Opioid hospitalizations, deaths climb in Windsor-Essex — here are 2 stories of survival

Keira Stirling says years of physical and mental trauma led her to opioid addiction.

The 37-year-old, who began drinking at age 14, said she was nearly stabbed to death by her ex-partner seven years ago — resulting in her becoming hooked on pain medication and other substances.

"I've overdosed about seven times," she said.

Stirling lost custody of her daughter and says she hasn't seen her for six years.

Before that, she was taking classes at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ont., to become a computer numeric control operator.

But her physiotherapist told her she would have to drop out because her left arm would not be able to handle the physical workload.

Then, she relapsed and ended up serving six months in prison.

Stirling was released two months ago and went straight to the Brentwood Recovery Home in Windsor.

"Brentwood is the only place that gave me any hope and gave me a fresh start," Stirling said.

The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy has issued seven opioid alerts so far this year, compared to 11 all of last year — and 13 the year before. Alerts are issued if a week's overdose statistics significantly exceeds the two-year historical average. 

Last year, 105 people in Windsor-Essex died from opioid overdoses, according to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Data from Public Health Ontario (PHO) shows that with the exception of 2017 and 2019, the number of opioid-related deaths in Windsor-Essex has risen each year since 2014. The number of hospitalizations and emergency department visits have also sharply trended upwards since 2014.

'I kept on getting high. I wasn't being responsible'

Aside from Stirling, Shane Van Der Gulik is another of the 68 patients currently recovering at Brentwood.

He says he first started using drugs when he was dealing "party drugs" such as marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy.

"But then when I got into using opiates, that's when I started to realize I became addicted."

Van Der Gulik says he eventually met a woman from Newfoundland and Labrador, who he had three children with; however, throughout the couple's visits to that province, he says he suffered from withdrawal symptoms.

"When you stop using opiates for a couple days, you go through all the withdrawal feelings and the pain. But after three, four or five days, you give back in; your dealer calls you or you know where to get [it] again."

His partner left him, and according to Van Der Gulik he did not change.

"I kept on getting high," he said. "I wasn't being responsible. I wasn't giving her child support. She ended up taking the kids away from me. I couldn't see them anymore."

Until he first went to Brentwood when he was 31, he tried to stop using opioids by himself.

"I went through hell for probably seven to eight years of trying to get clean," Van Der Gulik, now 40, recalls.

"I'd lock myself in the basement and I'd smoke weed and do whatever and try to cope with it. After a few days, I wouldn't be able to do it."

Van Der Gulik says he has been clean for five years and now sees his family on a regular basis.

"I have a great relationship with my mom and dad, with my kids and the mother of my children," he said.

"I haven't been using any of those drugs in a long time. I've been doing very well with the help of Brentwood."

Brentwood's executive director believes a lack of affordable housing and a vulnerable mental health system are major factors behind the increases.

"One plus one, plus one plus one, and here we are," said Elizabeth Dulmage.

The rising number of hospital and emergency room visits also put pressure on hospital staff who are already overstretched, according to Kristen Scott, director of emergency services at WRH.

 At a hospital where the occupancy cannot keep up with demand, as some patients are being cared for in hallways, this takes a toll.

"It's increasing our volumes as well as increasing the acuity of patients," said Scott.

Scott says resources are available not just for patients who are experiencing an overdose, but also for those who know someone who is.

Eric Nadalin, director of public health programs for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, said there are a variety of reasons why someone might experience addiction, ranging from childhood experiences to opioids prescribed in young adulthood for pain to mental health. 

"There are a number of different reasons why people begin using opioids, and the consequences over time of a dependence on those opioids can be, as you know, life threatening," Nadalin said. 

Nadalin said the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy takes action in the "pillars" of prevention and education, harm reduction, enforcement and justice and treatment and recovery.

"It's going to take not only levels of government, not only municipalities, not only public health agencies, not only service providers or enforcement agencies, it's going to take everybody working together to move that needle," Nadalin said.

"That's what the Windsor Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy intends to do, is to bring those partners together to come up with ideas and new strategies to help to move that sort of move that needle a little bit and help to improve the situation at least in Windsor Essex.

The waitlist to get into Brentwood is around 76 days — with prospective clients waiting to get into one of the 68 beds at the treatment centre.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dulmage says they had 110 beds and a wait list of 18 days.

"We try to steer people who are waiting to those supports to keep them supported; to stay focused on recovery and getting into the program," Dulmage says.