E102 Chris Costa Youth Trouble Prison Drugs then Hope
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 102
Date: January 9, 2024
Participants: John Webster, Cameron Earnshaw, Sheila Webster and Elise Seifert
Guest: Chris Costa (Inteview) and Noura Saad (Move That Body)
Start Times and Segments:
[0:00:17] What’s On Your Mind: Ideas flow after reading an article, “Mindfulness Without Community Isn’t Enough, New Research Suggests” by Sarah Regan (mindbodygreen.com, Aug. 17, 2023). Mindfulness techniques help us in many situations. Our Western approach tends to focus on solo activities. What might a more community looking approach look like?
[0:08:24] Expanding Minds Interview: [Mental and Social Wellness] It’s the first of two interviews of Chris Costa. In this first, we hear how Chris got into trouble when young, ended up in prison, then took steps forward and back, including abusing substances. He ultimately found a way to be a positive actor for change and hope. His parents separated when he was young. Chris started with fairly innocence and mischievous behaviour in grade school, then it escalated. By the end of grade 9 he was breaking into homes and stealing cars. He ended up in an adult prison mid-way through high school. It was eye-opening. A number of people sent the strong message that he had no business ending up in prison and should change course. He signed up for school and graduated from high school while in prison. He started in the right direction when released, but he did not deal with trauma from his past. The more he left it unattended, the more it found its way back into his life. Ultimately, drug use resulted in a week of experiencing a psychosis, being hospitalized multiple times and facing his mortality. It was a catalyst for change. He started doing the hard work and steadily worked his way up, experiencing some setbacks but continuing with forward motion.
[0:27:57] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron attended the movie Home Alone at the NAC in Ottawa, with a full orchestra playing the music score live, along with the film. He saw some of the technology the conductor was using. Great stuff and great performance.
[0:31:40] Move That Body: Noura Saad is getting into spin classes. She feels great after leaving a HIIT-style workout on the stationary bike.
[0:37:04] Running Popup: A book had John recognizing how much better we create and provide services when we are connected to what we are creating.
[0:41:34] Flipside of the Coin: Stephen and Elise are working through a list of over 1,000 movies to watch.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Chris – After my parents separated, I started to act up. It was somewhat innocent at first – minor mischievous type things.
Chris – My trouble began to escalate at the end of grade school [after grade 8]. It turned into me breaking into homes and stealing and not going to school at all. It landed me into the court system. This was met by guidance, to get me back into school. Then in high school it really started to change. I was getting int more trouble. By the end of grade nine I was stealing cars, drinking and partying.
Chris – When I was in grade 10, the law in effect said, “There are consequences and here they are. It’s time to ship you off and hopefully you learn some lessons from this experience.”
Chris – I initially found myself with a shorter sentence in a place that wasn’t hardened. It was a tough lesson to learn, but it wasn’t the toughest yet.
Chris – I re-connected with the sporting community and track and field in high school. I realized that running and that group of people was a place where I belonged.
Chris – I wasn’t’ staying far enough away from trouble in the middle of high school. That’s when it started to get bad. I lived in a home that was challenging when it came to domestic violence. We had someone in our lives who disrupted it quite substantially. That’s where a lot of my anger came from. I resented that the family I thought was my home was dissolving. I resented another human in my life who took it upon himself to teach me lessons in a way they thought was appropriate for a child. It flared itself in a big way and that’s where I started to collect a number of charges and offences with the law. At one point I think I collected something like 54 charges. It’s a significant number for someone that age. You shouldn’t be in that kind of trouble.
Chris – I heard the guidance. I knew that there were lots of people out there interested in finding peace for me, but I wasn’t there.
Chris – Being in adult prison was quite eye opening. I had not yet graduated from high school. I went through incidents that showed me it was not the place for me. There we people letting me know that. A number of people took it upon themselves to make sure that I understood that this was not going to be comfortable, because what I was doing – I should have known never to end up here. They were making sure it was understood. It was persistent for a period of time.
Chris – I heard the message in prison at a young age. I reflected on some of the things I was taking for granted in my own life. I registered for school. In a short time I went from grade 10 to graduating from high school while in the system.
Chris – You’d think that putting the time and effort into your own growth and steering change would be enough, but it’s not. At that time. I wasn’t doing the internal work to address things in the long term. The more I left past traume unattended, the more it found its way back into my life, creating instability in me.
Chris – I lost a close friend of mine to suicide. That’s when my own demons came to life. Substances became a daily or every other day issue. I struggled at work. I wasn’t taking care of myself well. I wasn’t very connected to the world around me. I felt like a shell of myself.
Chris – I ended up with a few scares in one week, where the substances I was taking brought on a psychosis. Those experiences were the reflection I needed to scare me more permanently. My mortality was being affected and I wasn’t ready to go.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Chris: Scared straight with a few additives.
Guest Information: Chris Costa is an entrepreneur, athlete, and passionate community builder. He uses a love of running and sports to create positive change for others. He founded Change In Motion, a community support project that raises awareness and funds to support families experiencing domestic violence. He spoke about his experience as a TEDx speaker. He has competed internationally for Team Canada as a master's athlete in the men’s 400m and 800m events on three occasions. Most recently, Chris walked 24 hours as part of his fundraiser to support Women’s Crisis Services, Camino Mental Health and Wellbeing, and the Grand River Hospital Foundation. You can find him on Sunday evenings as a volunteer in GRH emergency room.
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(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Julie and Noura