WINNIPEG — Destiny Bohemier has a message for anyone considering abusing fentanyl.
“Don’t ever try it because the first time I ever abused it I couldn’t stop. It took control of my soul, it took complete control over everything,” the 25-year-old said.
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Bohemier says she’s suffered from a variety of drug addictions since she was 11-years-old. She says she was prescribed fentanyl a year ago for chronic pain and has been addicted ever since. She also suffers from an eating disorder, making it nearly impossible to find long term treatment.
“If your eating disorder is active, there’s no way you’re going to get drug and alcohol treatment, and if you’re actively using there’s no way you’re going to get eating disorder treatment,” Bohemier said.
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Ian Rabb, who opened the Aurora Recovery Centre in Gimli said this situation isn’t out of the ordinary.
“I don’t think Destiny’s situation is unique,” Rabb said. “We have a very broken system that needs to look at the whole person, and I think that’s the biggest problem that we face.”
Rabb is helping Bohemier as she tries to raise money to attend a private long term facility through a go fund me page. She’s attended multiple programs offered by Manitoba Health but continued abusing drugs throughout them. Now, she’s terrified that if she doesn’t get help immediately she will overdose and die.
“Even though I had that suicide attempt, at that time I did want to die, but when I think about it deep deep down, I don’t want to die,” a tearful Bohemier said.
A spokesperson for the province said Main Street Project is open 24 hours a day for people who need assistance. The current wait time for a detox bed is 0 to 10 days. Right now treatment wait times in the province range from 15 to 60 days. In total there are 348 primary treatment beds in Manitoba.
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