Over 19 million people in the United States are struggling with a substance abuse disorder and more than 2 million of those are addicted to opioids. Studies show that one in three Americans know someone who is battling with opioid addiction, many of whom have lost a friend or family member to an overdose.
At these rates, a lot of us have had to deal with someone who is addicted and know how difficult it can be to maintain our own mental wellness, all while watching our loved one waste away.
Growing up in the mountains of West Virginia just outside of the nation’s capital, I was the oldest of eight children. My family was conservative, attending church services every week, and all of us kids were enrolled in a private religious academy from grade school through senior year.
Never did I imagine that one of us would struggle with addiction, so when my brother got hooked on opiates to deal with grief after the sudden death of one of our siblings, it was devastating to my family. It hit him hard and fast, beginning with prescription painkillers and quickly progressing to heroin injected into any available vein.
During this time, he denied having an addiction, avoided any contact with family, and became unrecognizable, rapidly losing weight and developing open sores on his face and arms. He…
