EPISODE · Aug 27, 2025 · 52 MIN
Episode 131: When Overdoses Stop Shocking Us: The Hidden Costs of Becoming Desensitized
from Talking Addiction & Recovery · host Andrew J. Schreier
The overdose crisis has left few untouched. Many of us know someone (whether a client, colleague, friend, or family member) who has died from an overdose. For helping professionals, repeated exposure to loss can quietly build a kind of emotional armor. What happens when that armor turns into desensitization? In this episode, we talk about the hidden grief that comes with working in the midst of the overdose epidemic, how professionals can become numb to repeated losses, and the toll it takes on our well-being. We’ll explore coping strategies, ways to process grief in a profession that often pushes it aside, and why acknowledging these emotions is critical for sustaining ourselves and the work we do.Support the showThank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail [email protected] podcast is also a platform for FREE continuing education. Licensed and certified professionals are able to listen to select episodes at no cost. Listen to an episode. Take a quiz. Complete an eval. Earn a certificate. Learn more at www.andrewjschreier.com/continuing-educationTalking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.
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The overdose crisis has left few untouched. Many of us know someone (whether a client, colleague, friend, or family member) who has died from an overdose. For helping professionals, repeated exposure to loss can quietly build a kind of emotional armor. What happens when that armor turns into desensitization? In this episode, we talk about the hidden grief that comes with working in the midst of the overdose epidemic, how professionals can become numb to repeated losses, and the toll it ...
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Episode 131: When Overdoses Stop Shocking Us: The Hidden Costs of Becoming Desensitized
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