Date of publication: April 17, 2022 • 28 minutes ago • 4 minutes reading • Join the discussion
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CALGARY – At a hospital, a Calgary woman says she remembers feeling happy for the first time as an opioid crossed her body. “When they gave me this IV hydromorphone, all the horrible things I felt just calmed down,” says 21-year-old Ophelia Cara. “I felt like I could breathe again for the first time in a long time and, in a way, for the first time ever.” The introduction of hydromorphone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid, would change everything for her.
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While opioid stories are often tragic – with thousands of deaths attributable to Canada in recent years – Cara says their use has saved her life. Kara does not say her name for fear she might threaten her prescription as tensions rise in Alberta over how to respond to the overdose crisis. As the county government focuses on a recovery-based approach while cutting back on harm reduction services, Cara has become a well-known advocate in Calgary for services that support drug users. Not only does he fight to save the city’s drug site from closure, but he stresses that abstinence does not work for everyone. “I tried my best to stay sober. “None of this worked,” says Cara. “I’m still very addicted, but I’m also more relaxed and mentally healthy now than ever before.”
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Drinking tea on a couch at her home in southwestern Calgary, Kara describes in detail a lonely childhood where she often chose the comfort of a textbook instead of making friends. From an early age, he faced significant mental health problems such as depression that continued into adulthood. Cara says her life reached a record low during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her job at a nightclub was put on hold and her relationship with a man she loved was difficult. An unrelated sexual assault led her to the hospital in the summer of 2020 and it was then that she received hydromorphone. After that visit, he turned to street drugs – cocaine and fentanyl. She suffered many overdoses, one of which led to a massive crisis that Cara says left her unconscious for an hour.
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Her father tried to force her to sobriety, leading her to a small town in Mexico. It did not work. He overdosed almost immediately after returning to Canada. “I do not recommend drug use to anyone,” says Cara, referring specifically to street drugs. She marked her life, she says, with hospital visits, toxic relationships, unbearable pain and broken ties with family and friends. She was at the Calgary drug site where staff helped her realize there was an option to be “safer using drugs without being sober,” and she began researching. There are opioid agonist treatment programs in Alberta that prescribe strong opioid drugs, such as methadone and hypoxone, to treat substance use disorder. Safe-have programs that offer alternatives to over-the-counter road drugs are also becoming popular across Canada.
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Cara says she was rejected by many doctors before she could find one to prescribe Dilaudid. In addition to treatment, she says the prescription drug helps her mental and physical health. It provides her with stability so that she can study and work while leaning on her passions, such as cross-stitching and defense. “Generally, the reason we say people should be sober is because there is this idea that someone who uses drugs can not live a balanced life – that they only care about getting high,” says Cara. “But I’m more productive now than I was when I was sober, because now I’m really stable. “I am no longer in survival mode.” She carries a drug kit that houses naloxone, sterile equipment, vitamin E oil for her skin and contact cards for local carriers, among other supplies to support safer drug use. A pin attached to the inside of the net reads “it can not recover if you are dead”.
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While abstinence may work for some people, says Kinnon Ross, an Edmonton-based harm reduction nurse, recovery should be seen as any step that improves one’s quality of life. “If that means you have less of a chaotic effect than using drugs, then this is a step towards recovery,” says Ross. In a way, Cara is still like her younger self and can often be found with her head in a book. He plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and pharmacology to explore how drug use can be made safer. Kara says that she chose the name Ophelia after reading William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young noblewoman with that name dies from suicide after many mistakes were made by men in her life. “I wanted to give her a better end than what she chose for herself.” This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2022.
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title: “Alberta Harm Reduction Advocate Drug User Challenges Government Focus On Abstinence " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “John Wood”
“When they gave me this IV hydromorphone, all the horrible things I felt just calmed down,” says 21-year-old Ophelia Cara. “I felt like I could breathe again for the first time in a long time and, in a way, for the first time ever.” The introduction of hydromorphone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid, would change everything for her. While opioid stories are often tragic – with thousands of deaths attributable to Canada in recent years – Cara says their use has saved her life. Kara does not say her name for fear she might threaten her prescription as tensions rise in Alberta over how to respond to the overdose crisis. As the county government focuses on a recovery-based approach while cutting back on harm reduction services, Cara has become a well-known advocate in Calgary for services that support drug users. Not only does he fight to save the city’s drug site from closure, but he stresses that abstinence does not work for everyone. “I tried my best to stay sober. “None of this worked,” says Cara. “I’m still very addicted, but I’m also more relaxed and mentally healthy now than ever before.” Drinking tea on a couch at her home in southwestern Calgary, Kara describes in detail a lonely childhood where she often chose the comfort of a textbook instead of making friends. From an early age, he faced significant mental health problems such as depression that continued into adulthood. Cara says her life reached a record low during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her job at a nightclub was put on hold and her relationship with a man she loved was difficult. An unrelated sexual assault led her to the hospital in the summer of 2020 and it was then that she received hydromorphone. After that visit, he turned to street drugs – cocaine and fentanyl. She suffered many overdoses, one of which led to a massive crisis that Cara says left her unconscious for an hour. Her father tried to force her to sobriety, leading her to a small town in Mexico. It did not work. He overdosed almost immediately after returning to Canada. “I do not recommend drug use to anyone,” says Cara, referring specifically to street drugs. She marked her life, she says, with hospital visits, toxic relationships, unbearable pain and broken ties with family and friends. She was at the Calgary drug site where staff helped her realize there was an option to be “safer using drugs without being sober,” and she began researching. There are opioid agonist treatment programs in Alberta that prescribe strong opioid drugs, such as methadone and hypoxone, to treat substance use disorder. Safe-have programs that offer alternatives to over-the-counter road drugs are also becoming popular across Canada. Cara says she was rejected by many doctors before she could find one to prescribe Dilaudid. In addition to treatment, she says the prescription drug helps her mental and physical health. It provides her with stability so that she can study and work while leaning on her passions, such as cross-stitching and defense. “Generally, the reason we say people should be sober is because there is this idea that someone who uses drugs can not live a balanced life – that they only care about getting high,” says Cara. “But I’m more productive now than I was when I was sober, because now I’m really stable. “I am no longer in survival mode.” She carries a drug kit that houses naloxone, sterile equipment, vitamin E oil for her skin and contact cards for local carriers, among other supplies to support safer drug use. A pin attached to the inside of the net reads “it can not recover if you are dead”. While abstinence may work for some people, says Kinnon Ross, an Edmonton-based harm reduction nurse, recovery should be seen as any step that improves one’s quality of life. “If that means you have less of a chaotic effect than using drugs, then this is a step towards recovery,” says Ross. In a way, Cara is still like her younger self and can often be found with her head in a book. He plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and pharmacology to explore how drug use can be made safer. Kara says that she chose the name Ophelia after reading William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young noblewoman with that name dies from suicide after many mistakes were made by men in her life. “I wanted to give her a better end than what she chose for herself.” This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2022.
title: “Alberta Harm Reduction Advocate Drug User Challenges Government Focus On Abstinence " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-25” author: “Bruce Kearney”
“When they gave me this IV hydromorphone, all the horrible things I felt just calmed down,” says 21-year-old Ophelia Cara. “I felt like I could breathe again for the first time in a long time and, in a way, for the first time ever.” The introduction of hydromorphone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid, would change everything for her. While opioid stories are often tragic – with thousands of deaths attributable to Canada in recent years – Cara says their use has saved her life.
Read more: Front-line workers warn of drug overdoses rising on and off Alberta streets
The story goes on under the ad Kara does not say her name for fear she might threaten her prescription as tensions rise in Alberta over how to respond to the overdose crisis. As the county government focuses on a recovery-based approach while cutting back on harm reduction services, Cara has become a well-known advocate in Calgary for services that support drug users. Not only does he fight to save the city’s drug site from closure, but he stresses that abstinence does not work for everyone. “I tried my best to stay sober. “None of this worked,” says Cara. “I’m still very addicted, but I’m also more relaxed and mentally healthy now than ever before.” Drinking tea on a couch at her home in southwestern Calgary, Kara describes in detail a lonely childhood where she often chose the comfort of a textbook instead of making friends. From an early age, he faced significant mental health problems such as depression that continued into adulthood. Cara says her life reached a record low during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her job at a nightclub was put on hold and her relationship with a man she loved was difficult. An unrelated sexual assault led her to the hospital in the summer of 2020 and it was then that she received hydromorphone. The story goes on under the ad After that visit, he turned to street drugs – cocaine and fentanyl. She suffered many overdoses, one of which led to a massive crisis that Cara says left her unconscious for an hour.
Read more: At least 9 former Camp Hope residents die of overdose since it closed: organizers
Her father tried to force her to sobriety, leading her to a small town in Mexico. Did not work. He overdosed almost immediately after returning to Canada. “I do not recommend drug use to anyone,” says Cara, referring specifically to street drugs. She marked her life, she says, with hospital visits, toxic relationships, unbearable pain and broken ties with family and friends. She was at the Calgary drug site where staff helped her realize there was an option to be “safer using drugs without being sober,” and she began researching. There are opioid agonist treatment programs in Alberta that prescribe strong opioid drugs, such as methadone and hypoxone, to treat substance use disorder. Safe-have programs that offer alternatives to over-the-counter road drugs are also becoming popular across Canada. Cara says she was rejected by many doctors before she could find one to prescribe Dilaudid. In addition to treatment, she says the prescription drug helps her mental and physical health. It provides her with stability so that she can study and work while leaning on her passions, such as cross-stitching and defense. The story goes on under the ad “Generally, the reason we say people should be sober is because there is this idea that someone who uses drugs can not live a balanced life that only cares about going up,” says Cara. “But I’m more productive now than I was when I was sober, because now I’m really stable. “I am no longer in survival mode.”
Read more: Prairie Harm Reduction works with government to build home for young people with addictions
She carries a drug kit that houses naloxone, sterile equipment, vitamin E oil for her skin and contact cards for local carriers, among other supplies to support safer drug use. A pin attached to the inside of the net reads “it can not recover if you are dead”. While abstinence may work for some people, says Kinnon Ross, an Edmonton-based harm reduction nurse, recovery should be seen as any step that improves one’s quality of life. “If that means you have less of a chaotic effect than using drugs, then this is a step towards recovery,” says Ross. In a way, Cara is still like her younger self and can often be found with her head in a book. He plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and pharmacology to explore how drug use can be made safer. The story goes on under the ad Kara says that she chose the name Ophelia after reading William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young noblewoman with that name dies from suicide after many mistakes were made by men in her life. “I wanted to give her a better end than what she chose for herself.” Related News © 2022 The Canadian Press
title: “Alberta Harm Reduction Advocate Drug User Challenges Government Focus On Abstinence " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Henry Hamon”
“When they gave me this IV hydromorphone, all the horrible things I felt just calmed down,” says 21-year-old Ophelia Cara. “I felt like I could breathe again for the first time in a long time and, in a way, for the first time ever.” The introduction of hydromorphone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid, would change everything for her. While opioid stories are often tragic – with thousands of deaths attributable to Canada in recent years – Cara says their use has saved her life. Kara does not say her name for fear she might threaten her prescription as tensions rise in Alberta over how to respond to the overdose crisis. As the county government focuses on a recovery-based approach while cutting back on harm reduction services, Cara has become a well-known advocate in Calgary for services that support drug users. Not only does he fight to save the city’s drug site from closure, but he stresses that abstinence does not work for everyone. “I tried my best to stay sober. “None of this worked,” says Cara. “I’m still very addicted, but I’m also more relaxed and mentally healthy now than ever before.” Drinking tea on a couch at her home in southwestern Calgary, Kara describes in detail a lonely childhood where she often chose the comfort of a textbook instead of making friends. From an early age, he faced significant mental health problems such as depression that continued into adulthood. Cara says her life reached a record low during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her job at a nightclub was put on hold and her relationship with a man she loved was difficult. An unrelated sexual assault led her to the hospital in the summer of 2020 and it was then that she received hydromorphone. After that visit, he turned to street drugs – cocaine and fentanyl. She suffered many overdoses, one of which led to a massive crisis that Cara says left her unconscious for an hour. Her father tried to force her to sobriety, leading her to a small town in Mexico. It did not work. He overdosed almost immediately after returning to Canada. “I do not recommend drug use to anyone,” says Cara, referring specifically to street drugs. She marked her life, she says, with hospital visits, toxic relationships, unbearable pain and broken ties with family and friends. She was at the Calgary drug site where staff helped her realize there was an option to be “safer using drugs without being sober,” and she began researching. There are opioid agonist treatment programs in Alberta that prescribe strong opioid drugs, such as methadone and hypoxone, to treat substance use disorder. Safe-have programs that offer alternatives to over-the-counter road drugs are also becoming popular across Canada. Cara says she was rejected by many doctors before she could find one to prescribe Dilaudid. In addition to treatment, she says the prescription drug helps her mental and physical health. It provides her with stability so that she can study and work while leaning on her passions, such as cross-stitching and defense. “Generally, the reason we say people should be sober is because there is this idea that someone who uses drugs can not live a balanced life; they just want to go up,” says Cara. “But I’m more productive now than I was when I was sober, because now I’m really stable. “I am no longer in survival mode.” She carries a drug kit that houses naloxone, sterile equipment, vitamin E oil for her skin and contact cards for local carriers, among other supplies to support safer drug use. A pin attached to the inside of the net reads “it can not recover if you are dead”. While abstinence may work for some people, says Kinnon Ross, an Edmonton-based harm reduction nurse, recovery should be seen as any step that improves one’s quality of life. “If that means you have less of a chaotic effect than using drugs, then this is a step towards recovery,” says Ross. In a way, Cara is still like her younger self and can often be found with her head in a book. He plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and pharmacology to explore how drug use can be made safer. Kara says that she chose the name Ophelia after reading William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young noblewoman with that name dies from suicide after many mistakes were made by men in her life. “I wanted to give her a better end than what she chose for herself.” This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2022. SHARE:
title: “Alberta Harm Reduction Advocate Drug User Challenges Government Focus On Abstinence " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-09” author: “Marcus Williams”
“When they gave me this IV hydromorphone, all the horrible things I felt just calmed down,” says 21-year-old Ophelia Cara. “I felt like I could breathe again for the first time in a long time and, in a way, for the first time ever.” The introduction of hydromorphone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid, would change everything for her. While opioid stories are often tragic – with thousands of deaths attributable to Canada in recent years – Cara says their use has saved her life. Kara does not say her name for fear she might threaten her prescription as tensions rise in Alberta over how to respond to the overdose crisis. As the county government focuses on a recovery-based approach while cutting back on harm reduction services, Cara has become a well-known advocate in Calgary for services that support drug users. Not only does he fight to save the city’s drug site from closure, but he stresses that abstinence does not work for everyone. “I tried my best to stay sober. “None of this worked,” says Cara. “I’m still very addicted, but I’m also more relaxed and mentally healthy now than ever before.” Drinking tea on a couch at her home in southwestern Calgary, Kara describes in detail a lonely childhood where she often chose the comfort of a textbook instead of making friends. From an early age, he faced significant mental health problems such as depression that continued into adulthood. Cara says her life reached a record low during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her job at a nightclub was put on hold and her relationship with a man she loved was difficult. An unrelated sexual assault led her to the hospital in the summer of 2020 and it was then that she received hydromorphone. After that visit, he turned to street drugs – cocaine and fentanyl. She suffered many overdoses, one of which led to a massive crisis that Cara says left her unconscious for an hour. Her father tried to force her to sobriety, leading her to a small town in Mexico. It did not work. He overdosed almost immediately after returning to Canada. “I do not recommend drug use to anyone,” says Cara, referring specifically to street drugs. She marked her life, she says, with hospital visits, toxic relationships, unbearable pain and broken ties with family and friends. She was at the Calgary drug site where staff helped her realize there was an option to be “safer using drugs without being sober,” and she began researching. There are opioid agonist treatment programs in Alberta that prescribe strong opioid drugs, such as methadone and hypoxone, to treat substance use disorder. Safe-have programs that offer alternatives to over-the-counter road drugs are also becoming popular across Canada. Cara says she was rejected by many doctors before she could find one to prescribe Dilaudid. In addition to treatment, she says the prescription drug helps her mental and physical health. It provides her with stability so that she can study and work while leaning on her passions, such as cross-stitching and defense. “Generally, the reason we say people should be sober is because there is this idea that someone who uses drugs can not live a balanced life; they just want to go up,” says Cara. “But I’m more productive now than I was when I was sober, because now I’m really stable. “I am no longer in survival mode.” She carries a drug kit that houses naloxone, sterile equipment, vitamin E oil for her skin and contact cards for local carriers, among other supplies to support safer drug use. A pin attached to the inside of the net reads “it can not recover if you are dead”. While abstinence may work for some people, says Kinnon Ross, an Edmonton-based harm reduction nurse, recovery should be seen as any step that improves one’s quality of life. “If that means you have less of a chaotic effect than using drugs, then this is a step towards recovery,” says Ross. In a way, Cara is still like her younger self and can often be found with her head in a book. He plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and pharmacology to explore how drug use can be made safer. Kara says that she chose the name Ophelia after reading William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young noblewoman with that name dies from suicide after many mistakes were made by men in her life. “I wanted to give her a better end than what she chose for herself.” This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2022. SHARE: