Death By Overdose

Weathering the Intense Emotions of Grief

August 3, 2022

Grief often comes with powerful, unpredictable emotional shifts that can be painful to experience. While it’s important to find ways to sit with these feelings, to acknowledge the pain of grief and accept loss, it’s also necessary to find ways to ease and manage the pain. There are several simple activities that you can explore to help.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death of A Loved One / Perinatal / Suicide

Sarah K – Supporting someone in grief

February 8, 2022

Sarah gives her thoughts on how many things there are you can domto support someone in grief and how to be proactive

Collective/Community Grief / Death By Overdose / Grief and Trauma / Supporting Others / Video

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Grieving as a Community

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses the ways the pandemic has affected the way people grieve as a community.

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

Krista – “How a counsellor helps”

November 11, 2019

Krista explains how a grief counsellor has helped.

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

A Million Other Things: Grieving a Drug Poisoning Death

April 12, 2023

Sister, father, son, niece, best friend – some of these words might be how you would describe your loved one who has died of an overdose or drug poisoning. People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) are not defined by their substance use – they are a million other things to those who love and miss them dearly. Drug poisoning and overdose deaths are stigmatized in our society. The focus is on how the person died, not who they are. Society still holds onto old notions and beliefs about drugs which come with a value judgment about people who use drugs, which further contributes to stigma. Not everyone who uses drugs is an addict and not all drug use is inherently problematic. People who use drugs deserve dignity and respect when we are remembering and honouring those who have died by overdose or drug poisoning.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Supporting Others

When Death Feels like a Thief

August 24, 2022

In the heart of my grief, at my frailest, all I could see was what was no more. I grieved all that was stolen from me by death; love, security and even my very self. Had I known the value of having every pocket of who I was, picked bare by grief, I would not have fought so hard to hold onto it all.

Blog Post / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death During Service / Death of A Loved One / Grief and Trauma / I Am A Griever / Living with Dying / Perinatal / Suicide

Krista – “Strength”

November 11, 2019

Krista talks about how she sees strength and sucking it up. Krista continues to grieve the death of her son from opioid overdose.

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

Krista – “Mental illness and self medicating”

December 4, 2019

Krista talks about mental health and self medicating. Krista continues to grieve the death of her son from opioid overdose.

Death By Overdose / Death of a Child / Death of A Loved One / Grief and Trauma / Video

What Does Grief Support Look Like?

July 20, 2022

When we experience significant, on-going symptoms of grief that interfere with our adjustment to the reality of our loss, it can be time to seek professional help. It can be difficult to know where to find help and what grief support options are available.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death During Service / Death of A Loved One / Grief and Trauma / Supporting Others

Nicole – Stigma Surrounding Drug Use

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses how the stigma around drug use has an impact on how people feel able to grieve when those in their community are lost.

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / Supporting Others / Video

Sarah K – Grieving during a pandemic

February 7, 2022

Sarah discusses how the pandemic has pulled back the curtain on grief

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / 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