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In the final episode of this season, I discuss support groups and treatment for the loved ones of people with SUD and overdose incidents. I review the literature on the coping mechanisms of bereaved loved ones, look at the formation and impact of peer-support groups, review therapy techniques to help people navigate grief after a…

In this episode, I talk about loved ones, addiction, and overdose in the context of rural areas. First, I review important context and statistics, including how rural Americans are at higher risk of overdose. Then I discuss research on family roles in prescription opioid misuse prevention, risk factors for drug misuse and disease among young…

In this episode, I discuss people’s experiences having unhoused loved ones with SUD and overdose incidents. First, I review some important context/statistics about the topic. Then I talk about how family relationships impact people’s paths into and out of houselessness and drug misuse. I also talk about how people perceive and access treatment for drug…

In this episode, I talk about involving loved ones in drug addiction and overdose treatment. I explain how loved ones actively contribute to the recovery process, and how people receiving treatment feel about involving loved ones in their treatment. I examine some of the barriers that prevent people from engaging in their loved one’s treatment.…

In this episode, I talk about friends’ experiences. First, I talk about friends’ experiences of witnessing an overdose, including some important context. I also look at people’s decision-making about using Naloxone and calling emergency services. Then I discuss the various outcomes people describe after witnessing a friend’s overdose, including their complex grieving process, mental health…

In this episode I talk about intimate partners’ experiences with SUD and/or overdose. I cover how partners and relationships influence drug misuse, the interpersonal dynamics of couples in which one or both people use drugs, and the relationship between substance misuse and relationship violence. I also discuss research on the drug-death-related bereavement experiences of intimate…

In this episode, I explore siblings’ experiences, that is, people’s experiences of being the sibling of someone with an SUD and/or overdose incident. First, I talk about people’s experiences navigating their sibling’s substance abuse issues and life after their overdose. Then I describe the impact of drug-overdose bereavement on siblings’ emotional, physical, and social well-being.…

In this episode, I talk about children’s experiences, that is, people’s experiences of being a child with an SUD/overdose incident and of being the child of a parent with an SUD/overdose incident. I first review some important statistics about drug misuse by both parents and children. I describe the challenges of being a child of…

In this episode, I talk about parents’ experiences—that is, people’s experiences of parenting while having an SUD and overdose incident and of being the parent of a child with an SUD/overdose incident. I explore how child-related factors might impact treatment accessibility for parents and how substance misuse impacts people’s parenting. I also talk about the…