Local author Shannon Mondor explores the road to healing in her new book 'How the Hell Did I Get Here?' - SUBMITTED PHOTO
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
The road to healing a mental illness can be long, arduous and full of missteps along the way. ‘How the Hell Did I Get Here?’ published six months ago by local author, Shannon Mondor will take you through her journey of addiction and her eventual healing. Mondor held a book signing at the Cypress Club on Tuesday and says she’s pleased that people are becoming more aware of the realty of addiction and its effects.
“I am very grateful. In the fact that people are accepting to hear about addiction now – like it’s not a closed topic anymore. People are getting to know more and more people that have an addiction so they are more than willing to know more about the subject and being less swept under the carpet.”
The book is a short read, chock-full of experiences and revelations. As Mondor takes the reader through different stages in her young life in rural Saskatchewan through to her adult life, she unveils the root of her addiction, where it started along with the triggers that came along with that.
“People are just like ‘Wow’. They like the fact that I am open and honest and I just say it like it is and that’s what they like about me – that I’m not holding anything back,” Mondor says.
Mondor is quick to point out the book is not only about addiction but also fear, shame, repairing self-image including self-care and the road to get to the best person one can be in your lifetime.
“Losing a child, difficult family relations or just hiding stuff and losing yourself just to make everybody else happy. Everybody does that; everybody feels fear, everybody feels shame,” she said.
‘Fear Fighter’ is the slogan that has resonated with Mondor. She feels fear is the biggest anchor to holding people in their addiction and prevents them from dealing with their triggers and ultimately leaves them in their space stalling movement forward.
“All of us have fear. Fear is a sign that you have to go forward. There’s growth through fear – and that’s what people don’t understand because we are sitting in our fear because we are too scared so we just sit there and we don’t grow and we get worse.”
As the book leads you through Mondor’s journey, she said the two biggest takeaways she would like her readers to get from her book is improving self-worth, which relates to self-image and speaking one’s truth.
“Self-image and self-worth is the number one thing. That’s where your confidence and decision making comes from. It’s where you go forward and be the best person who you can possibly be,” she said.
Speaking her truth and facing facts about her surroundings was difficult, but Mondor said it was critical to recognize in the healing process.
“I realized I was trying to make everybody else happy and in the meantime, I’m the one that’s suffering and I was at my breaking point. I either end my life or I do something about it,” she said. “Sadly all the things I was so afraid of losing, I did lose in the end, but I knew I was better off. They liked me the way that I was, they liked that I didn’t speak my truth because then in this way – it wouldn’t affect their lives.”
As it turns out, the book is just the beginning. The next step for Mondor is to devote her time to helping others on their journey to improved self-image and self-worth.
Mondor gained her certification as a Certified Life Coach in 2019 and a Reiki practitioner this year, and mostly recently trained with the Proctor Gallagher Institute achieving ‘Thinking into Results’ consultant status. Mondor will be opening Fear Fighting Consultant and InnerWorks on Oct. 1 in Medicine Hat to help people reach their life goals.
“I’m very excited to start,” said Mondor. “My role is facilitating and guiding my clients as I work with them side by side for six months using this in-depth program to help them make their dreams a reality. ‘Thinking into Results’ consultant focuses on helping others in all areas in their lives.”
