Statisticians keep count. Politicians pass laws. Police are overwhelmed. Preachers condemn. Doctors medicate. Business looks at the bottom line.
And academia is stymied. Yet the flood of heartache and sorrow continues.
Drugs are rampant in today’s world, yet nobody has answers. We only have stories. Our stories. The stories of our intelligent, kind and promising loved ones who fell victim to a villain disguised as pills, capsules, liquids, and powders that overpowered their logic, willpower, and survival instinct.
Surviving Loss by Overdose is a compilation of stories by 12 people who answered 18 questions about losing a loved one to overdose in hopes of raising awareness, educating, and inviting society to offer survivors the compassion that’s often denied in a stigmatized death.
Зміст
Foreword by Elaine Faulkner
Preface by Lynda Cheldelin Fell
Introduction by Rev. Roland Johnson
The beginning of our journeys
When did the drugs start?
The first red flags
Discovering the evidence
Roles of friends
A downward spiral
Tight grip of addiction
Point of reckoning
Impact on family
Searching for help
Close calls of prior overdoses
Handling societal judgment
The day they died
Grappling with guilt
The shadow of anger
Fighting the darkness
How do we stop the epidemic?
Finding hope in the aftermath
Surviving the journey
Meet the Writers