Nicholas's Story as told by his mom

n this deeply honest episode of Stories That Matter, Doug Ballinger Jr. sits down with author and grieving mother Katie Rizzo to share the story of her son, Nicholas.Nicholas was more than the way he died. He was funny, loved deeply, had dreams, struggles, and a family who loved him fiercely. Katie shares the painful reality of watching someone you love battle substance use disorder, the chaos addiction can create within a family, and the lifelong grief that follows traumatic loss.Together, Doug and Katie talk about stigma, silence, recovery, grief, harm reduction, family dynamics, and the importance of telling the truth about addiction and overdose loss with compassion instead of judgment.Katie also shares how writing became part of her healing journey and discusses her upcoming books:📖 The Trimesters of GriefReleasing October 6 through Koehler Books📖 None of Them Are YouA poetry collection releasing November 1st on Día de los Muertos through Extra Extra PublishingKatie Rizzo Links:Website:https://katierizzo.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-rizzo-098978280Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/rizzoboysandagirl/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katierizzo007TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@katie.rizzo007If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Stories like these remind grieving families they are not alone.LogansVoice.org#StoriesThatMatter #LogansVoice #AddictionAwareness #GriefSupport #OverdoseAwareness #EndStigma #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealthAwareness #FentanylAwareness #SubstanceUseDisorder