Losing a loved one is one of the hardest and heartbreaking experiences that we all go through. Thousands of lives a year are lost to a drug overdose, leaving families and loved ones grieving over the horrific experiences. No one is ever prepared for the painful phone call telling them that their loved one has died from a drug overdose, no matter what age or who they are to them; the pain is real and life-changing. Read this personal and heartwarming story of a younger sister who lost her beloved, older brother to a drug overdose, and what she is doing now to honor his memory.

“I Lost My Brother To A Drug Overdose”

My brother always picked on me, always scared away my boyfriends, and was nice to me 20% of the time; that being said, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. I would give anything to be picked on by my older brother one more time. December 6th, 2007 was the day my life changed forever. On December 6th, at 10:39 pm, I was told that my brother’s body was found. He died of a drug overdose from heroin.

I remember the look in my mother’s eyes, I’ve never seen that look before. I walked in from dinner with my friends to find out that my big brother was gone. In 10 seconds, all of the aggravation and frustration that I had grown for him over the years had vanished as tears began falling from my eyes. There was no way it could be true, this wasn’t real.

I knew that my brother had been doing drugs and partying with his friends a lot, but he said that it was normal for college kids to do that at his age. I had no idea he was doing heroin, or that it was that bad. What made me angry is that my mother knew, but never told me. She didn’t think I could handle it, but who knew if maybe there was something I could have done to help him? This is something that I will never know, and it still drives me crazy to this day.

It’s been a long, long recovery for me and my mother as we’ve gone through many stages of grieving throughout the years since he’s passed. After 7 years, you think it would get easier, and it has, but I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover. I feel as if there is a huge part of me that is missing. Everyday something happens, and I wish I could tell him about it. Something my mother and I have learned from this experience is that although we couldn’t do anything for my brother, there are still things we can do to help others who are going through drug abuse. In our small community, we do everything we can for community outreach to let people who are dealing with substance abuse know that there is a better life for them, and that there is help. We also hold a weekly support group meeting for those who have lost a loved one to a drug overdose.

If this heartbreaking experience has taught me anything, it’s that if you know that someone you love and care about is struggling with substance abuse, don’t wait and think that it will get better. You need to act quickly and get them the help that they need, before the ultimate tragedy happens and it’s too late. If I had known that my big brother was addicted to heroin, I would have done everything I could have to help him. Unfortunately for us, it was too late, but it doesn’t have to be for you or your loved one. If you’re reading this, don’t take it lightly. You should never take addiction lightly, because it took my brother’s life and it will take someone else’s.

I hope this helped someone, or even saved someone’s life. Thank you to Recovery Society for asking me to write my story. It’s a good reminder for why I like to help people today!

Drug Overdose Prevention

As you can see, a drug overdose has a major affect on people, and that it’s not easier to recover from. Addiction and substance abuse should NOT be taken lightly, especially when there is help available to you. Addiction treatment and recovery is a process, but has saved thousands of lives all over the world. Statistically, 100 Americans a day die from a drug overdose, but this can all be prevented with one phone call. Don’t let you or your loved one become another statistic, and get the help that is needed and deserved today! If you or someone you know is struggling, call 1-866-527-5252 now for immediate assistance and to see what your treatment options are.

Related Articles: I Survived A Drug Overdose | A Mother’s View On Addiction | A Siblings’s View On Addiction