Coping with Accidental or Violent Substance Use-Related Death

Coping with AccidentalIt started as a good time—celebrating with friends, enjoying the moment, and losing inhibitions. Fast forward: coping with the aftermath feels unbearable. The ending of what started as a “good time” ended wrong with tragic consequences: loss of life, legal consequences, and decisions that cannot be undone. Drugs and alcohol seemed like friends at the time, but now they are painful, traumatic grief reminders.

Drinking and driving while intoxicated and ending in loss of limbs, body movement, or life…

Substance use resulting in accidental overdose or death by suicide…

Intimate partner violence, homicide, or community violence involving substances, involving actual or threatened death…

These are several examples of substance-use-related deaths that are accidental or violent. The injuries and deaths could have been prevented. No one wanted this to happen, yet the impacts affect families, friends, and communities in profound ways.

Unintentional injuries such as opioid overdoses are the leading causes of death of Americans ages 1-44. Suicide is 2nd for this age group and homicide comes in 5th.

There is still a lot of stigma attached to substance use, especially deaths related to use such as drug overdose. Feelings can be internalized as shame. It can be easy to isolate yourself from the rest of the world as you sit with feelings of grief, loss, and trauma which may develop into prolonged grief disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.

You may feel as though a part of yourself has died as you experience intense emotional pain such as feelings of anger, bitterness, or sorrow related to the death. Life may feel empty or meaningless after losing a loved one in such as horrific way. Emotional numbness may be present. You may be experiencing nightmares, flashbacks, and physiological responses to reminders of the trauma. You may no longer feel physically or emotionally safe after what happened. Sleeping and concentrating can be difficult. Intense loneliness may set in but being able to reengage with others can feel too heavy.

Those suffering from the impact of loss after substance use need support. At CARE Counseling, our therapists are available to provide empathetic listening and show compassion during this difficult time. They work with grief, loss, and trauma and can also help connect you with additional resources. While having someone to connect with 1:1 is helpful, so are group settings to connect with others experiencing similar challenges. Support is just a phone call or click away.

Resources:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones

https://palgroup.org/

Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing

http://grasphelp.org/

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Trauma Network Survivors

https://www.traumasurvivorsnetwork.org/

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

https://988lifeline.org/

Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC

Suicide Awareness

The Impact of Suicide. Your Words Matter.

Suicide is more common than we’d want to admit. Suffering is part of the human experience, and there are a lot of heavy stressors that weigh people down.

Supporting Teacher’s Well-being

CARE Counseling is thrilled to begin offering a Doctoral Internship for Counseling and Clinical Psychology doctoral students enrolled in accredited graduate programs!

6 Things to Consider in Supporting Children’s Adjustment to Change

Change can be difficult, especially for children when their need for safety and stability is uncertain. Establishing consistent and predictable routines helps children feel secure.

Because, College is Hard!

The transition to college can be exciting, but also difficult. You may be leaving the comforts of home and sharing space with others for the first time while managing stressors associated with college life.
Inc.5000 Award

INC 5000 Award

CARE Counseling makes the Inc. 5000 list for fastest growing private companies for three years in a row!

MSP Magazine News Feature

CARE Counseling was featured in an article on “Mental Health: Hurdles to Help,” by Lindsey Scharold with Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine.

Life Satisfaction: 7 Things to Nurture Emotional Well-Being

“The best predictor for adult life satisfaction is subjective well-being and emotional health during childhood” according to the World Happiness Report. Less than half (47%) of Americans report being “very satisfied” with their own lives.

CARE Counseling Announces New Doctoral Internship

CARE Counseling is thrilled to begin offering a Doctoral Internship for Counseling and Clinical Psychology doctoral students enrolled in accredited graduate programs!

Bracing Yourself for Change: Flexible Vs. Blinded Optimism

Change is stressful, and there will be going to be challenges and these will be temporary; however, this is also an opportunity to utilize your strengths and access the internal and external resources that are available.

Suicide Prevention for Co-Workers: 5 Action Steps

The death of a co-worker can come as an unexpected shock, especially when they have died by suicide. If you are aware that a colleague is struggling, you can make a significant impact in helping them get the care they need.

Clinicians Info

clinicians-info

Customized Meditations for You

What comes to mind when you hear the word meditation? Stereotypes hold some people back from mindfulness practice. That is unfortunate. It is important to dispel the myths and understand the things people get wrong about mindfulness.

Going from Good to Great When You Are Not OK

How often do you get asked, “How are you?” and the polite go-to response is “I’m fine” or “good” thank you. How are you? These phrases are common greetings in the United States but seem to lack much depth.

The Client-Therapist Relationship: Transactional or Relational?

There is a transactional element that is present in receiving therapeutic services; however, a strong therapeutic relationship is vital to the success of therapy.
Summer health tips- blue sky with hands in yoga pose

6 Summer Health Tips to Feel Amazing This Summer

Making lifestyle changes has a significant impact on mental health and well-being. When you take care of your body and engage in safe and enjoyable activities, it has a direct impact on how you think and feel about yourself.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Meditation helps one become more present, utilizing the practice of being mindful. Perhaps you already have a basic understanding of meditation

Emotional Intelligence for Families

Self-awareness is a key skill of emotional intelligence. One way to build self-awareness early within a child’s life is to build their feelings vocabulary.

CARE COUNSELING IS A 2024 TOP WORKPLACE

CARE Counseling has been recognized in the Star Tribune's Top Workplaces for the third year in a row!  In 2024, CARE was named on the National Standard Setters list.

Men’s Mental Health Month

CARE Counseling was featured in an interview on the “Stigma still surrounds mental health issues in men,” with Laker Pioneer press.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Intersectionality of PRIDE and Juneteenth

In honor of Juneteenth in the middle of PRIDE month, intersectionality is a reminder that we hold multiple identities such as our race/ ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, religion, disability, and age that create unique lived experiences for each person, resulting in different advantages and disadvantages.

Relationship Violence

Partner abuse, domestic abuse, and intimate partner violence can happen to anyone. Unfortunately, abuse and violence in relationships are all too common.

Three Reasons Why It Can Be Difficult For Men to Seek Out Therapy

Men, it is OK to reach out for help. Asking for help is not easy, especially when topics are sensitive, and you may feel vulnerable.

Support for Emergency Responders and Professionals at Risk

Did you know that approximately 70% of the world’s population has been exposed to a traumatic life event?