Stella Maris Sober Living Sanctuary

11/27/2025

www.rageagainstaddiction.org

03/22/2025

The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it's connection. THIS is Stella Maris Sober Living 💕
www soberlivingsanctuary.ca

“Put a rat in a cage and give it 2 water bottles. One is just water and one is water laced with he**in or co***ne. The rat will almost always prefer the drugged water and almost always kill itself in a couple of weeks. That is our theory of addiction.
Bruce comes along in the ’70s and said, “Well, hang on. We’re putting the rat in an empty cage. It has nothing to do. Let’s try this a bit differently.” So he built Rat Park, and Rat Park is like heaven for rats. Everything a rat could want is in Rat Park. Lovely food. Lots of s*x. Other rats to befriend. Colored balls. Plus both water bottles, one with water and one with drugged water. But here’s what's fascinating: In Rat Park, they don’t like the drugged water. They hardly use it.
None of them overdose. None of them use in a way that looks like compulsion or addiction. What Bruce did shows that both the right-wing and left-wing theories of addiction are wrong. The right-wing theory is that it’s a moral failing, you’re a hedonist, you party too hard. The left-wing theory is that it takes you over, your brain is hijacked. Bruce says it’s not your morality, it’s not your brain; it’s your cage. Addiction is largely an adaptation to your environment.
Now, we created a society where significant numbers of us can't bear to be present in our lives without being on something, drink, drugs, s*x, shopping... We’ve created a hyper consumerist, hyper individualist, isolated world that is, for many of us, more like the first cage than the bonded, connected cages we need.
The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection. And our whole society, the engine of it, is geared toward making us connect with things not people. You are not a good consumer citizen if you spend your time bonding with the people around you and not stuff. In fact, we are trained from a young age to focus our hopes, dreams, and ambitions on things to buy and consume. Drug addiction is a subset of that."
Credit: Johann Hari

02/03/2025

At Stella Maris, we recognize that recovery is a deeply personal and multifaceted journey. Beyond medical and therapeutic care, it requires a stable and encouraging environment. Our approach to sober living integrates holistic recovery practices, including:

- Safe and Supportive Housing: Clean, comfortable, and alcohol/drug-free living spaces.

- Peer Support and Community: A compassionate network where residents connect with others sharing similar recovery goals.

- Ongoing Guidance and Resources: Access to life skills training, mental health resources, and addiction recovery programs designed to empower individuals to re-engage with life in healthy, balanced ways.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

1 902-532-5856

stellamarissoberliving@gmail.com

10/31/2024

10/24/2024

"Watercolour for Relaxation" classes have re-started for the fall!

They will take place every Wednesday 10:30am at the Carlisle House Inn, Annapolis Royal.

Please pre-register by calling Kelly 902-955-0779

10/21/2024

Stella Maris programs are launching this week! Please join us tonight for our first SMART Recovery Friend & Family group session.
Carlisle House Inn
548 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal
7pm-8pm
ALL ARE WELCOME!