An Update: An Overdose and Recovery Story

In April of this year I decided to let the skeletons out of the closet and come out without fear to talk about our son who at that time was actively using. Hiding in society's stigma was helping no one least of all our son.

Truly a moment of Newness of Life

His drugs of choice we thought was heroin and opioids, percs, oxy, methadone, suboxone and also Xanax. Whatever he could find on the street  cheap and easy to self medicate he was abusing.

Boy have we learned a lot just in the past five months. His addiction turned to what could have been a more deadlier side.

He was tired of living in the addiction. He had forgotten the steps to take to turn his life back around and in June we learned that he had been talking suicide to others.

In July when we finally found him we learned that he had been attempting suicide for about a month. He was mixing potentially deadly combinations of heroin with fentanyl, heroin with cocaine and heroin with Xanax in the hopes that it would take his life. He was tired of living his life always craving and needing the drugs.

We learned of several OD's (overdoses) he had in the month of June and in early July. By the Grace of God he lived to see that recovery was but on the horizon.

I hate listening to his stories about the times that he overdosed especially hearing he was trying to end his life. When he said someone was always there to revive him when he just wanted to die. Someone told me that in recovery this is something important that he needs to share. I let him talk about it, but I tell him because it wasn't his time.

When I tell him Thank God he didn't die, I mean that. So many more were not so lucky as to walk away from an overdose. We know many of them personally.

I told him back in July, only the Good Man above knows when it is our time to go. Apparently it wasn't his time yet. Each and everyone of us has a purpose here on earth. It is up to my son to find out what his purpose in this life is.

The road to recovery hasn't been an easy one. He has had to fight and battle the demons of addiction. He has fallen, but he's gotten right back up and continued to fight. He hasn't given up. He is getting the help that he needs and he's learning to live life one minute at a time!

I talked with Kyle the other day. He says that he wants to do something to help others with addiction problems. He feels very strongly about helping others. He wants them to know that recovery is possible and that life and living is possible.

Every death I hear about whether or not I know them I cry for the family left behind. I know about yet another life taken from this disease the day before the Overdose Awareness Day. When I hear yet another story of overdose or another story of yet another life taken from an overdose, I cry! I pray for each and every family.

pic and story: © 2016 Gossip Girl