'That wait list should have been my death sentence': Recovering N.L. addict says waiting months for rehab almost killed him
Stephen Parsons struggled with addiction while living in Norman's Cove.
NORMAN'S COVE-LONG COVE, N.L. — Stephen Parsons has battled addiction and knows all about what’s available – and what isn't – for people going through the ordeal.
Parsons, who was a resident of Norman’s Cove at the time, dealt with addiction while living in rural Newfoundland and had to wait months while waiting to get into rehab – a time he says almost killed him.
Parsons had lived in Norman’s Cove for eight years and worked there for 10 years. That’s when his occasional drug use for fun turned into a serious addiction.
“When I knew I was really addicted was when I used drugs to cope. It was a really hard time for me around COVID time, and I wasn't using just to have fun anymore. I wasn't using just on the weekends. My use switched to every day,” Parsons says.
“I got in trouble with work and they put me home for two weeks and I think I used drugs every single day for my suspension. I continued using basically every day after that as well.”
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Before that, Parsons used to drink as a young teen. The pipeline from drinking at a young age to being hooked on illicit drugs is a common one for those suffering from addiction, he says.
“The disease of addiction (is) progressive in nature. I started drinking at a young age, and then a couple of the guys would do coke and stuff," he says.
"And I would do coke with them every now and then. It didn't seem like it was a problem. And then I started smoking crack in 2019."
That's when things got really bad, he says.
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“After I was smoking for a bit, I did get on the needle for a bit, shooting coke and shooting opiates and stuff," he adds.
"But that was really at the tail end of it because shooting opiates really helps with the calm down for cocaine use.”
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“I never really wanted help," he says, even though he was deep into addiction.
"My employer noticed that I was not well. I was losing a lot of weight. I wasn't performing well at work, so they suggested that I go get help. That was basically around Christmas time, December 2019.”
While waiting for help and off work for six months between January and June 2020, Parsons says he almost died. He was waiting to get into rehab, but as COVID-19 shut down the province, it complicated things.
“Middle of COVID, rehabs were not taking many people. I think our group had about six people into it at the Grace Centre. I almost died on that waitlist, and that's not an exaggeration,” he says.
“I got absolutely crazy on that. Waiting on that waitlist, being off work and waiting to get into rehab, that waitlist should have been my death sentence, really.”
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Parsons is not happy with how long he had to wait for rehab and says something needs to change.
Among many things, he wants to see more services for people who are struggling. Not enough people can access services, he says, and believes more facilities are needed. He points out long waitlists deter people from attending.
“The most I've ever seen a detox is 10 people, and considering the state of the city alone, it needs to be more. Because you call down to the detox, you can't get a bed 'til Monday. By the time Monday rolls around, you don't want to go anymore," he says.
“I think it's set up in that way to deter people from going. We don't have emergency services. If I'm on drugs right now, who can I speak to right now?”
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In a statement to SaltWire, NL Health Services said they recognize the importance of wait times for mental health and addiction services.
"Wait times for mental health services vary by region and are based on individual needs. All health care zones have a standardized triage assessment for all new referrals to Mental Health and Addictions services, including residential treatment programs," it said in a statement.
"Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador have an average wait of 10 to 12 weeks for adult inpatient addiction treatment. Referrals have increased significantly this year compared to the previous two years. To address this, the Humber Wood Treatment Centre in Corner Brook has increased bed occupancy."
Health Minister Tom Osborne said the recently-released provincial budget had a series of new initiatives to help address the issue.
Osborne added, "A 12-week wait is concerning. We met on this a number of times in recent weeks."
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Parsons first went to rehab in Harbour Grace, failed a drug test following his rehab, and then went to Humber Wood in Corner Brook.
“Before rehab, I was an everyday user. I was using excessively," he says.
"When I left rehab, I think for the second time, I really tried. I would still have a slip, every other month and I'd still have my little slips where I would go off again for three weeks.”
Parsons says he was lucky to find a recovery program that worked for him, and is thankful for family support.
“I finally found some sort of solution to my using, and through finding recovery programs and using the programs that's around and working on programs every day, I was finally able to get some traction with it,” he says.
These after-care programs, he said, eventually helped him to get clean in July 2022.
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Although Parsons' original employer let him go, Parsons has managed to turn around his life.
He’s now two years clean and just started a new job. He has a message for other people struggling with addiction.
“I think that there is hope out there. We do get better; we can get better. There are people in Newfoundland that are getting better, get connected with people that understand,” Parsons says.
“Work every day towards not using drugs and actually living life to the fullest because that is very much possible. Addicts aren’t the best people in the world, but we got to stop using drugs. That’s the first and foremost.”
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Sanuda Ranawake is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Indigenous and rural issues.
Sanuda Ranawake, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram
