Death By Overdose

Sarah K – Trauma therapy

February 7, 2022

Sarah explains how she felt broken after her husband’s death to overdose and how grief therapy helped her untangle all the feelings that came from such an unexpected death

Death By Overdose / Grief and Trauma / Video

Christian – “Jeff’s Story”

October 8, 2019

Christian tells Jeff”s story… the good and his struggles.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death By Overdose / Grief and Trauma / My Story Video / Video

Krista – “Exercise to get it out”

November 11, 2019

Krista tells how she releases stress through kickboxing. Krista continues to grieve the death of her son from opioid overdose.

Death By Overdose / Death of a Child / Grief and Trauma / Video

Krista – “Range of emotions”

November 11, 2019

Krista talks about the journey towards acceptance.

Death By Overdose / Death of a Child / Grief and Trauma / Video

Thoughts on International Overdose Awareness Day 2023

August 30, 2023

We lead multifaceted lives, and the deaths of those we love who have died by drug poisoning contain multitudes. The death of a loved one can bring intense grief, shock, anger, shame, or guilt. People who use drugs, and those who love them that they leave behind, face stigma in North America’s dominant, settler culture.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic

Kate – Triggers

March 11, 2023

Kate discusses how she deals with her emotions when something triggers her grief

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Sibling / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / Video

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses the importance of finding ways to honour people that have been lost and how they have impacted you. She speaks to how she often chooses not to attend public memorials for those she has lost as a support worker as they are often very overwhelming. Instead, she has her own personal rituals or ways of honouring those she has lost personally including opening a window. She discusses how this practice was used when she worked in palliative care.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Video

Sarah K – Finding my people

February 7, 2022

Sarah talks about how finding other people that are going through the same grief experience has been very helpful to her.

Death By Overdose / Grief and Trauma / Video

Kristal – Story of Lived Experience

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses experiencing homelessness at multiple stages of her life and how that informs her work as a peer support worker. It gives her an understanding of the nuance that surrounds the community. She uses this experience to support people who are experiencing grief related to death from drug poisoning.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / My Story Video / Video

Krista – “Changes”

November 11, 2019

Krista discussed what has changed since her son’s overdose. Krista continues to grieve the death of her son from opioid overdose.

Death By Overdose / Death of a Child / Grief and Trauma / Video

Christian – Language around those pushed to the margins

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about how people who are pushed to the margins are not discussed as part of our community and how we need to include them. As a community how do we care for our neighbours and how do we mourn the loss of our neighbours

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video