At its worst, Rebecca Slavin’s chaotic ice addiction came within a whisker of claiming her life.
“That night I had overdosed on drugs, my heart had stopped beating. And when I looked in my shirt, I saw my whole chest, it was so badly bruised because they had to resuscitate me back to life,” she said.
Now more than two years drug-free, the 24-year-old reels off horrific anecdotes of near-fatal car accidents, brutal domestic violence and interactions with dealers and police.
“I lost my jobs, I lost my friends to the point I even lost my family because it was everyday use. That's all I did all day, every day. My life revolved around ice, around selling it around buying it using it,” she said.
Ms Slavin eventually found recovery at a rehabilitation facility in Western Australia. But her father Gavin Slavin said it took Ms Slavin and her family countless attempts to navigate the complex system of drug and alcohol service providers in order to find a suitable program.
“I (rang) so many people it wasn't funny, they were either closed or they would get back to me. I actually rang a couple of centres that would help but it was going to cost me $30,000 up front and to find it wasn't exactly what we were looking for,” Mr Slavin said.
Ms Slavin now works part time in the family's cafe and has completed studies in community services. She said she is determined to see the situation improve for addicts in regional areas.
“Daily, I get messages from families, from people struggling with addiction, it's bad. The fact is we don't have the services help or the drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres here is even worse,” she said.
Her efforts to establish a service in regional Victoria, includes presentations to several community groups, and landed her the 2016 Bass Coast Young Citizen of the year.
Recently elected Mayor Pam Rothfield says the 24-year-old's input will be pivotal in the council's upcoming health and well-being planning – part of which will focus on the drug issue impacting on the regional municipality.
“I think she could help us enormously. She's shown what amazing courage she has and I would love to involve her,” Councillor Rothfield said.
Gavin Slavin said his daughter's transformation is remarkable but he wonders whether it could have happened sooner if the process of accessing services was simpler.
“We are so proud of Bec, her dedication her being free from drugs and to help the community has just blown us away - it's just amazing,” Mr Slavin said.
Rebecca Slavin said she’s determined to ensure appropriate services are within reach for all touched by addiction.
“The freedom that I have, it's like this amazing gift that I've been given that I've found and I realise it's not just for me to keep,” she said.
**Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, and substance abuse helplines can be found here.
