THUNDER BAY – Amanda Rusnick has struggled with addiction for much of her adult life.
As she turned to pills and other drugs to try to numb the pain stemming from a serious 2004 assault in Edmonton that left her in a medically induced coma, Rusnick’s relationship with her children, family and friends disintegrated, as she turned to crime to find a way to cover the cost of her next fix.
Eventually, she wound up behind bars, serving two years for her misdeeds.
Until she finally got sober a year ago, thanks to the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic, it was the only time she’d been sober in the past decade-and-a-half or more.
“I started using drugs at a very young age. Over 17 years I was an addict,” Rusnick said on Monday, helping kick off Addictions Awareness Week at the Nor’West Community Health Centre, which houses the clinic.
“I was into pills. I was into cocaine. I dabbled in little bit with other stuff, but didn’t go anywhere with it. The reason I wanted to get clean was because my children were taken away. My family wouldn’t help me with anything anymore. And my kids and my family are my life. So I’ll do anything to make sure I’m good for them.”
In other words, she had to want to get clean.
Staying that way is a different story. That’s where the RAAM clinic comes in.
Tailored to each individual patient, Rusnick said the support she gets – when she needs it – has gone a long way to keeping her off drugs.
In her case, it wasn’t a tough decision to decide to seek help.
“I was at the point where it was either I stopped using or I died. I had tried to stop many times. I failed each time. I was clean for two years, but I think it’s because I was incarcerated. RAAM is the only place that has helped me stay clean,” she said.
“I wanted to stay clean. I wanted to stop doing what I was doing and I guess coming here is what helped.”
The numbers are staggering.
Since opening, the clinic has treated more than 700 unique patients and average 427 visits a month.
Designed for those living with serious and persistent substance abuse issues, said a lot is being done throughout the community to help put an end to the problem, including ramping up the distribution naloxone kits and the development of the consumption and treatment service at the health centre.
The impact is being seen already.
“That they’re actually accessing and staying connected to the services and transitioning off into other community services when they’re ready for that, really speaks to the amount of need in the community. Certainly individuals who die can’t access service and can’t recover. We know that recovery is possible ... Recovery can be a bumpy road, and there are always opportunities for people to maintain and get into active recovery,” said the city’s drug strategy co-ordinator, Cynthia Olsen.
Rusnick said she had no idea there was a better way to manage pain, and blames doctors for handing out highly addictive pain medication like it was candy.
“I thought that’s what pain management was. ‘Here, you’re in pain, have some pills,’ like a lot of the doctors do. I don’t agree with it,” Rusnick said.
A year into her sobriety and things are looking up, she said.
“I feel good. Yeah, I’m still in pain, but it’s inevitable. I’m going to be in pain for the rest of my life. But I don’t have to worry where my next fix is coming from. I don’t have to wonder who I’m going to hurt to get my fix.”
