Dr. Sarah Wakeman

And that gets at stigma, which is one of the main reasons that people don't share that they're struggling with substances, that they don't seek treatment. And so we have tremendous stigma towards drug and alcohol addiction. It's one of the most stigmatized kind of social conditions globally.

And that gets at stigma, which is one of the main reasons that people don't share that they're struggling with substances, that they don't seek treatment. And so we have tremendous stigma towards drug and alcohol addiction. It's one of the most stigmatized kind of social conditions globally.

And so, of course, then if you're a person who starts to think like, oh, maybe I do have a problem, like maybe my alcohol use is getting in the way of things, it's really hard to then say anything because you worry that you're going to be judged, you're going to be labeled, you're going to be misunderstood. In some cases, terrible things could happen to you.

And so, of course, then if you're a person who starts to think like, oh, maybe I do have a problem, like maybe my alcohol use is getting in the way of things, it's really hard to then say anything because you worry that you're going to be judged, you're going to be labeled, you're going to be misunderstood. In some cases, terrible things could happen to you.

You might get your children taken away by, you know, child welfare. You could lose your housing or lose your job. And so that stigma has like played into this terrible cycle where people, you know, have to whisper it to someone. It shows how much he trusted you to even be able to say honestly what he was going through because there's so much stigma about the condition itself.

You might get your children taken away by, you know, child welfare. You could lose your housing or lose your job. And so that stigma has like played into this terrible cycle where people, you know, have to whisper it to someone. It shows how much he trusted you to even be able to say honestly what he was going through because there's so much stigma about the condition itself.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, goodness. So many. Yeah. You know, so one gentleman in particular, he was, struggled with heroin addiction for a long time and had been, like we talked about, had been kind of a chronic illness for him. He'd had periods where he'd done really well. He'd had periods where he had struggled and had always stayed safe through all of that.

Oh, goodness. So many. Yeah. You know, so one gentleman in particular, he was, struggled with heroin addiction for a long time and had been, like we talked about, had been kind of a chronic illness for him. He'd had periods where he'd done really well. He'd had periods where he had struggled and had always stayed safe through all of that.

And he actually, his like one really meaningful relationship in his life that kind of kept him together was a relationship with his mom and he lived with her. And he And they lived in public housing. They were dealing with economic insecurity like many people. And someone found out that he was staying with her and it would have put her at risk for her housing.

And he actually, his like one really meaningful relationship in his life that kind of kept him together was a relationship with his mom and he lived with her. And he And they lived in public housing. They were dealing with economic insecurity like many people. And someone found out that he was staying with her and it would have put her at risk for her housing.

And so he didn't want her to lose her housing. So he left, but he was newly homeless. And all of a sudden, because of just social barriers, was dealing with the stress of homelessness and being alone. And even with kind of all of the connection he'd had with his mom and With treatment, he was found dead between two parked cars and overdosed alone in the street.

And so he didn't want her to lose her housing. So he left, but he was newly homeless. And all of a sudden, because of just social barriers, was dealing with the stress of homelessness and being alone. And even with kind of all of the connection he'd had with his mom and With treatment, he was found dead between two parked cars and overdosed alone in the street.

And I always think, like, if... And you knew him. Oh, yeah. The cascading effects that, you know, that it didn't have to be that way. And I think there are so many deaths like that where I just think it doesn't have to be like this. You know, really no one should die like this. And... And there are so many things that, you know, in the moment feel so out of our control.

And I always think, like, if... And you knew him. Oh, yeah. The cascading effects that, you know, that it didn't have to be that way. And I think there are so many deaths like that where I just think it doesn't have to be like this. You know, really no one should die like this. And... And there are so many things that, you know, in the moment feel so out of our control.

And I think that's part of what generates my passion for this work is I can't always save the person in front of me or change issues around homelessness or housing policy. But I can try to work on a broader scale to make things different for the next person. And I think that kind of that for me counteracts some of the distress of losing people that I care about.

And I think that's part of what generates my passion for this work is I can't always save the person in front of me or change issues around homelessness or housing policy. But I can try to work on a broader scale to make things different for the next person. And I think that kind of that for me counteracts some of the distress of losing people that I care about.

Yeah. I mean, starting upstream, the biggest thing would be building resilience and building connection early on. So, you know, I think these things that feel so not related to addiction per se are actually deeply related when we think about adverse childhood experiences.

Yeah. I mean, starting upstream, the biggest thing would be building resilience and building connection early on. So, you know, I think these things that feel so not related to addiction per se are actually deeply related when we think about adverse childhood experiences.