A call for help: what it takes to get treatment for opioid addiction
CBC News called 20 drug rehab, detox and referral centres across Nova Scotia to learn more about treatments
Apart from the addict, no one knows the battle with an opioid addiction better than a family member who has been lied to, screamed at, stolen from and left heartbroken.
That's why we decided to call drug rehab facilities and detox centres across Nova Scotia, pretending to be a concerned family member. We posed as the mother of "Lindsay," a 21-year-old woman addicted to Dilaudid, and the sister of "Jeff," who is 30 and taking cocaine, Percocet and every other pill imaginable.
This story is part of a series from CBC Nova Scotia on opioid addiction treatment. Read more:
We created fictional profiles to get an accurate picture of the treatment available. CBC News policy allows this in certain situations, when it is considered necessary in order to obtain information of public interest.
It turns out, the advice from drug rehab facilities varies drastically.
Front-line workers we spoke with were sympathetic and helpful. But the process of finding help is emotionally draining.
We started our search by spending several hours scouring the internet to build a list of facilities. Even then, some of the phone numbers we found were out of date. In all, over several days, we called 20 places.
We called three types of centres: hospitals and clinics where patients are treated for free; non-profits that depend on government support, donations and some money from patients; and private facilities that require patients or their families to pay.
The initial step: detox
First, we wondered: how do we get our loved ones into detox, known in the medical field as withdrawal management?
Detox generally means spending about a week in hospital being weaned off drugs, usually aided by medication to ease what can be a painful, unpleasant process.
Some front-line workers encouraged us to call every detox centre in the province. We were told to get our loved one into the first spot available. Also, we repeatedly heard that it's usually better to get them out of their own community and away from triggers that could drive the addiction.
Most of the private rehab facilities — centres that provide weeks or months of residential care and counselling — won't take you until you've gone through detox. The pricier centres will take care of both detox and rehab.
Methadone a better option?
Although there is a public detox program in Lunenburg, front-line workers there explained they don't do detox anymore for people on opioids, except in emergency situations. They said there is usually no reason to go that route because it doesn't work. They made it clear methadone is the better option.
The public detox centre in Pictou also told us they no longer treat people with opioid addiction. They said we'd have to go to Springhill or get on a wait-list for methadone, an opioid used in some treatments as a substitute for other narcotics.
Methadone is arguably the most polarizing aspect of the treatment puzzle. It's used as a short-term treatment to wean people off opioids but it's also becoming a long-term treatment. Once it's prescribed, patients must drink it each and every day, usually under supervision. People stay on methadone for years, even decades.
Still, some private and non-profit facilities told us they won't allow the drug. They argue it's a type of opioid and they want their patients off all opioids. Some centres told us they don't endorse it but will allow patients to use it.
All of the public detox centres, on the other hand, promote methadone.
Waits of days or weeks
We learned that getting into a detox centre will take a few phone calls and follow-up appointments before they'll accept a patient. That could take days or weeks, depending on what community you are in.
We learned the longest wait for detox is in the Halifax area, where it could take three to four weeks to get a bed. In Yarmouth or Springhill, you might wait only a week.
After detox, we found there are several options. You can try to get into a private rehab centre for long-term aftercare. If you have the resources — thousands to tens of thousands of dollars — a bed can be available quickly.
Private insurance might cover the cost of rehab. In the case of non-profit facilities, we learned that many clients are receiving social assistance and use a portion of their monthly cheque to pay for treatment.
If you opt for methadone maintenance, there may be a substantial wait-list. That means the patient may have to spend weeks or months trying to stay clean, waiting for the treatment that will ease intense cravings.
In some cases, patients will have access to Suboxone, a newer and more expensive alternative to methadone. In Nova Scotia, it's only covered for people between the ages of 18 and 24. First Nations communities may also have coverage through the federal government.
Not simple
One thing immediately became clear as we made our calls: getting into treatment isn't as simple as making one call and asking for help.
We learned that if you make repeated calls and prove your loved one is keen to get in, they will likely get moved up the list whether it's a private, non-profit or a public facility.
Still, the rehab centres made it clear our family members had to be committed to accepting help and had to make the calls themselves. Some also stressed that it can be incredibly hard to break free from opioids.
They warned us many will relapse and that families are often left disappointed.
