Tina spends most of her spare time searching for resources to help her husband.
She says for the past 13 years he has struggled with an addiction to methamphetamine.
“I’m afraid he’s going to be on the streets and who knows what’s going to happen then,” she said.
She says when her husband tries to get help, there aren’t the resources to support his recovery.
“He’s been taken to a couple different hospitals and every time he waits eight, 10 hours to see a doctor, the doctor looks at him, asks him a few questions for a couple minutes then he’s sent home,” Tina said.
Tina wanted to speak out after hearing about the death of Windy Sinclair. The 29-year-old mother of four was found dead after leaving the hospital. Her family said she struggled with a meth addiction.
Tina said she wanted to speak out in hopes others will seek help.
“If I can reach one person, or one family or one young adult… don’t be influenced be your own person don’t use drugs,” she said.
The Addictions Foundation of Manitoba says it helped treat 188 people for issues with drugs like meth in 2014. In 2015 that number rose to 224 and jumped again in 2016 to 381. In the past nine months the number is already at 274 people treated.
Dr. Ginette Poulin from the addictions foundation says the numbers don’t paint a clear picture because many people struggle in silence.
“Many people are suffering from addictions in their homes and not necessarily disclosing that to their health care providers or their family members,” she said. “In hiding they’re not coming out to access that help so that can certainly be under-reflected in the numbers we see reported.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, here is a list of some resources in Manitoba:
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba: 1-866-638-2561
St. Boniface Street Links: 204-294-7637
Whispering Pine – Addiction Treatment Centre: 204-886-3580
Addictions Recovery Inc.: 204-586-2550
Winnipeg Men’s Intake: 204-944-6209
Youth Addictions Centralized Intake Service Toll-Free Line: 1-877-710-3999
Addiction crisis contact information can be found here.
Other online resources and links are available here.