Pam Lanhart's son Jake died of a fentanyl drug overdose in 2021. They point to grim statistics- including a near-tripling of overdose deaths in Minnesota over the four-year period ending in 2021 - as evidence that the old approach is failing to save lives. More than 3,000 people have joined workshops and family support groups led by Lanhart's nonprofit, Thrive Family Recovery Services, which has gained a passionate following among parents seeking ways to maintain contact with children in recovery or still using. They have abandoned the idea that people addicted to drugs need tough love and harsh consequences, and instead have embraced a strategy of empathy, love and unconditional support. Lanhart has turned her grief into activism, and now stands at the forefront of a movement that challenges long-held views about how family members should respond to the opioid epidemic. "I could breathe again."Īt the center of the circle was Pamela Lanhart, a family recovery coach who lost her 24-year-old son Jacob to a drug overdose in the fall of 2021. "It felt like I had come home to a safe place, like landing on a soft cloud," said the grieving mother, Deirdre Johnson, of Savage. All had children who were in the throes of addiction or recovery, or who had loved ones who had died from substance abuse. One by one, about 20 parents listening to Serena's beating heart rose from their chairs and gathered at the center of the room, where they enveloped the grieving mother in a large embrace and spoke words of support. You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.In a church basement on the southern edge of the Twin Cities area, a teary-eyed mother held her smartphone in the air and played a recording of her daughter Serena's final heartbeats before a drug overdose killed her at age 23. Whichever way you choose to share, don’t forget to leave a note in the comments so we can find you. Include the hashtag #2022wotylinkparty so that we can find you and include your link in our posts. How: You can share in the comments, with a blog post, or on other social media of your choice. Where: Link Party, Blog, Blog Comments, Instagram or other Social Media. Why: To encourage us all to keep the focus on our chosen WOTY. The link will be open for 3 days so you’ve got plenty of time to join. When: Last Thursday of the month PM (Northern Hemisphere)/ Last Friday of the month AM (Southern Hemisphere). What: 2022 Word of the Year Link Party #2022wotylinkparty This year I’m joining my lovely friends and co-hosts, Donna, Jo and Sue, to provide a link party for anyone who also wants to write a monthly update to help keep the focus on their WOTY. Sue’s post is here – Being Back on Track with a Healthy Lifestyle.Donna’s post is here – There’s No Peace Like Home.Thanks for stopping by and I always enjoy hearing from you □ In early January I announced my WOTY GIFT for 2022.January I was just getting started with the Gift of GivingI.In February I celebrated Gifts in all shapes and sizes.March had me asking the question ‘ Is it even a Gift if you buy it yourself?’.April had me enjoying Gifts that keep on giving.May was all about the Gift of daughters and birthdays.In July I shared the Gift of Health before heading off for a month overseas (and I took a blogging break).It’s been a great way to look for the GIFTS in the everyday with my WOTY this year: I loved the feeling of freedom, being away from normal routine, being loved and the joy shone from my face in almost every photo I had taken – it wasn’t a fake kind of joy believe me!!ĭebbie, Melanie and Dottie My Gifts so far this year If you saw my daily Instagram and Facebook posts during that time, I’m sure you’d agree I was ebullient, excited, ecstatic and exuberant. I was literally fizzing! It was pure enjoyment from start to finish. Did you see this series?Į – Effervescent is a great word to describe how I felt while I was away on holidays during August. Hopefully they can stay in touch with each other and keep their friendships alive. The one thing I felt deeply was sadness, that both the teenagers and older people were so lonely but through participating in the show they found joy and happiness. It was lovely, heartwarming, and emotional – it made me sad and it made me happy at various stages. The show’s premise is: In a compelling new intergenerational experiment, older adults are brought together with teenagers to see if the power of this intergenerational program can transform the lives of older people and teenagers amid an epidemic of loneliness. V – Lately I have loved viewing Old People’s Home for Teenagers on ABC TV.
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