Author: Matt2
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 4:48 pm
I’m always heartbroken to hear stories about those who die of our disease, especially those who haven’t had a chance to experience the better things in life. I lost my older brother back in 2004 and there is still a giant hole left in my heart. I watched his death nearly destroy my parents. He had always had such a hard time with life. He was only 22 when he died and I have thought so many times how unfair it is when people die before getting to experience the best things that life has to offer like falling in love and or finding satisfaction from a career.
What is especially sad though about the young woman who passed away is how common her cause of death is becoming. I’ve known so many people who are able to stay clean a little while in 12step programs only to relapse soon after and have their use increase to points where it is increasingly difficult for them to get their lives back in order…..that is if they’re lucky enough to die at the time of relapse. Sometimes I just feel so tired of hearing about how negatively opiate addiction can change people. One young woman I went to middle and highschool with has had a very difficult time staying clean from opiates. I saw her last night for the first time in awhile and although she’s trying to stay clean again her time using had changed her so much physically that I could hardly believe it was her. Sometimes I just want to scream "how many of our kids, brothers, mothers, sisters, dads, spouses and friends have to die before we start taking opiate addiction seriously!?!?!?
