As International Overdose Awareness Day approaches, it is crucial to acknowledge the profound grief felt by families and friends of those who have lost loved ones to drug overdose. Grief is real; it is raw, it is painful. But it is also an intrinsic part of the human experience, and has been for as long as we have existed.
Grief is the natural response to any significant loss, especially the death of a loved one. As grief is a natural response, so is it a necessary part of the healing process. It is through grieving that we begin to heal, finding ways to move forward in life while still cherishing the memories of those we’ve lost. Avoiding the grief process can have profound negative effects, making it all the more important to embrace it fully.
The Healing Power of Coming Together
IOAD provides the unique opportunity for those affected by overdose to mourn publicly, perhaps for the first time, in a safe environment that is free from guilt or shame. Mercer Council’s event is an all-important reminder that no one must endure the pain and suffering of loss alone. Together, we can walk through the journey of healing.
On August 29th, we will come together as a Mercer County community to observe International Overdose Awareness Day 2024. Guests will have opportunities to gather valuable resources from local treatment and recovery organizations; they will be able to memorialize loved ones at our Memorial Table and Candlelight Vigil; and perhaps most importantly, they will have the chance to be supported in their grief, by professional resources and by fellow members of the community that have shared in their mourning. Visit www.mercercouncil.org/IOAD for more information on the event, happening Thursday 8/29, 5:30-8pm at Veterans Park North in Hamilton.
“Anyone who has lost a loved one through substance use knows that society treats this loss differently than a death from any other cause. There is the belief that the one who died must have somehow been a bad person… [and] that we too must have somehow been a bad person… But we are not bad people. The one we lost was not a bad person. There is no blame here, for them or for you.” — Grief Recovery After Substance Abuse Passing (GRASP)
If you would like to commemorate a loved one lost to overdose, please register for this event and complete the section that allows for a tribute. Visit the global International Overdose Awareness Day site to read more tributes from individuals and families across the world who have experienced loss.
Additional Grief Resources
Grief Recovery After Substance Abuse Passing (GRASP)
National Alliance for Children’s Grief
This blog entry was written by Ian Smith, MA, LPC, who serves as the Mental Health Clinician at Mercer Council’s ASYSST Program, providing school-based resources to students at Ewing High School in Mercer County, NJ. Learn more about the program by visiting www.mercercouncil.org/asysst.
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