It’s International Overdose Awareness Day and I’m thinking of this guy.
A few months after this pic was taken, he survived an OD. Probably not too surprising, because, let’s be honest, he’s not looking so hot.
From the perspective of today, of hindsight’s 2020, over 12 years later, this guy was a lot of things I’m not proud of. Immature, impulsive, selfish, pessimistic, uncaring. But he was also confused, lonely, depressed, lost, misguided.
To be honest, in those moments, I always thought the slogan #itgetsbetter was a bunch of bs. Even though it came true for me, for too many in this world, it is. Our society doesn’t care about so many people. It’s set up to help the few, people like me, those it views the exception to the rule.
I was lucky. I had a bunch of factors going for me that , when I survived my OD, made it possible for me to recover.
To not only get a second chance in a world where too many don’t even get a first, but to use that second chance and thrive.
I worked hard to grow from that guy to the guy who can stand up today and talk about my experience, and acknowledging my privilege doesn’t diminish that. But I could never be the guy I am today, the guy in that second pic standing beside the always inspirational Sarah Laurel, if I didn’t acknowledge my own biases, my own prejudice.
So this International Overdose Awareness Day, I’m asking you to do some self reflection. What kind of hate are you carrying about people in my community? When someone says “drug user” or “addict” or, shudder, “junkie”, where does your brain go?
We can’t make real change if we only examine the external and ignore our selves.
Because this is what an overdose survivor looks like. We look just like you.
