Bereaved Through Drug or Alcohol Use web version

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends As parents, probably the worst thing that can happen to us is the death of our child, whatever their age and however it came about. Our sadness is intense and can feel unbearable There can be additional layers of pain if our child died as a result of drug or alcohol use. We may have distressing recollections of their struggles. We may be heartbroken and shocked, whether they experienced a gradual decline or if their death was sudden. At the same time, other people might not have seen our child as someone who deserved compassion. We may find that our grief is not respected or is too easily dismissed by others, so that we now feel isolated in our sorrow. How we cope going forward in these circumstances is the subject of this leaflet. Note: There is a wide range of types of death that relate to the use of drink and drugs, including both legal and illegal substances. A person can die as a result of a freak accident when taking a drug for the first time, or having been poisoned during a teenage drinking game, or they may have died following years of drug use, addiction or heavy drinking. To keep things simple, the term ‘substance use’ is used throughout this leaflet to include any of these possibilities. The tragedy of substance use No parent is prepared for the death of their child. Even if we have lived for years with their unpredictable behaviour, mental health problems, and the onset of harmful addiction, their death will be a profound shock. Sometimes it comes with no warning; the police are at the door telling us something we can hardly begin to believe. Some of us may not have seen our child for months or even years. For others, our lives might have been closely entwined. Our child could have lived, and perhaps died, in our home. Bereaved through Drug or Alcohol Use