NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE
Local resident Nicholas Bauman says everything that addiction took away from him has been brought back through recovery. He is one of the volunteers on hand at an exhibition in Medicine Hat - Opioids don't discriminate - that can still be seen today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Higdon Hall Medicine Hat Stampede Grounds,
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
A local resident who has recovered from an addiction says Medicine Hat’s interactive exhibit about opioids is informative and thought provoking.
The exhibit opened Monday and continues from 9 a.m. today until 7 p.m. at Higdon Hall on the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede grounds.
Nicholas Bauman says there are visual learning opportunities and graphics that hit home.
The exhibit provides an opportunity to follow the lives of several individuals, adapted from those of real life Albertans, and learn of their personal experiences that resulted in addiction. There is also the personal story of a mother whose son is battling addiction.
Rikki Fryatt, harm reduction therapist at Medicine Hat Recovery Centre and a member of the drug coalition, says the exhibit challenges people’s assumptions of substance abuse.
There is factual information about opioids and an opportunity to test your knowledge.
Half way through the exhibit there is a physically darker and narrower area with negative messages both vocally and visually.
Bauman calls it a “tunnel” that he says he knows very well. They are the negative messages the public sends consciously or unconsciously that he calls the addiction stigma.
“You always feel different, like an outcast from society. It lowers the person’s self-esteem,” said Bauman. “You don’t want to ask for help because you’re so worthless.”
There is hope at the end of the tunnel though, he says.
“Everything that addiction took from me recovery brought back – my son, my wife, my family and job. There’s tons of hope,” said Bauman.
As people emerge from the exhibit’s “tunnel” there is a message of hope along with volunteers from seven organizations to help people explore, discuss and debrief, said Fryatt.
For those who would like to learn about administering the antidote Naloxone there is an opportunity to be trained on site and leave with a kit.
Some people going through the exhibit may not need help at the time but will have an opportunity to learn about resources that are available so that they know where to go when it is needed.
Fryatt says there are a range of resources available depending on the needs of the individual. Some may not need or be ready for a 28-day treatment program at the Medicine Hat Recovery Centre. Others may need a range of supports after going through the treatment program.
Fryatt says for those who are not ready to quit substance use yet and there are supports to improve their safety while they are still using. There are handouts with harm reduction and safe substance use strategies.
The opioid exhibit was developed in Strathcona Country. After leaving Medicine Hat it will move on to Lethbridge.
