I was in treatment and I gained a really good friend that I adored dearly. this last week I found out passed away from an overdose and ever since then I have been having really really bad struggles. I don’t know if it’s survivors guilt or what but he was it’s one of the greatest human beings I could ever meet and as much as I feel like the world should be mourning over his passing I have yet to even see his obituary in any of our local papers. Ever since this has happened I have been having panic attacks regularly and had a really really bad one last night at work. I’m about a year sober but God I am struggling and need some support
It’s tragic when addiction kills another human being. It’s heartbreaking
Now is the time to reach out and connect, like you’re doing here, and to reach out to people in your recovery group if you have one. It may help to join one if you can, for a space to share about this, at a meeting.
Can you write his obituary yourself? I think obituaries are submitted to newspapers - I’m not 100% sure, but I think how it works is you submit it, and they print it.
I am sorry for your loss. Stay strong.
Thinking of you during this difficult time and I’m glad you are here with us.
This community/family has got me through some of my darkest days!!
We are here for you
I’m sorry for your loss. Some of the best people I’ve met have been recovering addicts. Some of them didn’t make it. It’s a hard reality of the stakes at play. Fight like your life depends on it. Stay clean and sober. Hugs to you.
I’m sorry about your loss
Addiction is an awefull disease and it takes people away from us. It doesn’t look if you are a nice person ore not. It could be everyone.
I hope you keep venting to us and people in real life about this to process this
Maybe it helps to create a little spot in your house for him ore her with a nice picture of something else that reminds you of your friend so you can burn a candle?
For the panic attacks…ever tried this one?
It’s called box breathing. It helps to get your breathing calm. Hope you can use it.
Take good care of you and your sobriaty now. Your addiction will try to lure you back in because of your sad feeling. Keep your guards up despite all, you can do it!
Although for us 1 year feels like a long time sober it actually takes about a year for our emotions to start to adapt to life so any bad things happening about then can be extremely difficult to handle. I had similar attacks about that time while trying to deal with life changing events. I stuck to my program like glue, prayed whether I believed it or not and told myself that drink and drugs definitely aren’t going to help the situation and tell myself that one day I will wake up and feel a tiny bit better. If I can be patient until that day comes I’ll just accept what I’m going through as healing and grieving and once that day comes when I feel that tiny bit better it’ll give me something to work with.
I got no great advice on how to trick your mind into believing all this but do be kind to yourself and give yourself time.