COVER LOOK
COVER LOOK
Gaby Gatineau – Once upon a time in Gatineau. Photographed by Christian Kalambay, AskedUS, November 2022.
The most difficult step toward recovery for many people struggling with addiction is the very first one: admitting that you have a problem and deciding to make a change. In Canada, it is estimated that approximately 21% of the population will meet the criteria for addiction at some point in their lives.
IN A COFFEE SHOP
“It ‘s hard for me to concentrate at home because I have ADHD”. She says. “So when I’m at a coffee shop, working away on my laptop, I try to stay there for as long as I can. Sometimes for hours.”
Gaby Gatineau is part of this 21%. She started abusing alcohol at 16 years old and then later moved to illegal drug abuse. Gaby was born and raised in Gatineau, Québec. She had a difficult upbringing while dealing with addiction and depression. Her biological mother was a prostitute who abused drugs while pregnant with her. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada state that using illegal drugs or drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause serious harm to the baby. The outcome can be low birth weight, premature rupture of the membranes, miscarriage, preterm labour, and sudden infant death syndrome.
Gaby was born with a lot of health difficulties and her mother was not in the best position to take care of her. She was taken from her biological mother and placed with a foster family but the expenses that came with an unhealthy baby took a toll on the family. They were no longer able to take care of Gaby and she was placed back into the foster system. At the age of two years old, Gaby was adopted by a loving Portuguese & Québécoise family. They took care of Gaby like one of their own and made sure that she knew she was loved.
THE COMEDIEN
“Sometimes I doubt about doing humor on stage,” she writes on Instagram. “But I can’t deny the feeling it gives me.”
Coming from a hard upbringing for the first two years of her life, while growing up knowing she was adopted, Gaby dealt with feeling like she didn’t belong.“They did everything they could to help me but still it was really hard for me growing up making friends being myself, you know when I was a kid I had a lot of violence a lot of anger inside of me”.
It’s reasonable to assume that childhood trauma and substance use disorder are linked. When dealing with childhood trauma, turning the focus on something else helps to avoid dealing with the trauma. This usually leads to substance abuse. While adult survivors of trauma have significant rates of addiction, children’s rates are even greater. Trauma can have a significant impact on psychological and emotional development, which can lead to problematic substance connections.
THE AUTHOR
“I am so proud of myself and the books I have written.” one of her Instagram post says. “I see myself writting more books to educate the younger generation about all the things I wish I knew when I was younger.”
Gaby turned to alcohol and drugs which gave her a sense of familiarity. For many years Gaby distanced herself from her family and faced many difficult situations.
“When I was 16, I started using drugs, and instantly I felt so relieved and so good. It was like going back into the belly of my mom I felt amazing. I felt like the only thing I was missing in my life I finally found it again”
Gaby turned to her family for help to get back on the right track. Her family welcomed her back without any hesitation and helped her get into rehab. After just one month of in rehab, Gaby was kicked out for bad behaviour. Though Gaby didn’t return to rehab, with the help of her family she was able to get sober. Going to NA meetings and changing her surroundings were key to her recovery.
Gaby has been sober for over 6 years.
THE INFLUENCER
“I understand that humor is subjective to everyone depending on one’s life experience,” she says. “But jokes aside, I am really passionate and involved in the fight against racism.”
On her journey to sobriety, Gaby has realized her passion for change. Growing up in community that was narrow minded, Gaby felt that she couldn’t express her interest in different cultures. “I remember the day I said it I love Black people. And for the white community it was the end of the world. They were like why do you like Black people”
Being a true ally in words and action Gaby knew that more needed to be done. Reading and researching about black history, black culture and also doing the research gave Gaby a better understanding of their experience. “I changed my circle a lot, it became very multicultural and I got access to a world that never existed around me and I was amazed by the different culture and energy” Gaby came to understand her white privilege, the white gaze, systematic racism, discrimination and more. Taking action to stand for what is right was what Gaby knew she had to do.
“I started to have real conversations.
Then I started to see oh, there’s actually really racism still happening today.”
Producing children’s books that touch on racism is something that Gaby has been passionate about. Her first published children’s book, “Mama, what is white privilege?: The Invisible Crown,” touches on the theory of white privilege but from a perspective children can understand and take action to be different. “Mama, what is an immigrant?: The New Neighbor” is the second book about a mom explaining to her daughter what an immigrant is. Gaby is excited to continue publishing a series of books on racism while having many projects on the horizon, through comedy, school outreach, and social media.
To keep up with Gaby G, follow her at gabygatineau and sober_is_better on Instagram. You can also buy her books here.
IN ONE WORD
When asked, in one word how she sees her future, after a moment of reflection, her answer was : “LIMITLESS!”
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