The Reality of Loss - BLOG

So here you are, searching the internet for answers—for support—and trying to make sense of an indescribable loss. You are in a place you never thought or hoped that you would be: part of a club that no one ever wants to join.

You may have searched for “overdose loss”, “opioid crisis”, “addiction”, or “grief support” online, all in an attempt to explain the unexplainable. You are grieving intensely, but you also have a strong desire to make sense out of this devastating loss; so you search for answers to explain the gut-wrenching pain you are feeling. You may feel that no one truly understands the depth of your loss, and that it’s difficult navigating this on your own. You feel isolated.

Perhaps you spent years supporting a loved one as they faced the challenges of their substance use. You might even have stayed awake at night in fear, wondering and even being prepared for the worst call of your life. Yet when it actually happens, it takes you by surprise. Perhaps you had no lead up time to this loss.

You are raw with the trauma of this passing and your mind is filled with questions: How? Why? When?

Every past conversation with your loved one is examined as you look for clues to explain the loss.  On top of all of your pain, those around you struggle to find the right words of comfort. Even worse, you may feel the “stigma” of a substance use related passing from those who don’t understand.

You are not alone.

As Canada faces one of the worst public health crises of our time with overdose deaths surpassing 17,000 since 2016, the number of families and friends mourning a loved one to a substance use passing is staggering. The need for grief support is urgent and critical. The trauma experienced by families dealing with this type of loss has impacted our mental health system and there are limited resources available for this type of specific passing. Private bereavement support is out there, but is not an affordable option for many families. 

This is why Healing Hearts was created.

To give hope and support to families who are mourning a loved one.  Sponsored by Moms Stop The Harm (momsstoptheharm.com), our bereavement-support groups are peer-based and there are no costs attached. All those who facilitate and attend have “lived experience”. Healing Hearts is a place to share your story. It is a community where you can share your loss with those who truly understand. Our groups provide a place of support as you begin to heal, build resilience, and learn to live with the reality of your loss. We are here to support one another.

“Survival in grief, even eventually building a new life alongside grief, comes with the willingness to bear witness, both to yourself and to the others who find themselves inside this life they didn’t see coming. Together, we create real hope for ourselves, and for one another. We need each other to survive.”

(Richard Edgar, Writing Your Grief Student) - It’s Okay That You’re Not Okay (Megan Devine)