Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic

Anne Fundner lost her 15-year-old son, Weston, to fentanyl poisoning in 2022. Weston was a high school freshman, a kid who was loved, supported, and given every opportunity his family could provide.But in one moment of peer pressure, he took a pill he thought was something else. It contained fentanyl, and he never woke up that February morning.Anne has refused to let Weston’s life be reduced to a statistic. Since his death, she has spoken on some of the biggest stages in the country, testified before Congress, and fought for legislation in his name.Now, she’s focused on a message she believes every parent needs to hear: the importance of talking to kids about peer pressure. Anne says fentanyl took her son’s life, but the avenue that led him there was peer pressure.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Anne shares Weston’s story, what she wishes she could have done differently, and how she’s working to prevent other families from experiencing the pain she knows all too well.Related episodes: Uniting for change: A bereaved mother organizes D.C. march to combat fentanyl crisisThe Cop Who Had to Investigate Her Own Daughter’s DeathHe Wanted Justice for His Son, So He Became the InvestigatorSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Katie Rizzo holds two master’s degrees in science from Yale and the University of Colorado School of Medicine and has spent more than 15 years teaching high school AP Biology and Anatomy.She never thought of herself as a writer. That changed on September 17, 2024, when she lost her firstborn son to substance use disorder.Before her son died, she had never written poetry, but suddenly she had no other language. She began writing as a way to reach him, to somehow connect across that invisible divide.She is still early in this journey, not even two years in, but she is walking it with remarkable honesty and courage.She is sharing her story for a reason. She knows there are other parents living this same reality, grieving a child lost to something the world often stigmatizes and not always feeling there is space to mourn openly. She wants them to know they are not alone.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her son’s story, what she wants others to understand about loving someone struggling with addiction, and how she is finding healing by telling the truth instead of hiding it.Read more of Katie's writing on her website here. Related episodes:Why 72,000 Deaths a Year Is Not a Success StoryCookies, Grief, and Hope: A Mother’s Recipe for Healing After Fentanyl LossA Brain Scientist’s Warning Every Parent Should HearSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

From Saturday Night Live to hit films like Black Sheep and Tommy Boy, Chris Farley was one of the defining comedians of the 1990s. But behind the fame and larger-than-life humor, he was quietly battling substance use disorder. In 1997, Chris died at just 33 years old from an accidental overdose of cocaine and morphine.His brother, Tom Farley, is the guest on this episode of Grieving Out Loud. He knows firsthand what it’s like to hide what you’re really feeling, and how that can fuel addiction. Not only did he watch his brother struggle, he went through it himself, often masking his pain with humor, just like Chris.In this episode, Tom shares what he’s learned about overcoming addiction, finding real happiness, and why being your authentic self matters. He also talks about how he’s helping others stop hiding their emotions behind humor, anger, or alcohol.Learn more about recovery.com.Related episodes:Prince’s cousin’s efforts to expose the truth behind the musician’s fentanyl deathBrandon Novak’s Story: from fame to homelessness to helping others find recoveryAfter His Son’s Death, Music Executive Takes on Mental Health and Fentanyl CrisisSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

When your child is struggling with addiction, the fear can be overwhelming, and the loneliness can feel just as heavy.Today’s Grieving Out Loud guest knows that reality all too well. Brenda Zane’s son was just 15 years old when addiction entered their lives and changed everything. Their journey pushed them to the brink, with two fentanyl overdoses in just three days. After the second overdose, he nearly died, spending three days in a coma on life support, suffering both a heart attack and a stroke. Somehow, they found a way through.Out of that experience, Brenda created the Hopestream community, a podcast and online space designed for parents navigating a child’s addiction. She built it because she knew how desperately families need support from people who truly understand.What began as a passion project in 2020 has grown into a resource reaching families across the country. In this episode, Brenda shares her family’s difficult, years-long journey, what she’s learned about helping a loved one through addiction, and how both she and her son are now helping others find hope.Learn more about the Hopestream Community here. Learn more about the CRAFT Method here.Related episodes:A Brain Scientist’s Warning Every Parent Should HearGrief, marijuana, and addiction: A conversation about cannabis use disorderA mother’s urgent message on mental health and addictionMother blames cannabis-induced psychosis for son’s deathSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Juli Shamash is getting national attention for an issue she wishes she never had to talk about. Her 19-year-old son survived a drug overdose, and the hospital ran a standard drug screen, but fentanyl wasn’t included. It isn’t part of the routine ER drug panel used in many hospitals across the country.Her son, Tyler, died the next day.It wasn’t until five months later, after a toxicology report from the coroner, that his family learned fentanyl was in his system. With no background in policy or legislation, Shamash took her fight to the California State Legislature, and won.In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Tyler’s Law, requiring hospitals in California to include fentanyl in routine drug screenings for suspected overdoses.Now, Shamash is pushing for federal legislation to make that standard the law in every emergency room across the country. While she can’t bring her son back, she’s made it her mission to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her story, the gaps she’s working to close, and how she’s pushing for change.Learn more about Tyler's Law here. Related episodes:He Wanted Justice for His Son, So He Became the InvestigatorThe Cop Who Had to Investigate Her Own Daughter’s DeathSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

In the United States, nearly one in two adult women experience some form of unwanted sexual contact, and more than one in five have experienced completed or attempted rape, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The effects of that trauma can be profound and long-lasting, including an increased risk of substance use and addiction.On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Lorie Seeking Land shares how a sexual assault at age 13 set her on a path she never expected. Carrying the shame and pain of that experience in silence, she turned to drugs to cope. What followed was a difficult journey marked by meth addiction, federal charges, and a 10-year prison sentence while she was pregnant.After her release, Lorie searched for someone who truly understood what she had been through, someone who had faced similar struggles and found a way forward. When she couldn't find that person, she decided to become that person herself.Today, Lorie is a certified peer coach with Face It Together, an addiction wellness nonprofit. More than eight years after leaving prison, she now walks back through those same prison doors, not as an inmate but as a mentor, helping incarcerated women heal, rediscover their worth, and prepare for life beyond incarceration.Hear Lorie's powerful story, what she wishes she had known earlier in life, and her message for anyone carrying the weight of shame, trauma, or addiction.Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault. Please listen with care.Related episodes: The Dandelion in the WindowThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’tBreaking the stereotypes: A teacher of the year’s battle with homelessness and substance use disorderSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

What happens when the hopes and dreams you have for your child begin to unravel? When they make choices you don’t understand, or find themselves in trouble? Like many parents, you may try to step in and fix it. That’s exactly what today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud did when she discovered her youngest son was experimenting with drugs.As she watched her son struggle with substance use disorder for years, going in and out of around two dozen treatment centers, Barb McAllister tried everything she could to help him find sobriety.After years of trying everything, Barb decided to take a different approach—one she says made a meaningful difference in her relationship with her son and even with herself.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Barb shares her sometimes painful journey and what addiction has taught her about life and about learning to love unconditionally.Learn more about Barb and her coaching services here.Related episodes: ESPN reporter shares personal tragedy of losing both parents within hours to fentanylChoosing Love After a Hate Crime Took Her Son and FatherA Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through ItSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Addiction is a complex disease, and there’s no guidebook for how to navigate it. Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud knows that reality all too well.Leslie Collins struggled with substance use disorder for years before finding recovery. But as she began to rebuild her life, her son started down the same devastating path.Leslie tried everything she could think of to help him fight the disease, but nothing seemed to work. In the end, she made the difficult decision to try something she hadn’t before, tough love. He died shortly after.Now, through her grief, Leslie is working to raise awareness about fentanyl and prevent other families from experiencing the same loss. She’s now in her fifth year of hosting the Jolly 10K Fentanyl Awareness Fun Run.In this episode, Leslie shares her powerful story, the hard lessons she’s learned about addiction, and what she wishes she had known sooner.Learn more about the Jolly10k Fundraiser here.Related episodes: A TV Anchor Shares Her Loss to Overdose and Efforts to End StigmaHow to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By It‘The ugliest, biggest elephant in the room:’ Confronting addiction as a diseaseSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

This week we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes as we prepare to head to Orlando for CADCA's 25th Annual Mid-Year Training Institute, July 12-16, 2026.CADCA, or Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, represents thousands of community coalitions across the country working to prevent substance use and save lives. This year's conference theme is Powered by Purpose, and we could not think of a more fitting episode to share as we gear up to be there.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Angela sits down with two young people who embody exactly that spirit. Annabelle Lovell is a high school student who served as the opening speaker at the 2025 CADCA Mid-Year national conference, bringing teen perspectives on substance use prevention to one of the most influential stages in the country. Joining her is Mollie Kruse, a member of the Emily's Hope Youth Prevention Coalition, who has taken her advocacy all the way to Washington D.C., including a meeting with the Senate majority leader.Together, Annabelle and Mollie share what actually works when it comes to helping teens say no, and more importantly, inspiring their peers and communities to make better decisions.This episode is a powerful reminder of why prevention work matters and what it looks like when young people lead the way. If you are heading to CADCA Mid-Year in Orlando, we hope to see you there! Learn more about the 2026 CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute here. Send us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

As a veteran of the music and entertainment industry, David Nathan has helped shape the careers of A-list artists including Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse and Ariana Grande.But behind that success, he faced a loss he never could have imagined. His son took what he believed was a Percocet, unaware it was laced with fentanyl, and died at just 19.Now, Nathan is focused on his most personal work yet: helping others navigate mental health challenges in his son’s honor.What makes that mission even more meaningful is that it began with his son. Before his death, he founded an apparel company called Happy Jack, donating a portion of proceeds to support children facing mental health struggles.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Nathan shares his son’s story, what he hopes other parents can learn, and how he’s carrying forward a mission rooted in love, loss and purpose.Visit the Happy Jack website. Watch The Risks are Real live assembly here.Related episodes: Promising young entrepreneur dies after taking counterfeit PercocetThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’tWhen Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent GriefSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud found success early in life. Mark Ehrenkranz built a career in the entertainment industry in California and New York, taking on a range of roles. But beneath that success, he was quietly fighting a battle with addiction.Over the years, Mark says recovery would come in long stretches, sometimes years before everything would unravel again. In one case, he says it was triggered by a medication prescribed by a doctor. Other times, it started with the thought that just one pill wouldn’t hurt. But, as he puts it, that’s not how his brain is wired.Mark says one of the turning points in his recovery has been learning to sit with discomfort, whether it’s difficult emotions, hard moments or even physical pain, instead of trying to escape it.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Mark opens up about the highs and lows of his journey through substance use disorder, and the tools that have helped him not only rebuild his life in recovery, but find a deeper sense of joy along the way.Explore the Go Humans!™ website here.Related episodes:From Hollywood to healing: A mom’s battle with Ambien addictionA Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through ItThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’tSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

She’s walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, won titles like Miss Mt. Rushmore, and may soon have a documentary made about her life. But just a few years ago, Danica Miller was on a very different path.At just 13, she entered treatment for the first time, struggling with an addiction to inhalants. That struggle deepened over the years, leading to harder drugs, including meth, and at 19, a prison sentence after assaulting a law enforcement officer while intoxicated. With a felony on her record, rebuilding her life wasn’t easy.After years of addiction and setbacks, Danica found her way to recovery, a journey shaped by pain, but also resilience. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her story, showing that even in the darkest moments, change is possible, and how she’s turned her past into something that now helps others.Learn more and follow Danica's Thrive Tribe group on Facebook here.Related episodes:The Dandelion in the WindowThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’tDr. Sophie Two Hawk on Healing Native Communities from Addiction and TraumaSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Imagine losing your child to an opioid overdose and then spending years fighting to hold those responsible accountable: the manufacturers, the distributors, the pharmacies. All of it driven by grief too heavy to put down and a determination that refused to quit.And then, you finally win in court. But the money meant to prevent other overdoses isn’t always used the way it was intended.Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Alexis Pleus, knows that reality all too well. She lost her son, Jeff, to an overdose, and has since turned her grief into action, working to ensure other families don’t have to endure the same loss. One of her latest efforts focuses on how New York is spending billions of dollars from opioid settlements.In this episode, Alexis shares what her research uncovered, what she wants the public to understand, and why she’s continuing to push for accountability in how those funds are used.Read the full report from Truth Pharm: Community Solutions, State Exclusions: The Misalignment of New York’s Opioid Settlement Funds here. Watch Truth Pharm's Webinar: Researching and Writing on Opioid Settlement Fund Spending here. Learn how your state is spending opioid settlement dollars using the Opioid Settlement Tracker website here. Related episodes:The Scourge of Fentanyl & Meth on our NationShedding light on underreported overdose deaths with Truth PharmThousands of Tombstones by the U.S. Capitol to Honor Lives Lost to Substance UseSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

After a traumatic loss, like the death of someone we love, it can be tempting to avoid the hard work of grieving. Instead of facing that pain, people often try to numb it through drugs, alcohol or acting out. Others throw themselves into distractions, anything to avoid what’s really going on underneath. For today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Hakeem Bourne McFarlane, that outlet was sports.After his younger brother died from cancer at just six years old, Hakeem poured everything he had into athletics. On the surface, it looked like a positive path forward. But he says it was really a way to avoid his grief. Along the way, he also put intense,  and ultimately unhealthy, pressure on himself to succeed in his brother’s name.But what happens when the thing you’ve been using to hold it all together suddenly disappears? The grief is still there, and now there’s nothing left to outrun it.In this episode, Hakeem shares how an injury and substance use pulled him away from sports, forcing him to finally confront the pain he had been carrying for years. Now, he’s using that experience to help hundreds of others rebuild their lives through small, consistent steps and accountability.Learn more and explore Hakeem's website here. Related episodes:How to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By ItWhen Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent GriefCoping With Grief and Choosing Life After TragedySend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Grief can feel incredibly isolating, and it's something our society still struggles to talk about openly. The full range of emotions, the unexpected reactions, the weight of it all. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we're leaning into the conversations that too often go unspoken.Stephanie Peirolo’s story is one of both loss and resilience. After losing her father as a teenager, she battled substance use disorder. Years later, after finding recovery, she faced another unimaginable loss, her 19-year-old son.For months, Stephanie kept her story to herself. But over time, she found that sharing it became part of her healing. Today, she is a board-certified executive coach and writer, with a new book sharing her journey.In this episode, Peirolo opens up about her story, the parts of grief people rarely talk about, and how, after profound heartbreak, she’s found a way to laugh and live fully again.Learn more and purchase Stephanie's book here. Listen to Stephanie’s story on The Moth here. Related episodes:Growing Up with Grief: Emily’s Siblings Open UpBroken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We GrieveCoping With Grief and Choosing Life After TragedySend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

It’s often said there’s no greater pain than losing a child. Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Kym Hinchey, knows that devastation all too well. After helping her son through recovery from substance use disorder, she lost him to a sudden overdose.Just a few months after finding her 27-year-old son, Adrian, dead, Kym returned home to another unimaginable loss-her husband, also found dead on their bedroom floor.In the span of just a few months, Kym lost both her son and her husband. The grief was overwhelming. She says there was a time when the pain felt constant, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep going.But instead, Kym decided to devote herself to understanding grief and learning how to live through it. Today, she’s found meaning and purpose again, and she uses her experience to help others who are navigating loss.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Kym shares her story with honesty and courage—the lessons grief has taught her, and how she’s found a way to keep moving forward.Download Kym's Free PDF "Five Things I Wish I’d Known at Ground Zero Grief" here. Find Kym’s book, Then and Now: The Evolution of Grief, here. Related episodes:Broken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We GrieveHow to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By ItWhen Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent GriefSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

When you grow up in a home where alcohol and drugs are part of everyday life, it can be difficult to avoid being pulled into a generational cycle of addiction. It becomes your normal, what you know, what surrounds you. And too often, it’s intertwined with mental health struggles and abuse, making substances feel like a way to numb or escape the pain.That was the reality for today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Toni Handboy. Her childhood was shaped by trauma and loss. She experienced abuse, and her parents were often absent because of addiction. She was eventually taken from her grandparents and separated from her Lakota roots, moving between foster homes before later ending up in a juvenile detention center.During that time, Toni says she battled depression and suicidal thoughts. In an effort to cope, she turned to substances, continuing the very cycle she grew up around, as her addiction began to impact her own children.But Toni’s story doesn’t end there. While many struggle to break free, she has overcome that generational cycle and has now been in recovery for nearly two decades. Today, she’s not only rebuilding her life; she’s helping others who are facing the same battle.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Toni shares her difficult but powerful story, what finally led her to seek help, and the message she hopes reaches those who feel trapped in addiction.Related episodes: Growing up in the shadow of addictionShe Promised It Would End With Her—Then It Didn’tDr. Sophie Two Hawk on Healing Native Communities from Addiction and TraumaSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

With the number of drug overdose deaths dropping, some are celebrating. But is there a risk in declaring victory too early and cutting funding for prevention? Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, an addiction researcher at Stanford, says not so fast. About 72,000 overdose deaths a year still exceeds the total number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War.Dr. Wayne Kepner says not only are far too many people still dying, but celebrating too early could cost more lives. He recently wrote an article titled, “America must not learn to live with 72,000 overdose deaths a year.”In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Dr. Kepner shares what history has taught us about past drug epidemics, and how those lessons can guide the path forward while preventing as many deaths as possible.Related episodes:A Drug Historian on What America Keeps Getting Wrong About the Fentanyl CrisisCan We Save Lives While Cutting Funding? A Tough Conversation at the TopHow Do We End the Fentanyl Epidemic? A Candid Conversation with a Former DEA ChiefSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

Originally released on May 23, 2021Jessica Lahey is a mother, teacher, and author of The New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed. Jessica, who has been sober for eight years, says her new book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence, came out of concern for her own children following that same path. The book delves into genetics, psychology, and the science of addiction and offers practical things parents can do to keep their kids from suffering from addiction.Read Jessica's blog on her website here.Send us Fan MailSupport the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz