What does it mean when a system designed to help people in crisis starts offering them a permanent exit instead?
In this episode, Jessica and Nikki take on one of Canada's most contested policy debates — Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) — through the lens of recovery, spirituality, and radical honesty. They aren't here to tell you what to think. They're here to have the conversation out loud that most people are only having in their heads.
They dig into how MAID expanded from terminal illness to include non-terminal conditions where "suffering is intolerable" — and what that language means for people in active addiction, mental health crises, or simply in the middle of a very bad year. They share personal stories, answer real audience questions, and wrestle with a central truth from their recovery work: you cannot give informed consent to a permanent decision from inside a temporary crisis.
They also talk about what actually fills the God-shaped hole — not a government program, not substances, not validation — but spiritual training, radical honesty, community, and the willingness to stay long enough to find out what's on the other side of the pain.
In this episode:
- The history of MAID in Canada and how it expanded through Bill C-7
- Why the 12-step community sees addiction as an "intolerable condition" — and what that means in a MAID context
- What happened when Veterans Affairs Canada directed veterans to MAID instead of treatment
- The $149M question: who financially benefits from this program's expansion?
- An audience question from an anonymous detox worker whose facility was approached by government officials asking for MAID referrals
- A parent's question after their 12-year-old came home from school having been told about assisted dying
- The case of a 26-year-old who received MAID in BC — and what his family wants people to know
- Why spirit comes first — then mind, then body
Recovery isn't for people who want it. It's for people who do the work. This episode is part of that work.
Content note: This episode includes frank discussion of Medical Assistance in Dying, suicidal ideation, addiction, and personal trauma. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out to Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645.