Back from the brink of hell
Former addict credits RVH’s program for
giving him a second chance at life.
Billy has been to hell and back.
For five days every bone in his body
ached, his mind raced, and his stomach
churned, as he lay in a sweat-soaked bed
ridding himself of the drugs that had held
him captive for years.
“Withdrawal is hell,” says Billy, 33,
(whose last name has been withheld for
privacy). “It’s like having a bad flu bug
times a million.”
But for Billy, whose life has been a
downward spiral caused by addictions to
both drugs and alcohol, it was worth it.
“I’ve been clean now for 86 days,” says
Billy. “I feel 100 per cent different. I used
drugs everyday. It got to the point where I
didn’t even want to shave or brush my hair
because I couldn’t stand to look at myself
in the mirror.”
Now, Billy has no problem with his
reflection.
He finally likes what he sees and credits
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s
Withdrawal Management Services and the
new 21-day Residential Treatment Service
for giving him back his life.
RVH’s Withdrawal Management
Services provides a safe environment for
individuals to withdraw from substances.
The average length of stay is three to five
days, after which clients can head down
the path to full recovery by participating in
the 21-day treatment program.
“We know overcoming an addiction is
very difficult and that people will relapse –
it’s just part of the illness and the recovery
process. But when we get calls from
former clients, like Billy, who tell us they
are still clean and sober, that is reaffirming
to us that treatment can have a positive
impact on a person’s recovery,” says
Angela McCuaig, manager of Addiction
Services, RVH.
Before RVH established this unique
program there were no local residential
treatment options in our region, meaning
clients had to travel outside the area for
this type of specialized
care.
The program is
designed to help
individuals who struggle
with addictions and
mental health issues,
which often go hand
in hand. During the 21
days, clients participate
in group therapy focused
on loss and recovery,
relapse prevention,
healthy relationships,
life management and
coping strategies.
People can self-refer to
the program and a thorough assessment
will determine if the program is right for
them.
For Billy, this was the fix he needed. A
drug user since his early 20s, his habit
eventually cost him his house. It was a
wake up call – he wasn’t going to lose his
wife and three children as well. They were
counting on him succeeding this time.
“I’ve tried to deal with my addictions
before, but I just wasn’t ready to talk about
the underlying issues and I put up walls,”
says Billy. “This time it was different. The
program helped me realize my drug use was the symptom of a greater problem
and that’s what we worked on. My life is
like night and day now. I can’t say enough
about the RVH staff. They are really
good people.”