Personal Stories

Get advice and perspective from families who have also been impacted by substance use or addiction.

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Addiction and Overdose Left an Absence in Our Family

Partners for Hope Marathon Team member Lauren DiGaimo shares her family's story of loss, and the way it has inspired her own vocal advocacy in support of other families facing the challenges of addiction.

“Secrets Will Help Nobody”: My Daughter’s Story of Addiction [VIDEO]

I sat down to tell Casey’s story and talk about what she and so many others go through, and how where there’s breath, there’s hope.

Reflecting on My Addiction and Recovery, Then and Now

I am but one of tens of millions of incredible recovery stories. Let’s find yours.

I Hate the Word “Enable”: Getting Blamed & Shamed When You Have a Child With Addiction

We do not “consent” to the pain and misery, the shame and fear, the despair of addiction.

My Son Did Not Die in Vain: A Story of Addiction & Saving Lives

The detective said to me, “If we had a 911 Good Samaritan law or a Narcan law, your son might very well be alive.”

Withdrawing from “Withdrawal”: The Language of Addiction Matters

We need to change language like junkie, addict, and alcoholic if we are to lessen the stigma and negativity that saturates the perception of drug addiction.

This Father’s Day, I Invite Dads to Help Fight the Heroin Epidemic

All of us — men and women alike, who contend with family members, especially children, suffering from substance use disorder, are haunted by loss.

My Parents Never Talked to Me About the Dangers of Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol and drug use was an issue we never talked about in my family. It wasn’t too long before I found myself dealing with addiction.