Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic

Christian – COVID amplified the inequities in society

Christian talks about those that have very little and how COVID amplified their difficulties

Kate – Stigma

Kate discusses how difficult the stigma is to deal with

Kristal – The Value of all Those Lost

Kristal emphasizes that the lives of those lost to drug poisoning had value, they were an opportunity that was lost, and that the community is missing so much in their absence.

Nicole – Using Art and Creativity to Express Grief

Nicole discusses the work she does to allow access to creative outlets such as art hives and gardening.

Kristal – Lack of Memorials During Pandemic

Kristal talks about how memorials can offer closure to people who are grieving, find a community, and share stories. With the absence of this during the pandemic, many people turned inward to grieve or isolated, which can create safety issues and have an impact on mental health. She speaks to how this leads to depression, physical pain, and it compounds upon itself.

Joyce -The pandemics impact on drug poisonings

Joyce talks about drug poisonings during the pandemic

Kristal – Anger with Grief

Kristal discusses finding ways to channel her anger due to poor policy leading to deaths from drug poisoning and those individuals not having the support they needed. She discusses how human beings have the right to be flawed and should have the ability to grow, heal, and change.

Kate – My story

Kate tells her story of being away when her brother died of an opioid overdose

Kate – Miracle baby

Kate shares about her brothers daughter being born after he had died

Nicole – Grieving as a community

Nicole discusses the power of grieving together as a community. Finding connection and trust.