Michelle CHOSE to turn her life around in REHAB.....

[dle]

This is the kind of story I want to see many more of - this young woman, Michelle, has turned her life around and stayed off the drugs by CHOOSING to go to rehab in a serious effort to to CHOOSE to live life rather than CHOOSING to continue doing drugs. She hit rock bottom and there was a rehab facility AVAILABLE for her to enter. I have heard the Nanaimo facility is top notch but EXPENSIVE.

So, instead of spending umpteem millions of $$ on ENABLING all the drug addict by giving them reasons to continue to use in places to shoot up safely etc, and ZERO reason to CHOOSE to do as Michelle did, and get OFF drugs, I want to see the government put all that wasted umpteen millions of $$ into BUILDING AND FACILITATING MORE REHABS. Ones with the same strong protocols as the one in Nanaimo, that require months' long committment to the program, that actually give the person a strong chance at success once they are released. Use some of those umpteen millions of $$ to make the admission fee either more affordable, or subsidized for those who cannot afford it.

If you are reading this Michelle I want to say I'm proud of you - you are a wonderful role model for TAKING BACK YOUR LIFE. Good luck to you.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#212565

[Jflem1983]

All kinds of cash for injection busses. Not so much for actual treatment. What does that tell u.

[JayByrd]

We definitely need more resources devoted to these facilities. Michelle had a supportive family which makes all the difference. Many addicts have burned those bridges, or there was never a supportive family to begin with.

We have things like outreach programs (connecting people to resources) and harm-reduction initiatives (focused on keeping people safe and alive, even if they remain on drugs) because not everyone is as lucky as Michelle.

Not everyone is capable of lasting in a months-long rehab program with rules and expectations. And I don't mean "Poor Tiffany would rather party than get sober", I'm talking about people with undiagnosed behavioural/psychiatric disorders. Or people who've become so de-socialzed by the life they've led, that asking them to participate in a program like this, is like asking you or me to climb Mount Everest. Sure, it's theoretically possible. But we can't just march out the door and do it, can we?

Not everyone thinks their life is worth salvaging...and often there's no one around them who thinks that either.

The idea of returning to a "normal" lifestyle (if they ever had one) is pretty terrifying for someone with no social or life skills.

No one has yet figured out how to repair those who are so broken, they can't even take the first step. So we settle for treating them with compassion, and trying to keep them alive and safe.

That said, I agree with you dle...the more resources for helping people get well, and the more accessible they are, the better.

[dle]

We definitely need more resources devoted to these facilities. Michelle had a supportive family which makes all the difference. Many addicts have burned those bridges, or there was never a supportive family to begin with.

We have things like outreach programs (connecting people to resources) and harm-reduction initiatives (focused on keeping people safe and alive, even if they remain on drugs) because not everyone is as lucky as Michelle.

Not everyone is capable of lasting in a months-long rehab program with rules and expectations. And I don't mean "Poor Tiffany would rather party than get sober", I'm talking about people with undiagnosed behavioural/psychiatric disorders. Or people who've become so de-socialzed by the life they've led, that asking them to participate in a program like this, is like asking you or me to climb Mount Everest. Sure, it's theoretically possible. But we can't just march out the door and do it, can we?

Not everyone thinks their life is worth salvaging...and often there's no one around them who thinks that either.

The idea of returning to a "normal" lifestyle (if they ever had one) is pretty terrifying for someone with no social or life skills.

No one has yet figured out how to repair those who are so broken, they can't even take the first step. So we settle for treating them with compassion, and trying to keep them alive and safe.

That said, I agree with you dle...the more resources for helping people get well, and the more accessible they are, the better.

[dle]

We definitely need more resources devoted to these facilities. Michelle had a supportive family which makes all the difference. Many addicts have burned those bridges, or there was never a supportive family to begin with.

We have things like outreach programs (connecting people to resources) and harm-reduction initiatives (focused on keeping people safe and alive, even if they remain on drugs) because not everyone is as lucky as Michelle.

Not everyone is capable of lasting in a months-long rehab program with rules and expectations. And I don't mean "Poor Tiffany would rather party than get sober", I'm talking about people with undiagnosed behavioural/psychiatric disorders. Or people who've become so de-socialzed by the life they've led, that asking them to participate in a program like this, is like asking you or me to climb Mount Everest. Sure, it's theoretically possible. But we can't just march out the door and do it, can we?

Not everyone thinks their life is worth salvaging...and often there's no one around them who thinks that either.

The idea of returning to a "normal" lifestyle (if they ever had one) is pretty terrifying for someone with no social or life skills.

No one has yet figured out how to repair those who are so broken, they can't even take the first step. So we settle for treating them with compassion, and trying to keep them alive and safe.

That said, I agree with you dle...the more resources for helping people get well, and the more accessible they are, the better.

I hear you too Jaybird.....I want to clarify that I don't want to give the impression that opening more good quality rehab centres will magically work for all addicts....we can only wish for things like that in a perfect world.... but I really think there are way more addicts out there who are not too far gone as opposed to ones that are (for any of the reasons you mentioned). If we can get the ones into a GOOD rehab program that still have a chance of success, WHILE they still have a chance for success, then that's a huge step in the RIGHT direction. We definitely also need facilities to help those who are not mentally capable of taking the steps needed. Rehab is NOT a "one-size fits all" solution - but there can be levels of assistance that can help all levels of need. We just haven't gone that route yet - some of the powers that be still think that doctors can continue to prescribe home-use opioids as if it's not a HUGE part of the problem, some are still thinking that giving someone a safe place to use drugs INSTEAD of a place to get off drugs is somehow going to get them to stop using, etc etc.

All we can do is keep posting our thoughts and hopefully somebody, somewhere, who has some power to actually do something might be like-minded and believe our thoughts are worth pursuing vigorously. What's going on now obviously isn't working - AT ALL.

[Queen K]

Ya, $54,000 per YEAR and up, to police the downtown Library but when Crossroads has a lousy million dollar mortgage there was no money to start paying it down til it was more manageable.

Keep them addicted. Pay the costs of keeping them addicted, no matter what. I wonder how many died by now because there are no treatment beds available?

[Jflem1983]

Ya, $54,000 per YEAR and up, to police the downtown Library but when Crossroads has a lousy million dollar mortgage there was no money to start paying it down til it was more manageable.

Keep them addicted. Pay the costs of keeping them addicted, no matter what. I wonder how many died by now because there are no treatment beds available?

The guy who ran crossroads lives across the road from me. Im friends with his kid who lives around the corner from me.


That being said. Crossroads had some major issues. I took a young lady there. She came out more strung out than when i dropped her off. They were smoking heroin rite in the living quarters.

[Tony]

Not everyone is capable of lasting in a months-long rehab program with rules and expectations. And I don't mean "Poor Tiffany would rather party than get sober", I'm talking about people with undiagnosed behavioural/psychiatric disorders. Or people who've become so de-socialzed by the life they've led, that asking them to participate in a program like this, is like asking you or me to climb Mount Everest. Sure, it's theoretically possible. But we can't just march out the door and do it, can we?

Not everyone thinks their life is worth salvaging...and often there's no one around them who thinks that either.

The idea of returning to a "normal" lifestyle (if they ever had one) is pretty terrifying for someone with no social or life skills.

No one has yet figured out how to repair those who are so broken, they can't even take the first step. So we settle for treating them with compassion, and trying to keep them alive and safe.

That said, I agree with you dle...the more resources for helping people get well, and the more accessible they are, the better.

I do agree with some of this, however, I believe that every one and/or anyone can make decisions if they want to, which brings me to the next line....

Somehow, there must be a way to convince people that they are worth saving, and returning to a "normal" lifestyle. That's where counseling and therapy would step in.

I would love to see money put into these programmes rather than "safe injection sites". This would at least address the issue instead of masking it.

By the way, congratulations Michelle on making the right decision. Good to see you doing well.

[JayByrd]

I do agree with some of this, however, I believe that every one and/or anyone can make decisions if they want to, which brings me to the next line....

Somehow, there must be a way to convince people that they are worth saving, and returning to a "normal" lifestyle. That's where counseling and therapy would step in.

I agree. I used the analogy of climbing a mountain...not impossible, but a monumental task.

Unraveling one's issues through counselling and therapy is a lot of work. It takes introspection on behalf of the person being helped. Honesty, and a willingness to face (in most cases) some pretty heavy trauma. But in many cases, we're dealing with people who don't even have the wherewithal to walk through the door, even if such help was available to them.

Using will always be easier than dealing with one's .