'Tina' and I were close over these past two years. I wanted to pass the news on to this community but was unsure of how much to say until now. Thank you rickyn for starting the thread. Knowing her as I do, I know that she wouldn't mind me saying that she struggled with addiction to opioids. In a way, the drugs 'took her life' long ago, but in the end it was an accidental overdose that killed her. A tragic end to a difficult life.
There is a Go Fund Me page to help the family with costs associated with her death. Anyone wanting to help can PM me for information..
I say these things in the hope that it may serve to deter someone from using these deadly drugs or that it might help to motivate some user to get help to quit. The addiction is so strong and the physical dependency so pervasive that medical treatment is most often necessary to stop using. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to seek help. Help is out there but you must make the decision to quit and you must take that first step on your own.
Help is out there, but considering the scale of opioid crisis, the help available is woefully inadequate and in some ways misguided. In fact, on one day recently that Tina was seeking treatment, she was turned away from the RAAM Clinic because she had her own doctor and she could wait to see him, even though her appointment was four weeks away. She didn't make it to that appointment and she died shortly after that.
If you are interested, see this Free Press article from June 20 and sign this letter from the Manitoba Health Coalition asking for a Public Health Emergency to be declared.
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/b...ce-urged-to-do-more-to-tackle-overdose-crisis
https://www.mbhealthcoalition.ca/public_health_emergency
