Overdose Awareness Day: August 31st

Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st. If you have lost someone to overdose, this is an opportunity to pay tribute to that person, advocate to end overdose in our communities, or simply remember your loved one with a sense of solidarity, knowing that there are thousands of people around the world doing the same on this one day.

Overdose is an incredibly difficult way to lose a loved one, not least because of the stigma that substance use carries in our society. It is crucial when we think about our friends and family who died from overdose that we remember that scientists have determined addiction to be a medical disorder or a disease, just like heart disease or cancer. Substance use is not a moral failing, but a deeply human condition. Every person who has died of overdose is so much more than just a person with substance use disorder. They are siblings, neighbors, artists, sisters, friends, cat owners, professionals, parents, athletes. They are hilarious, talented, loyal, warm, exuberant individuals. And every other type of person you could imagine.

If you are grieving or remembering someone lost to overdose on Overdose Awareness Day later this month, one of the best things you can do is tell stories about the person that illustrate the fullness of their humanity. Not only is it personally healing, but by talking about them, you are destigmatizing substance use disorder, and thus contributing to a world where more people feel empowered to ask for help with addiction.

Image via Overdose Awareness Day

If you are looking for poems, quotes or other words to reflect on as you grieve or remember a loved one lost to overdose, check out our collection of inspirational quotes here.

For more information about Overdose Awareness Day, and ideas about how to remember friends and family you have lost to overdose, visit: https://www.overdoseday.com/