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Profiles of some people who have used rehabilitation facilities
POWELL RIVER, B.C. — There exists as much stigma about drug users as about the centres that treat their addictions. Here are a few stories of people who sought treatment for substance abuse, both their backgrounds and the stereotypes they themselves held about rehab facilities. Some of them have given only their first names:
Growing up the son of a missionary, Joel McNair says his family never vacationed, they moved. The Saskatchewan native followed his dream to “drive the shiny red fire truck” and became a firefighter in Saskatoon in 2003. Seven years later he responded to a series of calls involving dead children and turned to alcohol to cope with post-traumatic stress.
He says his addiction got to the point where he was getting drunk and passing out twice a day. McNair arrived at the Sunshine Coast Health Centre in March and says he has come to realize the stigma around treatment centres and their clients “isn’t even a relative of accurate.”
“There are some pretty moving moments around here. Complete strangers who want nothing but the best for you because they understand at some level what you’re going through,” McNair says.