Dr. Feelgood
Since we published Darryl Gebien’s memoir about his fentanyl addiction and how it blew up his life, the former ER doctor has been sentenced to a twoyear prison term. Reader reaction to his story was split more or less evenly between compassion and contempt. First, the sympathizers…
“Thanks for sharing this story. I too was a hospital worker who got addicted to fentanyl and I can relate to the feelings of shame and depression you describe. It took me about seven years to get my life back on course, and I still have dreams about fentanyl after all this time. But I’m in a good place now. Stay strong.”
—Sid Knee, torontolife.com
“That is a harrowing tale. Being a father of two young children I can’t imagine losing my family. I wish him luck in trying to put the pieces back together again. He seems relatively positive at the end despite still facing serious consequences for his actions.”
—bensonxj, Reddit
“I was a fentanyl addict for almost two years after I lost the most important person in my life to breast cancer. I’m 26, and I dropped out of university, lost my girlfriend of four years and stole thousands of dollars from my wealthy father. As of now, I’m eight months clean, was reaccepted to UBC and plan to enter the education program to teach high school. I’m very lucky that I sent myself to rehab when I did because I avoided any long-term consequences and still have no criminal record. Had I not gotten help I’d be dead or in jail. This drug destroys everything.”
—TJ, torontolife.com
“Thank you for your courage in sharing your story. It is so important to challenge people’s preconceptions about what an ‘addict’ looks like, and help others know they are not alone. Your life is NOT a waste, and if you were my dad I would be proud of you for overcoming this and putting yourself out there to help others.”
—Lauren Michelle, Facebook
Now the haters…
“I don’t feel sorry for the guy at all. In fact, I feel bad for everyone else who suffered as a result of this self-centered individual.”
—Four-In-Hand, Reddit
“Perfect life? Hardly. The drugs made him feel creative, happy and confident—feelings that must have been absent in his life if he enjoyed the effects of the drugs that much. You don’t need drugs to feel those things. Why wasn’t there more said about how his wife was affected by the drug use? What about the nurse and two assistants who were fired? Whatever happened to them? Why no apology? He abused his position of authority, resulting in their loss of good employment. What an injustice. It’s no wonder that a fellow doctor turned him in to the police. I wish him well in his recovery, but it doesn’t sound like he learned any lesson except not to take fentanyl.”
—Functionalist, torontolife.com
“A doctor choosing to surround himself with other addicts who have the same problem? This doctor was not able or willing to save himself until it was forced upon him. How does he begin to think that he will be a good influence on others suffering from addiction? Would we want a bank robber taking employment in a bank?”
—iwundr, torontolife.com
There was also some reaction from the medical community, including this from Kathleen Broad, addiction psychiatry fellow at the Yale University School of Medicine, and Leslie Buckley, head of addiction services at UHN…
“Darryl Gebien’s powerful testimony was heartbreaking. We hope the many families impacted by opioid use disorder are encouraged to know that treatment is available and recovery is possible.
“Mr. Gebien attended a residential treatment program during which he was detoxed from opioids using a medication called Suboxone that was tapered gradually then discontinued. Unfortunately, one week after leaving the program, he relapsed and nearly died from overdose. What Mr. Gebien experienced is caused by the myth that in order to recover from opioid use disorder the individual must become ‘clean.’ People are at risk of relapse, overdose and death because of programs that encourage the abstinence-only approach.
“We recommend a different approach. Medication-assisted treatment using methadone has been scientifically proven to significantly decrease the risk of relapse when compared to abstinence. Because it saves lives, we urge individuals with opioid use disorder to seek medicationassisted treatment. Treatment usually occurs on an outpatient basis, and, unlike many residential addiction programs, it’s publicly funded by OHIP and the Ontario Drug Benefit Program.”