One of the greatest challenges our society faces around addiction is the stigma that surrounds it.    In this episode, I share what I consider to be four important aspects of judgment.   

I start by discussing the reasons why people judge addiction.   Some are obvious, some are less obvious, and some are simply based in human behavior.   Ironically, however,  it has very little to do with addiction.     

Second, I will talk about how real and/or perceived judgments from others can impact our healing by changing the way we tell our story and deal with our grief.  

Third,  I will go over some specific reasons why we need to build resilience regarding this judgment so that we can honor our son or daughter, give respect to the scope of this epidemic, and to stand strong in our own story of fighting to save them.   

I will also tell you how I have handled the idea of judgment regarding Sam's addiction in my own life and the reasons why.   

I will tell you how connecting with two newly bereaved moms impacted me and why I think these connections are so important.

And, as always, I will leave you with 3 simple but powerful actions steps you can take every single day to find reprieve in your grief and begin to move forward as well as the limerick I have created for this week's podcast.

Disclaimer:  I am not a licensed professional or a counselor, I am a grieving mom.   I am here to share the story of my son's addiction, death, the aftermath, and the steps I am taking to move forward.      

When our kids are suffering from addiction, the change in their behavior doesn't happen overnight.   But gradually, over time, little shifts begin to occur that cause us to question our own sanity.   In today's episode, I am going to tell you about some of the ways Sam's behavior confused and unsettled me, how I tried to make sense of it, and why I think its common for us parents to feel this way.

Second, I'm going to tell you about the recent nightmare I had about Sam and how it affected me.  Unfortunately, sleep isn't always the reprieve we need during grief and there is any way around this part of our agony.   As difficult as these dreams are, however, I don't think it's wise to try to make sense of them.   

Third, I am going to remind us all why we can't think our way through grief and how taking action helps our process.   Writing is one of the simplest ways to move from ruminating in our thoughts to processing them.    I am  going to share with you how writing has helped me move forward during Sam's addiction and death.

And forth, as always, I will remind you of three small and simple steps we can all take every single day to aid in our healing.   Our grief is here to stay and our new job is to strengthen our heart muscle around it.

As always, I end every episode with the limerick I have created for the week.

We can't bring our kids back but I believe that we can and should grow stronger in their death, because it's the only choice we have.

Thank you for listening to today's episode.

In Peace,

Angie

Disclaimer:   I am not a medical professional or a therapist.   I am a grieving mom here to share the story of my son Sam's addiction, death, and my own choice to move forward in my grief.  I hope other parents or loved ones listening will hear that they are not alone and also be inspired towards their own healing. 

In this Episode, I will talk about this horrific pain that will never go away and 11 truths to losing a son or a daughter to addiction.

I will also talk about my 3 remaining kids, how I believe they are processing their brother's death, and how I have tried and continue to try to support them during this time.   

I also want to let you know who consider to be a few of my gurus during my grief, besides my close friends and family.   We are all different in who we need during this time and how we need to be supported.    

Lastly, I will sum up the past week and remind you that each of our timelines is individual to us.   We are where we need to be right now.   

As always, I will close out with 3 important but simple action steps to begin feeling stronger in your grief today and my weekly limerick.

As a reminder, I am not a licensed professional, I am a grieving mom, here to share the story of my son's addiction, death, the aftermath, and the steps I am taking to move forward to honor my grief and become stronger at the same time.

Did you change your life or make choices you normally wouldn't to accommodate a loved ones addiction?   

In today's episode, I discuss some of the ways I changed and the unhealthy choices I made while trying to keep Sam alive.    I will also take about how grief can make us feel awkward in society and how we can protect ourselves by listening to our inner energy.

I will discuss my own timeline of grief.    I will tell you about the 4 dates that have held me hostage every single month for 9 months and how I used this month to change my approach to these days.    Also, my current physical manifestations of stress during grief are very common and my current one is creeping me out.    And, last but not least, one big change I have made to honor myself exactly where I am.

The main purpose of this podcast is to deal, heal, and authentically begin to move forward.   At the end, I will also discuss how to start that process in three small and simple steps. 

No matter how much pain we are in, we still have a life and a purpose and together, I hope we can find it again. 

Today's podcast is a mini-episode in which I cover just one topic:  My thoughts on the nightmare we call our prison system and how I think it harmed my son.   

It's not that Sam didn't deserve to face the consequences, it's that the consequences should not be designed to steal the human right to be respected and cared for.  

I am not a licensed counselor or therapist, I am a grieving mom here to share the story of my son's addiction, death, and my own attempt to get through it.

When our loved ones become addicted, our relationships with them often crumble and when they lose the battle, we are left with the guilt and the grief of a broken relationship.    When we look back, we tend to oversimplify the issue and we beat ourselves up for not being able to do more.   

In today's episode, I discuss the aftermath of losing Sam at a time that our relationship was severely compromised as well as why and how we tend to oversimplify the issue at our own expense.

I will also talk about "Habit Stacking," from "Atomic Habits" by James Clear has helped me during my grief process.

I will briefly update on my own progress during grief and leave you with 3 ways to begin feeling better as soon as you are able to access them as well as this week's limerick.  

As a reminder, I am not a licensed professional, a doctor, or a therapist.  I am a grieving mom here to share the story of my son's addiction and death as well as my journey to move forward and rediscover joy and purpose in my own life.  

During our deepest grief, everything in life becomes a trigger.   In today's episode, I will tell you about my friend's near death experience and how talking with him about it triggered by grief regarding Sam's death.    

I will also tell you about reconnecting with my greatest passion after Sam's death and the 3 positive and unexpected benefits I have received from doing so.   

I will talk about how the process of grieving for me is at nearly 9 months and what I am learning during this time and 3 important and practical ways to begin to feel better and start healing healing today and end with my weekly limerick.

I am not a licensed professional in therapy or counseling.   I am a grieving mom who is here to process and heal from my son's death to addiction and to provide inspiration for us all to move forward in the best ways that we can.

In today's episode, I will discuss how much Sam's addiction changed him by the end of his life.   I'll also share what I've learned about managing our expectations of others during this time, how boundaries help in doing so, and practical ones to implement in your own life, without guilt.

I'll briefly share my personal experience with grief at this time, remind you of three important steps to take right now to feel better, and my weekly limerik.

This podcast is for grieving parents who have lost a son or a daughter to addiction.   I am here to share my experience and what I have learned through the tragedy of losing my son.   

I am also here to inspire you towards finding a way to find joy again while honoring your grief at the same time.

I am not a doctor, psychologist, or counselor.   This podcast contains my experience, opinion, and viewpoints and should not be considered a substitution for professional help.  

My dead son's body was found frozen in a field by a 12 year old girl.   He had been there for days.   Like many of you,  we know part of the story of his death but not everything.  

This is such a traumatic part of losing our kids to addiction.   In this episode,  I will discuss what we know and don't know about the night Sam died.

I will talk about our human need for a complete story, the 4 biggest problems of long term effects of rumination, and how I have chosen the method of Reframing to fill in the gaps, create a logical and scientifically sound story that I can walk forward with.    The importance of finding our story cannot be overstated.

I discuss the big and extraordinarily painful issue of our new time line, before and after our kid's death, and how we can use this timeline in a positive way.

I will also briefly tap into what my life looks like at 4 1/2 months after losing Sam.   The different feelings and emotions I am having as well as what I am learning along the way.   

And, as usual, I will finish every episode with concrete steps to deal with our deepest grief in effort to reconnect with our joy and move forward with both, as well as my weekly limerick.

I am not a licensed professional, I am a grieving mom here to share the story of my son's addiction and death and my own healing.

In this first Episode, I will start by giving a brief overview of Sam's addiction as well as the immediate aftermath of his death.  

I'll talk about how losing a son or daughter this way is different and why it is so important to deal with the trauma of their entire addiction and the lasting impact on you and your family, not just their death.  

Third, I will catch you up on my progress after losing my son 4 months ago and the steps I am taking to process and heal.

Last, as always, will end with concrete steps for moving forward and a weekly limerick.

Disclaimer:  I am not a license professional therapist.   I am a grieving mom, here to share my story and healing.