I’m Just Carrying It w/ Katie Rizzo

“I’m just carrying it. I don’t know where forward is anymore.”In this episode, I sit down with author, poet, and grieving mother Katie Rizzo for one of the most honest conversations I’ve had about addiction, shame, identity, and what it means to survive the loss of a child.Katie’s son Nicholas died in September 2024 after struggling with opioid addiction. But this conversation is not just about addiction or loss. It’s about Nicholas himself. Who he was. What grief does to a body, a marriage, a family, and the impossible task of learning how to keep loving someone after they’re gone.We talk about:grief as something physical, not just emotionalthe shame and isolation surrounding addiction losswhat it means to “carry” griefhow identity changes after losing a childthe fear of moving forward without forgettingwhy grief groups can both heal and trap usthe pressure grieving parents place on themselvesthe role creativity and writing can play in surviving lossKatie also shares the story behind her upcoming memoir, The Trimesters of Grief, and her poetry collection, None of Them Are You.At its core, this conversation is about love that refuses to disappear.Connect with Katie:Website: katierizzo.comInstagram: @katierizzo007Upcoming Books:The Trimesters of GriefNone of Them Are YouResources: robertdelfave.comFree audio series: Not Alone — robertdelfave.comBook a free discovery call: robertdelfave.comThe Carried Forward Podcast is hosted by Robert DelFave, grief coach, David Kessler Certified Grief Educator, and author of The Other Side of This.New episodes released regularly.