Intervention Canada ~ A story from my Small Northern Ontario City …
Posted on February 6th, 2012 by roxxyroller in Free Coupons Canada Samples Canadian Free stuff.
Coming from a small town in northern Ontario such as mine, one tends to usually know everyone else’s business. In my city, the last time that I checked, we had a population of 80000 which really is considered small as opposed to other cities in Ontario Canada such as Toronto and elsewhere.
Street drugs and non-prescription drugs are just as bad here as anywhere else, and it has gotten to the point of die-hard “junkies” (a word that really ticks me off!) doing relatively anything to get their next ‘fix’ which is shocking, yet not surprising. Home invasions are on the rise here, with the users entering any random home, (they do not have a time preference) bounding and tying up the homeowners (so that they cannot speak or move), while these drug–junkies search these homes for anything valuable to steal and sell so they can afford to feed their addiction.
The thing that really bothers me the most is that these addicts do not care what age you are, they will invade your home, period. The frail and innocent elderly are often the victims, and it sickens me as to what these addicts will do whatever it takes to get street drugs, and this includes harming anyone at all in their way, not even caring if there are even children in their presence. An addiction is an addiction, and it does not matter whether it’s marijauna, cocaine, crack, heroin, methadone, morphine, opiates, ecstasy pills, percocets, (or any pill that is habit-forming to snort or crush and smoke) and I am thinking that there are many others that I am not even aware of!! In case you know someone is suffering from addiction issues, you can get help here from professionals on their website.
Oxycodone {or oxycontin} addiction has been on the rise all over Canada, and right now it’s one of the most abused prescription drugs! It actually got to the point of pharmacies being robbed at gun or knife-point to get a relieving buzz. Many pharmacies stopped carrying OxyContin for this very reason, and I don’t blame them one bit!!
In Canada, the increase in robberies has accompanied an increase in treatment programs for people addicted to painkillers, especially in the age bracket of 18 to 24 years old. Some attempt to steal the medications for their own addiction, while others resell them on the streets at prices of $50 per pill or higher. Others have resorted to more organized methods of crime, such as offering to buy prescriptions from legitimate patients in or outside of pharmacy waiting areas or using fake prescriptions created for themselves.
Oxycodone is a drug addiction that progresses rapidly. Users who begin taking the drugs following an injury or surgery can quickly become addicted and will begin using the drug for its euphoric effects and to reach a state of “normalcy,” even after their injury has healed. Stronger dosages are needed as the addiction escalates. Aside from pill form, oxycodone can be injested through the nose or by injection. While I am not oblivious to the fact that these illegal drugs are sold all over the world, I just hear it more in our tight-knit community and it’s a shame that I actually have a close friend or 8 that have became addicted as well, it really hurts.
Awhile back my best friend Debbie was informing me of a young girl named “Marcie” (not really her name) from my city who happened to be appearing on the show “Intervention Canada”. In case you have never heard of this popular televised documentary, it is described as a powerful and gripping television series in which people confront their darkest demons and seek a route to redemption. The series follows the format of the multiple Emmy-nominated ground-breaking U.S. series. It profiles people whose dependencies on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behaviour have brought them to a point of personal crisis that culminates in an intervention with families and professionals offering assistance.
My husband’s best friend since grade school happened to assist in raising “Marcie” and eventually married her mother. Everything was great, until Marcie turned 13. She began to drink to the point of getting plastered, and passed out one night at a house party, where Marcie got raped.
Things turned worse after that, and she began using some of the more minor yet popular drugs on the street, smoking weed and oil. Marcie then met a man who was about 20 years older than her, and since he was an experienced drug and needle user, introduced her to the very powerful and addicting drugs. Together they shot up and smoked almost everything imaginable, and it got to the point that Marcie was in a fried and vegetative state daily, wondering where her next fix was coming from. She was just as addicted as he was, and the number of grams used daily would rise and increase to the point of not being able to afford these drugs, and when Marcie was 17, she robbed a confectionary store just to get the money for their next fix. Of course, she got caught.
Marcie was a very attractive young girl with the most amazing blue eyes and had the perfect figure. At the young age of 17, she became pregnant by the older man that she was with, both daily drug users. Marcie ended up breaking all of the veins in her arms and hands, thus leading her to shoot up in the legs and feet, if she or anyone else could find a vein on her body to insert the needle into.
Marcie knew immediately when to quit, however still required methadone daily — methadone is given at the pharmacy and is given by the pharmacist directly to an addict to curve that craving for users. The principal effects of methadone maintenance are to relieve narcotic craving, suppress the abstinence syndrome, and block the euphoric effects associated with opiates. Methadone maintenance has been found to be medically safe and non-sedating. It is also indicated for pregnant women addicted to opiates. As part of her robbery charge, Marcie was banned from seeing that older man that she was in a relationship with, yet continued to sleep at his house every night. After the birth of her baby, someone helped Marcie raise the little one, so Marcie would visit her baby every day and became an excellent mother. There was absolutely nothing that Marcie would not do for her child, and her own mother would also participate in caring for her grand-baby.
Through all of this, I watched as the story unfolded on tv. She continued on using after her baby was born, but only at night at her boyfriends as she had the baby to care for on an everyday basis. They expected the baby to be born an addict, however Marcie got lucky, as this child endured absolutely no withdrawl symptoms. Praise the Lord!!
I also watched Marcie’s mom on the show who is also the same age as me, admitting that she also was a user and struggled everyday for months. She even admitted to ‘using’ with her teenage daughter (which Marcie’s mother was not proud of), and thankfully quit using the harsh drugs by means of smoking them or shooting up by syringe about 5 years ago after she stepped back and watched her daughter slowly hitting rock bottom. She decided that eventually her daughter would die if she continued shooting up the way she was, so that was when she reached the actual turning point in her life. Intervention Canada was called upon by the family members, and the show was almost shot immediately, right here in my own city.
The point of this story? Marcie’s mom is now a very good friend of mine. I have gotten to know her, and we are now the very best of friends thanks to Intervention Canada! Marcie’s mom is no different than you or I. She is tall, very beautiful, perfect body, rambunctious, happy, outgoing, and those are just a few of the words to describe her. Intervention Canada helped Marcie out immensely, and since the intervention she no longer see’s the older man who assisted in dragging her down, the baby’s father. She is much better off, and is now in the works of getting her little one (now 2) back and into her very own apartment.
Addiction sucks. I admit that I have a strong addiction, and that is to the evil nicotine. It overwhelms me day and night, and I almost wish that as a stupid naive and easily persuaded teenager that I never even attempted trying a cigarette, ever. I struggle often with it, and yes, it is a vice that many people have. Other’s are addicted to gambling. Certain others are addicted to alcohol. No matter what, an addiction is always an addiction and addictions are extremely hard to curb!
My new friend is clean now, yet people that know her from the past life still consider her a ‘junkie’ and it hurts. Personally I hate that word, because I beleive that everyone deserves a second chance in life. Junkie seems to be a harsh and hurtful word to me, (I prefer ‘addict’, it just sounds better personally) and I just wish that people would quit stereotyping others from their past.
I will continue on helping my new friend in any way possible to ensure that she does not relapse and go down the wrong path again. I really hope that you will all do your best to help others as well during these hard times in life. By even saving one person, you are making a huge difference in someone’s life, I assure you. Know the warning signs and do as much research into this as you can in case you are someday faced with this problem. It could happen to anyone — it does not matter if one has a high end job and leading an extremely wealthy lifestyle, or just a person just simply who is laying in an alley somewhere waiting for their next fix. It’s all around us everywhere, so don’t turn the other cheek. They are really hurting inside, and may very well be hurting and looking for a way out of this awful habit.
Let them know that you care. You may be the only one.
In closing, I am going to leave you with a poem that I learned from my sister when I was just a young teenager, and I’ve always remembered it ever since.
Take Me in Your
Arms
(Miss
Heroin)
So now, little man, you’ve grown tired of grass
LSD, goofballs, cocaine and hash,
and someone, pretending to be a true friend,
said, “I’ll introduce you to Miss Heroin.”
Well honey, before you start fooling with me,
just let me inform you of how it will be.
For I will seduce you and make you my slave,
I’ve sent men much stronger than you to their graves.
You think you could never become a disgrace,
and end up addicted to Poppy seed waste.
So you’ll start inhaling me one afternoon,
you’ll take me into your arms very soon.
And once I’ve entered deep down in your veins,
The craving will nearly drive you insane.
You’ll swindle your mother and just for a buck.
You’ll turn into something vile and corrupt.
You’ll mug and you’ll steal for my narcotic charm,
and feel contentment when I’m in your arms.
The day, when you realize the monster you’ve grown,
you’ll solemnly swear to leave me alone.
If you think you’ve got that mystical knack,
then sweetie, just try getting me off your back.
The vomit, the cramps, your gut tied in knots.
The jangling nerves screaming for one more shot.
The hot chills and cold sweats, withdrawal pains,
can only be saved by my little white grains.
There’s no other way, and there’s no need to look,
for deep down inside you know you are hooked.
You’ll desperately run to the pushers and then,
you’ll welcome me back to your arms once again.
And you will return just as I foretold!
I know that you’ll give me your body and soul.
You’ll give up your morals, your conscience, your heart.
And you will be mine until, “Death Do Us Part”
Author Anonymous
Tags: A story from my Small Northern Ontario City ..., Addiction, cocaine, crack, drug addiction, drug and needle user, ecstasy pills, heroin, illegal drugs, Intervention Canada, Intervention Canada ~ A story from my Small Northern Ontario City ..., Junkie, marijauna, methadone, morphine, Ontario Canada, opiates, Oxycodone, Oxycodone is a drug addiction, oxycontin, painkillers, percocets, Toronto
Maegan Morin
February 6th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
First off… wow that poem is chilling.
It sucks!
I am addicted to ciggarettes and I agree with you I HATE IT! It hate how it controls and how it makes me feel. If I could go back in time I would kick 12 year old me in the head before I could ever become addicted. I know my addiction isnt as serious as some others out there but like you said an addiction is an addiction, they are all the same. I have had a few over the years, painkillers, weed, alchohol all of which I was able to kick but not smoking
I know what you mean about trying to save someones life and everyone has good intentions but no one ever tells you how hard its going to be. I have a cousin who is 15 years old and 31 weeks pregnant. I am the only person who gave two seconds to that girl but I warned her that if she ever stole from or broke my trust we were done. Needless to say she did steal from me and though she was sorry and blaming the drugs I just cant trust her again. I cant afford to trust her again because we dont have much as it is. It just kills me when I would have given her anything she would have wanted (if I could and besides drugs) and yet she still feels a need to take from me. Now that shes about to have this baby I feel guilty that im not there for her (because no one else is) and I just want to save her baby. Its a hard quest and I still dont know what to do.
roxxyroller
February 7th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
Wow, thanks for sharing that with us sweety! In my personal opinion, if she has no one else, you should step in and help with the baby. Also, I would not give her anything money-wise either since it might very well be used to feed her addiction again. After she gives birth, see how you feel. I know that you want to save that little helpless child who did not ask to be born, however you also have to look out for yourself and your immediate family’s best interest. If she asks for money, tell her straight out that you will not give her the actual money, but you might tell her that you would like to be part of the baby’s life somewhat, and you will go yourself to buy what she needs for that baby to ensure that the money really is spent on the lil one. Maybe once in awhile you can babysit if she needs a sitter, but do not let her take advantage of you or else she might grow dependant on you to sit all of the time. I hope it all works out, these are all difficult situations to be in to begin with!