Dealing with loss after a drug overdose

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The drug epidemic is claiming more lives than ever before. Last year, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses. Fentanyl use is on the rise; in fact, the synthetic opioid was responsible for two-thirds of overdose deaths last year. A new survey shows that nearly one in 10 adults have had a family member die from a drug overdose. Coping with loss can be difficult as family and friends experience not only grief but also other emotions that are difficult to overcome.

Anne Stephens and her twin brother Patrick shared the same passion for soccer, school and friends.

“He was kind of a stupid guy,” says Anne.

But in many ways the twins were so different.

Anne says, “He pushed or tested boundaries in ways that I just didn’t.”

In high school, an accident changed everything.

Anne explains: “He tore his meniscus and was given prescription painkillers.”

Then Patrick turned to heroin in college. Patrick overdosed when he was just 26 years old.

“I wish the shame would go away,” says Anne.

Elizabeth F. Howell, MD, a psychiatrist at the University of Utah's Huntsman Mental Health Institute, says, “You know, my family member died from this illness, which most people don't accept as an illness.”

Doctor Howell says emotions can be far-reaching. “You feel guilty. What didn't I notice? “

Doctor Howell also says family members need to accept reality and focus any strong emotions on the addiction and not the person with the addiction.

“The most important thing is to recognize that this person had a lot of meaning to them,” says Doctor Howell.

Surround yourself with a secure support system. Educate yourself about addiction.

“I want them to know that they did their best and that the person who died did their best,” explains Doctor Howell.

Twelve years after Patrick's death, Anne continues to heal and still feels the pain of losing someone she loved so much.

Anne says: “Every holiday there is definitely an empty seat at the table. Since he is my twin brother, I really feel like a part of me is missing, like a physical part of me is missing. It’s gone.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Center for Injury Prevention found that only a small proportion of adults struggling with opioid use disorder received appropriate treatment. Specifically, less than a third received any form of substance use treatment and less than one in five received medications specifically designed to combat opioid addiction. If you are struggling with the loss of an addict, visit grip-help.org and survivorresources.org, a nonprofit organization that offers support groups and grief counseling.

Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, producer; Roque Correa, editor; Matt Goldschmidt, videographer.

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