Drug use – Grief Stories

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Kristal – Story of Lived Experience

April 23, 2023

Kristal – Story of Lived Experience

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.

Posted in Death By Overdose, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, I Am A Professional, My Story Video, Video and tagged Community outreach, drug poisoning, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, Grief, homelessness, houseless, lived experience, outreach, overdose, people who use drugs, Support, support work, support worker, toxic drug poisoning, unhoused

Kristal – Harm Reduction

April 23, 2023

Kristal – Harm Reduction

Kristal speaks to the importance of harm reduction and how it can save lives. She discusses how accessing harm reduction leads to the creation of connections with community support. It allows community outreach members to connect with community members and get to know them, and to know to look for them if they don’t see them when they usually do.

Posted in Death By Overdose, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, I Am A Professional, Video and tagged Community, darm reduction, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, grieving, Harm Reduction, overdose, toxic drug poisoning

Kristal – Drug Poisoning During Pandemic Stigma

April 23, 2023

Kristal – Drug Poisoning During Pandemic Stigma

Kristal discusses how the pandemic has created additional stigma surrounding those who use drugs. She discusses how it seems like some losses are treated as more deserving of being mourned than others. Many people have had to grieve privately instead of publically within a community. She touches on the state of the public health system during the pandemic.

Posted in Collective/Community Grief, Death By Overdose, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, I Am A Professional, Video and tagged collective grief, Community, community grief, drug poisoning, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, Grief, isolation, overdose, Pandmic, Stigma, toxic drug poisoning

Kristal – Lack of Memorials During Pandemic

April 23, 2023

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.

Posted in Death By Overdose, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, I Am A Professional, Video and tagged addiction, drug poisoning, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, grieving, Memorials, overdose, pandemic, toxic drug poisoning

a white woman with long, blonde hair wearing a black sweatshirt looks into the camera.

Nicole – Power of Speaking About Lost Ones

March 25, 2023

Nicole – Power of Speaking About Lost Ones

Nicole discusses the importance of sharing memories of those lost to drug poisoning and speaking their names.

Posted in Collective/Community Grief, Death and Grief During a Pandemic, Death By Overdose, Death of A Loved One, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, I Am A Griever, I Am A Professional, I Am A Supporter, Supporting Others, Video and tagged addiction, drug poisoning, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, Grief, grieving, remembering

a white woman with long, blonde hair wearing a black sweatshirt looks into the camera.

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Safe Spaces and Mental Health Access

March 25, 2023

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Safe Spaces and Mental Health Access

Nicole discusses how the pandemic affected access to safe spaces and shelters for those living rough and living with addiction.

Posted in Collective/Community Grief, Death and Grief During a Pandemic, Death By Overdose, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, Supporting Others, Video and tagged addiction, death, drug poisoning, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, dying, Grief, grieving, homelessness, mental health, pandemic, safety, toxic drug poisoning, unhoused, wellness

a white woman with long, blonde hair wearing a black hoodie smiles gently into the camera.

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Grieving as a Community

March 25, 2023

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Grieving as a Community

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

Posted in 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 and tagged Community, community grief, drug poisoning, drug poisoning and the pandemic, Drug use, drugs, Grief, grieving, pandemic, toxic drug poisoning

a white woman with blonde hair and a black hoodie smiles gently into the camera.

Nicole – Grieving as a community

March 25, 2023

Nicole – Grieving as a community

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

Posted in Bereavement Professionals' Insights, Collective/Community Grief, Death and Grief During a Pandemic, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, Grief and Trauma, I Am A Griever, I Am A Professional, Supporting Others, Video and tagged addiction, community grief, death, drug poisoning, Drug use, Grief, grieving, Loss, together

Nicole – Working in Community Outreach

March 25, 2023

Nicole – Working in Community Outreach

Nicole discusses her work in community outreach and how she has lived experience with addiction and living rough.

Posted in Collective/Community Grief, Death and Grief During a Pandemic, Death By Overdose, Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic, I Am A Professional, My Story Video, Video and tagged addiction, Community, Drug use, homelessness, living unhoused, outreach, Professional, unhoused, working in community outreach