The drug epidemic is claiming more lives than ever before. Last year more than 107,000 people died from a drug overdose.
Fentanyl use is increasing, in fact, the synthetic opioid is to blame for two-thirds of overdose deaths last year.
A new poll shows that nearly 1 in 10 adults has had a family member die of a drug overdose. Dealing with the loss can be difficult, as family and friends not only experience grief but other emotions that are hard to overcome.
Anne Stephens and her twin brother, Patrick, shared the same passion for soccer, school and friends.
“He was kind of a silly guy,” Anne said.
But in many ways, the twins were so different.
“He would push back or kind of test boundaries in ways that I just didn’t,” Anne said.
In high school, an accident changed everything.
“He tore his meniscus, and he received some prescription pain medication,” Anne said.
Then in college, Patrick turned to heroin. Patrick overdosed when he was just 26 years old.
“I wish the shame would disappear,” Anne said.
Dr. Elizabeth F. Howell, a psychiatrist at Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah said emotions can be wide-ranging.
“You know, my family member died of this disease that most people don’t accept as a disease,” Howell said. “They feel a sense of guilt. Like, ‘What did I not notice?’”
Howell also said family members need to accept the reality and direct any strong emotions toward the addiction and not toward the person with the addiction.
“The main thing is to acknowledge that this person was very meaningful to them,” Howell said.
Surround yourself with a safe support system. Educate yourself about addiction.
“I want them to know that they did the best they could and the person who died was doing the best that they could,” Howell said.
Twelve years after Patrick’s death, Anne continues to heal and still feels the pain of losing someone she loved so much.
“There’s definitely an empty seat at the table every holiday. Him being my twin brother, I truly feel like a part of me is -- like a physical part of me is missing -- it’s gone,” Anne said.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Center for Injury Prevention found that only a small fraction of adults struggling with Opioid Use Disorder received adequate treatment.
Specifically, less than a third received any form of substance use treatment, and fewer than one in five received medications specifically designed to address opioid addiction.
If you are struggling with the loss of someone from addiction, check out grasphelp.org, and survivorresources.org, which is a nonprofit organization that offers support groups and grief counseling.