Patricia is thankful for the chance to start again, after years of struggling with addiction.
Patricia is 54 years old and starting over, after years of struggling with addiction.
As a patient living with diverticulosis, Patricia was initially prescribed morphine. Later on, when she started receiving radiation treatments, fentanyl was added to the mix. It wasn’t long before she started using street drugs, including crack cocaine and crystal meth.
After entering treatment, Patricia briefly stopped using painkillers in 2015, but as life became more complicated, so did her drug use.
When COVID hit, Patricia was isolated, and it took her drug use to a whole new level.
“All there was to do was to isolate and get high.”
After suffering a fall where she ended up breaking her shoulder and fracturing her hip, Patricia was prescribed opiates, once again bringing her drug use to an even more dangerous level.
At the height of her addiction, Patricia would use crack cocaine, fentanyl, crystal meth and more – and it got so bad that she lost pretty much everything, including her safety.
She was sexually assaulted by her dealer when she couldn’t pay for her drugs. It wasn’t long after that Patricia turned to sex work to make enough money to support her habit.
“I never thought it would get this bad. I felt so worthless – I thought for sure I wouldn’t be allowed to start the program at House of Friendship. I thought they would call me trash.”
Patricia got her fresh start through House of Friendship’s Women’s Residential Addiction Treatment program. She said that the additional support she received by talking to Shawn, her Connection Coordinator, helped her get through the time she spent waiting to get into the program.
“If it wasn’t for Shawn’s help, I wouldn’t have made it.”
Many residential addiction programs, including House of Friendship’s, have long wait lists, making it extremely challenging for individuals who are waiting to enter programs.
The Connection Coordinator role is a relatively new, unique role at House of Friendship. Through this role, staff provide unique one-on-one support to individuals on our waiting lists, based on their unique needs. It’s a way of providing the additional help many people need while navigating the road to recovery.
While in our program, Patricia was taught skills like journaling and reflection, which she would often do at the end of her day.
“That kind of emotional regulation stuff was critical for me. Everything I was processing was so raw and explosive. It took me time to feel like myself again.”
Patricia now has a year of sobriety, and is enjoying the new life she is building.
“I’m a work in progress, but I like the direction I’m going.”
Patricia has completed a job readiness program through Better Jobs Ontario called Foundations in Wood Manufacturing, and is currently living in a recovery house as she prepares for her next steps.
Thank you for recognizing that addiction can happen to anyone, and for working to reduce the stigma. Your care and compassion goes a long way to help individuals like Patricia get the help they need!
