Episode 37: “I’m still Cara.” One woman’s story of recovery, stigma, and hope

We kick off season three of Tim Talk with a frank and eye-opening conversation about the stigma people in recovery face when seeking medical care. Tim speaks with Cara Oleksyk, a former financial counselor at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and also a member of the recovery community, as well as is Jacquelyn Cyr, a family nurse practitioner at Northern Light Acadia Hospital specializing in addiction care. Cara openly and courageously shares her personal experiences as well as views on whether we’ve made progress with stigma towards addiction. Jacquelyn emphasize the importance of using patient-centered supportive language when helping those in recovery from substance abuse.