Being heavily addicted is exceptionally difficult at the best of times. Add in a pubic health crisis along with its special issues and you end up with a recipe for disaster. This is what happened to one of our long-time clients whom we had to say good-bye to earlier this fall. He had been struggling with his addiction for over a decade and we could see it was winning.
He had a wonderfully supportive family who grieved his loss even before he died as he pulled away from them and sunk deeper into his world. He had a child whom he loved dearly but he could not commit to the child’s full-time care because his addiction would overpower him and he would have to quickly leave to get a fix.
He had a unique quality about him – people would be drawn to him, some in a good way, some not. He spent many, many days incarcerated and when he came out he would stay clean for a short time before inevitably meeting up with his friends and slipping back into heavy use, sometimes to the point where his friends had to use Narcan to revive him.
He was very aware of how he appeared to others and worked hard at always being presentable, which is a challenge when you’re living on the street. At first glance, he didn’t fit the stereotype that some believe the homeless person who is addicted looks like.
We often talked to him about his addiction and encouraged him to let us know when he was ready to go to detox and rehab. He tried to detox on his own but his symptoms were too severe and he often ended up in an emergency department where he would stay for a short time until the cravings got too much for him and he would leave. He then went to detox in Edmonton but again ended up walking back to St. Albert before he had completed the detox stay, because St. Albert had always been home for him.
For a time, he was able to spend nights with friends, but those doors soon closed when his behaviours escalated which either frightened or angered them and they were nervous about COVID. He started to sleep wherever he could find a spot. The colder he got, the more he used. He had always said that he never wanted to have to sleep in a shelter and preferred trying to brave the cold outside rather than go into Edmonton. When his addiction worsened, that’s exactly where he found himself – sleeping in a shelter in Edmonton, but all the time wanting to come back to St. Albert where he grew up.
St. Albert held all the things that he wanted, but didn’t have all the things that he needed, like a medical detox and treatment facility. Our hope is that one day St. Albert will be able to offer the supports that are needed.
Suzan Krecsy is the director of the St. Albert Food Bank.
