We keep hearing that stories matter, which makes sense, because they do. But for some of us who have grown up with the stress and stigma...

The sadness you’ve witnessed, the harm you've endured the stress you've carried at too young an age, and the feelings you’ve struggled with

They say that time heals all wounds, but with grief, it can feel everlasting. At the age of 12, I lost my father to a drug poisoning*. I can't fully explain the impact that losing a parent to a toxic drug supply has had on me, because for most of my life, the stigma of substance use encouraged me to do everything I could to prevent the outside from looking in, ensuring I didn’t talk about it. But today, I’m talking.