't have to choose between getting help and maintaining your responsibilities.

Recovery is possible, and it can happen on your terms.

If you or someone you love is ready to take that courageous first step, we're here.

Reach out today to learn more about how our outpatient services can support your journey.

🔗 Learn more: www.dunhamhouse.ca/outpatient-services

11/12/2025

He said something that completely changed how we see self-love.

When guest speaker John visited Dunham House, he shared a simple truth , the kind that makes you stop and think about who you really are.

It’s about the difference between two kinds of people… and how one of them always ends up losing themselves.

Watch till the end , it might hit closer than you expect

11/11/2025

Dunham House is looking to hire part/full time mental health counsellor. Interested in joining our team of professionals, apply today!

Join Dunham House as a Counselor in our residential addiction recovery program. Bilingual counseling position with evidence-based treatment approach.

11/10/2025

When Hope Walks Into the Room

Yesterday at Dunham House, something shifted in the air.

A guest speaker stood before us and transformed abstract concepts into lived truth.

His words didn't just inform us, they moved through the room like a current, connecting each person to something deeper than statistics or clinical outcomes.

He shared his journey through the valleys of addiction and mental health struggles, through the slow climb toward recovery, and into the light of rediscovery.

What struck us most wasn't a story of perfection or a neat resolution.

Instead, he offered us something more honest and more powerful: the understanding that healing isn't about erasing our scars or rewriting our past.

It's about finding the courage to show up each day, for ourselves, for our communities, for the people who need us most.

Every person in that room felt it.

The silence between his words held weight.

The nods of recognition rippled through the space.

His vulnerability became a mirror, reflecting back our shared humanity and reminding us why this work reaches beyond job descriptions and organizational missions.

When one person finds his light and chooses to share it, he illuminates the path for others still searching in the darkness.

Yesterday, we witnessed that light.

We felt its warmth.

We remembered that our work at Dunham House isn't just about providing services or meeting benchmarks, it's about holding space for transformation, one story at a time.

Because hope shared is hope multiplied.

And yesterday, it multiplied beautifully.

11/09/2025

Feeling overwhelmed or anxious? Take 48 seconds to breathe with Erica.

This simple box breathing exercise helps calm your nervous system, center your thoughts, and bring you back to the present moment ,anywhere, anytime.

11/07/2025

The Time Change Hit Different This Week, Didn't It? 🕐

If you've been feeling off since the clocks fell back, you're not alone. That "extra hour" might have sounded nice, but disrupted sleep, mood shifts, stronger cravings, or feeling disconnected from your routine are common right now.

Here's what many don't realize: even a one-hour time shift affects the brain chemicals that regulate mood, impulse control, and decision-making. The earlier darkness and disrupted sleep schedule aren't in your head. Your body and brain are genuinely recalibrating.

What helps during this adjustment:

• 20-30 min morning sunlight
• Consistent sleep times
• Reschedule to earlier hours
• Extra meetings/therapy
• Daily rewarding activities

The first two weeks are typically the hardest.

If you're struggling more than usual, reach out before small challenges grow larger.

Be patient with yourself as you adjust.

11/06/2025

I spent six months reading over 1,000 recovery stories—success stories, relapse stories, first attempts, and twentieth attempts.

I was searching for the pattern. The one thing that made the difference.

At first, I thought it was willpower. But some of the strongest people I've ever known relapsed.

Then I thought it was hitting rock bottom. But I read stories of people who turned their lives around before losing everything.

So I kept reading. And then I saw it:

Every person who stayed in recovery had someone who believed in them when they didn't believe in themselves.

Not just support. Not just encouragement.

Someone who SAW them—who saw who they could become—even when they couldn't see it themselves.

This is why at Dunham House, we don't just provide treatment. We provide belief.

💚 Staff-focused care built for deep connection
🏡 6-month programs, not quick fixes
🌲 Dual-diagnosis treatment for whole-person healing
✨ Surrounded by nature's beauty in Quebec's Eastern Townships

Because recovery isn't about being strong enough.

It's about being seen enough. Believed in enough. Supported enough.

11/04/2025

Your path to recovery is personal, and it deserves the right support.

At Dunham House, we recognize that healing doesn't follow a single blueprint.

That's why we offer two distinct pathways, each designed to meet you where you are.

**Inpatient Care: A sanctuary for complete transformation

Our residential program provides 24/7 support on a peaceful 85-acre property surrounded by nature. Here, you can focus entirely on healing, free from daily distractions. We combine evidence-based treatment with holistic wellness practices, all delivered with genuine compassion.

**Outpatient Care: Flexibility that fits your life

For those balancing work, family, and other responsibilities, our outpatient program offers meaningful recovery support with flexible scheduling. It's treatment that adapts to your life, helping you heal while staying connected to what matters most.

Guided every step of the way

Whichever path you choose, our clinical and wellness teams are committed to your dignity, continuity of care, and lasting transformation.

11/03/2025

The stories behind homelessness are rarely simple.

For many, homelessness and addiction aren't separate issues , they're intertwined with mental health challenges in what experts call a dual diagnosis.

Depression fuels substance use, trauma triggers both, and without the right support, the cycle continues.

Here's the reality: treating addiction without addressing mental health is like trying to heal a wound while ignoring the infection beneath.

At Dunham House, we see the whole person , not just their circumstances.

Recovery means addressing the psychological wounds, the physical dependency, and the practical barriers to stability.

When we treat all of these together, real transformation becomes possible.

Understanding replaces judgment.
Compassion creates change.

👉 Read our latest blog to discover how integrated care is breaking the cycle

Discover the leading causes of homelessness in Quebec and Canada, including mental illness, addiction, and poverty. Learn about evidence-based resources, integrated treatment programs, and reinsertion support to help individuals transition from recovery to stable housing.

11/02/2025

🌿 Today is Zero Tasking Day ...yes, you read that right.
A whole day dedicated to doing absolutely nothing productive.

In a world that glorifies “the grind,” sometimes the bravest thing you can do for your recovery and mental health is… pause.

🕯️ Breathe.
☕ Sit with your thoughts.
🌤️ Let yourself be instead of do.

At Dunham House, we remind our residents that healing isn’t a race, it’s a rhythm.

Rest is not a reward.

It’s a requirement for growth, self-awareness, and balance.

💬 How do you make space for stillness in your recovery journey?