A young client is torn with grief when she learns that her boyfriend of many years died the night before with a needle in his arm.
Others in the program, including staff, offer condolences and make efforts to support and comfort her.
For those of us in recovery there’s no starker reminder of the deadly disease that lives within us. When people in their twenties suddenly die because they were unable to find the path to recovery the event reminds us of who we are: addicts with a deadly disease that is – at least for the moment – being held at bay because of our efforts to recover.
Hopefully we’ll all do more than pay passing attention to this young man’s untimely death. And perhaps renew our efforts to rebuild our lives on a rock-solid foundation of recovery.
Our heart goes out to those who were close to this young man.
