“Why Can’t This Just Be A Dream?”

Recently I received one of the most compelling emails I have ever received.  The subject line was, “Why Can’t This Just Be A Dream?”  Moved beyond words by the writer’s genuine expression of emotion, candor and clarity, it was written by a man whose fiancée, a nurse, had died of an overdose shortly before her 36^th birthday.  The man described how his betrothed was a very responsible, kind, loving and caring woman who was the antithesis of reckless or wild.  Shy and withdrawn, she lived a quiet life which ended abruptly with an overdose in the staff bathroom of the intensive care unit where she worked.

Not at all savvy to the signs of possible addiction, this man was unaware of his fiancée’s drug use.  He wrote of the subtlety of what was visible to him; of his naiveté and inability to put together a clear, concise picture of what was actually happening.

What he brings to the fore for all of us is the immense shock, sadness, and utter disbelief that no one in the ICU where his fiancée worked recognized a problem and that the supply of potent narcotics was not more secure. The questions he asks, which have been echoed by others before him, are somewhat rhetorical, yet nonetheless legitimate:  “How many have to die?  How many have to suffer?  When will the industry wake up and address the problem?”  He concluded with the words, “Her death cannot be in vain.” 

While this may at first blush appear to be off-topic for an addiction recovery blog, I believe it is quite germane and actually on-point.  The piece portrays that some people regrettably pay dearly, with their very lives, at the hands of addiction.  By profiling the perspective of the loved ones left behind, it underscores the significance of effective interventions that can save lives.

Countless times the true story of former First-Lady, Betty Ford’s recovery has been told.  Indeed, her phenomenally successful overcoming of addiction began after a professionally led intervention, which included several key people in her life, led her to accept extensive treatment for addiction.  Yet it is equally important to understand that, prior to the successful intervention achieved the desired result, there was a similar, single-handed attempt made by her daughter; a one-on-one confrontation which resulted in the daughter being summarily thrown out of the White House.

To facilitate the noble intent of the man who courageously wrote, “Why Can’t This Just Be A Dream,” which was to prevent tragedies similar to the one he experienced, there will be further discussion next week on the subject of effective substance use disorder interventions.

Paula