43 - People Die from Addiction: Unfortunately it Happens All Too Often

We recently received a text from the mother of one of the people that we tried to help. It thanked us for our efforts but said that her son recently lost his battle with addiction and life. Getting a message like this puts everything in perspective. It is sad and heart breaking, but it also is a reminder of why we do what we do.

It's a reminder of all that we have to be thankful for and why it is important that we do the best we can to help people cherish their lives and strive to move foreword in a positive way. Today, we are going to discuss how serious addiction can be even when you do everything possible to help someone.

Show Notes

• [02:34] We received a text message from the mother of someone that we have known for more than a year. It said that he had lost his battle with addiction.
• [02:56] We did everything we possibly could to help him.
• [03:37] even when we do everything right on our end someone can still lose their battle with addiction.
• [03:43] We aren't in the results business. We are in the business of showing up.
• [04:04] We do what we can with what we have to help people. Unfortunately, this stuff happens a lot.
• [04:58] We feel a sense of responsibility to the parents of the people who come to us for treatment.
• [06:04] In some cases, we work for three or four months with the parent before we even meet the person who is struggling with addiction. We get to know the parents very very well.
• [06:38] It hits home when you know the family and know that they are depending on you to do the best job possible.
• [07:13] We are at a loss for words because we know this is a terrible Thanksgiving for this mother who lost her son.
• [08:37] There's a fine line between helping someone and enabling someone. You need to be able to look back and know that you did everything you could. In this case, this mother did do everything that she possibly could.
• [09:31] Ben's aunt recently passed away from alcohol and drug induced overdose.
• [10:16] A childhood friend of his also recently passed away.
• [10:52] If you stick around recovery long enough, you're going to see a lot of death. On the other hand, you're going to see miracles that outweigh the tragedies.
• [11:48] People react differently with the grieving process. Ben has seen parents get angry at him. and he has had parents thank him for all that he tried to do.
• [13:00] It's not your fault. The three C's. You didn't cause it. You can't control it, and you can't cure it.
• [14:00] Sometimes tragedies like this bring more awareness to the battles that people have with addiction.
• [15:13] We need a lot more people doing the same thing that we are doing and getting the word out about addiction.
• [15:52] It hurts when people don't have the resources to get into a good treatment center.
• [17:04] If you have the opportunity to get help, please utilize it.
• [17:41] Treatment helps, but it's not a cure-all.
• [19:07] If someone decides that they want help down the road, if they've been to treatment before, at least they know that these resources exist. Sometimes success in our field is planting a seed that will sprout later.
• [19:30] There are faith-based organizations out there and AA and 12-step programs and Celebrate Recovery.
• [19:54] Tom is grateful and thankful that he and Ben get to do this and talk to multiple people throughout the days in an effort to help them and spread the message of recovery.
• [20:36] Ben is thankful for the here and now. He is so grateful and proud of the people in the groups that he is a part of.
• [22:41] Ben is making up for all of the harm that he did in the world. Being a dad is an amazing feeling. He is grateful for the little things in our precious lives.
• [23:55] Be grateful for what you have been through and what you are here to do now.
• [26:04] Ben and Tom have known each other for 7 years plus. Now they podcast together, work together, and help as many people as possible.
• [26:30] If you have questions or need help with anything, please reach out to us. We are a resource that you can utilize.
• [28:23] Getting better is more important than being home for the holidays.

Links and Resources:

Celebrate Recovery