Tara Levis has short, sandy blonde hair and an infectious smile.
She is a 33-year old Victoria woman, who grew up in an upper-middle class family that moved across the country. Her father was a doctor, and her mother stayed at home to care for her and her sister.
That is one chapter of LevisB次元官网网址� life. Unfortunately, the chapters get darker.
As a young woman, Levis struggled with mental health. She developed an eating disorder that she said laid a pathway for addictions in the future.
After Levis came to terms with her sexuality, she fell in love with a woman who struggled with her own mental health problems, and used illicit drugs to cope.
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While they worked hard together to get through these issues, in the end LevisB次元官网网址� partner could not find an answer.
B次元官网网址淪he committed suicide, and that was the thing that tipped me over the edge,B次元官网网址� Levis said. B次元官网网址淚 was the one who found her, and the trauma from walking into that, I ended up using drugs to cope.B次元官网网址�
Levis worked at what is often the front lines of addiction, a homeless shelter. She had a home herself, and hid her drug use from her employers so she wouldnB次元官网网址檛 lose her job. But her loss and her drug use took a toll.
B次元官网网址淚 developed PTSD because I didnB次元官网网址檛 deal with the pain right away,B次元官网网址� Levis said. B次元官网网址淚 lost my job and eventually lost everything.B次元官网网址�
Levis ended up homeless for five years, couch surfing and staying with friends or local drug dealers.
During this time, she started using heroin. As the supply slowly became poisoned with stronger and stronger levels of fentanyl, she found herself addicted to the substitute. She said that after awhile, when she got pure heroin she couldnB次元官网网址檛 even feel it anymore because she was so used to fentanyl.
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Levis has overdosed many times, and watched her friends overdose, too. Sometimes she could revive them and other times they passed away.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e lost a lot of people to overdoses, I lost a friend last week,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t makes it hard to form relationships with people, one flip and theyB次元官网网址檙e gone.B次元官网网址�
Levis recalls that being revived from an overdose with naloxone is one of the most painful experiences you could have, since the medication blocks the effects of opioids and essentially puts people in immediate withdrawal.
B次元官网网址淲hen IB次元官网网址檓 high, IB次元官网网址檓 in a comfortable and warm place,B次元官网网址� she explained. B次元官网网址淲hen IB次元官网网址檓 overdosing IB次元官网网址檓 not aware, and then all of a sudden youB次元官网网址檙e shocked and the world is bright and loud and my body hurts and my head hurts and I feel like IB次元官网网址檓 going to throw up and IB次元官网网址檓 sweaty.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like your worst case of food poisoning times 1,000.B次元官网网址�
Levis said she would wake up very angry. Despite just overdosing, she would often wander off to try and find her next dose to stop the pain.
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But that was just another chapter in LevisB次元官网网址� life.
Things recently changed when she was able to find housing and get access to trauma counsellors and a detox program.
B次元官网网址淚 really couldnB次元官网网址檛 get myself together until I found a home; itB次元官网网址檚 hard to stop using when you donB次元官网网址檛 feel safe,B次元官网网址� Levis said. B次元官网网址淭he irony is that the drug use kept me alive long enough to stop using, because I was so depressed and suicidal that it was the only way to stop the pain.B次元官网网址�
Now Levis has found some stability. She has been clean for more than nine months and has been accepted into the nursing program at Camosun College. She hopes to become a public health nurse, inspired by the people in that role who have saved her life many times.
Levis also volunteered to be a part of AIDS Vancouver IslandB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址� project, a photo display depicting the stories of the many different people who have lived with addictions in the time of the opioid crisis, in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug. 31).
LevisB次元官网网址檚 hope is to reduce the stigma around drug use, instead creating passion and understanding.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not the voice of all drug users,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 just my experience. I always say, donB次元官网网址檛 judge my story by the chapter IB次元官网网址檓 walking on; when I was using it was the worst chapter of my life. ItB次元官网网址檚 important to read the whole book.B次元官网网址�
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Within the province, there were 134 suspected drug overdose deaths in July 2018, which represents a 12 per cent increase of the number of deaths occurring in the same time last year, and a 25 per cent increase over the number of deaths occurring in June 2018.
The number of deaths in July equates to about 4.3 deaths per day for the month. The three townships experiencing the highest number of illicit drug overdoses in 2018 are Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria.
So far this year, 88 per cent of illicit drug overdose deaths occurred inside private residences, etc., something which Sarah Sullivan, manager of Aids Vancouver Island for Courtenay and Campbell River said the organizationB次元官网网址檚 outreach programs are hoping to assist.
B次元官网网址淲e want to work with the larger housing providers in the area and build the capacity within the community. There is such a stigma regarding illicit drug use, and thatB次元官网网址檚 why so many people use alone.B次元官网网址�
On Aug. 29, to align with , families, friends, partners and others will gather at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Centennial Square for an evening devoted to remembering those lost to the opioid crisis and educating the public.
The International Overdose Awareness Day event runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
B次元官网网址� with files from Black Press
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