Addiction isn’t just something that happens to someone else. Fentanyl is not a distant problem in a faraway place. It happens here, where you live, to people you care about. It can happen to your brother, your sister, your cousin, your friend, your neighbor, your mom, your dad, your son, your daughter — and it can happen to you.
Addiction can happen quickly. It’s a disease that carries those afflicted down a dark road of secrets and shame, and potentially far, far worse. The cost to our families, neighborhoods, and communities is devastating, pervasive, and persistent.
There is a way to stop it.
Stop ignoring it.
Let’s talk.
“Everyone is so afraid to talk about [fentanyl]. It’s an embarrassment to them,” says Brian Kiernan, of Henryville, Pennsylvania. “I’d rather be embarrassed and have my son back.”
Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful, addictive, potentially deadly opioid painkiller that can be found in medicine cabinets with prescriptions, and — unknowingly — in counterfeit pills or lacing illicit drugs. However it starts, addiction can grab any user.
“Anyone can become an addict. It doesn’t matter — your job, your position in life — addiction can happen to anyone,” says Nicole Vanblarcom, of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, a recovering addict. Like Brian, she’s sharing her story as a WeFightFentanyl Community Hero.
They’re talking about it.
Are you?
It’s easy to isolate away and insulate ourselves with stigmas and denial. It’s difficult to speak openly about personal struggles and pain. It’s courageous to share these stories in the hopes that others may avoid similar fates.
For Brian, it’s about knowing the warning signs: “Pay attention to your children’s behavior. If somebody is addicted to something, they’re the best actor. They do everything in their power to hide what they’re doing. …
“If you feel you’ve reached the last straw with your child for whatever reason, don’t give up,” he says. “Call the associations. Call your doctor. Never give up on your child, because you can’t replace them — you can’t get them back.”
For Nicole, it’s about spreading hope, choosing recovery over addiction.
“Recovery has given me a life I never could’ve imagined. I’m a productive member of society,” she says.
“I regret being addicted, but it’s part of my story. And one day, I can help somebody with my story to get clean and stay clean.”
Will you help someone with your story? Will you listen to those who share?
Join us at WeFightFentanyl.org/Community-Heroes.
Let’s talk.
