Developing Peer Support for Adults Bereaved Through Substance Use

Abstract

The impacts of a bereavement through substance use are many and profound and include guilt, loneliness, stigma, and mixed responses from professionals and others. It seems that those who are bereaved in this way have a particular and unique experience of grief, which many feel is disenfranchised. Support needs to be credible as well as effective, yet up until now little specialist help has been available. In particular, help from a peer who has been there brings authenticity, can lead to the sense of a safe space where those bereaved feel listened to in an empathic manner, and permit the expression of grief which is often disenfranchised. The article is structured around the experiences of someone bereaved through alcohol use who went on to volunteer for a peer support project. Her powerful testimony articulates the wider findings of two recent United Kingdom projects (one includes the peer support project) conducted by the authors.

The relationship between posttraumatic growth and forgiveness following the drug‐related death of a loved one

“…Furthermore, the relationships between dimensions of forgiveness (e.g., self, situational, and other) and PTG were yet to be explored (Martinčeková & Klatt, 2017). Because feelings of guilt and shame associated with a perceived failure to prevent an overdose‐related death of a loved one is a common narrative for survivors (Guy, 2004; da Silva et al., 2011; Standing et al., 2019; Templeton et al., 2017), it is imperative that the counseling profession investigate the relationship between PTG and forgiveness among individuals bereaved by a DRD to develop a deeper understanding on how to support those who are forced to navigate such a complex experience.…”

“…In a qualitative study, da Silva et al (2007) found that the families who lacked knowledge about the addiction prior to the death experienced feelings of anger, guilt, helplessness, and shame for not being able to have prevented the death. Family members may also experience disillusionment as they recognize incongruence between their original perception of their loved one and the reality of the nature of their loved one's addiction (Standing et al, 2019).…”

Post-Traumatic Growth After the Drug-Related Death of a Loved One: Understanding the Influence of Self-Compassion and Hope

“…Stigma associated with DRDs can perpetuate feelings of shame and guilt for the bereaved (Feigelman et al, 2011; Templeton et al, 2017; Valentine et al, 2016). This shame and guilt can deter individuals from seeking out support from others (e.g., other family members, friends, peers, support groups, medical care providers), which can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation (Standing et al, 2019).…”

“…Family members may assume responsibility for the death and believe that they somehow “failed the deceased” (p. 277), preventing them from extending care and kindness towards themselves. As suggested, given the potentially isolating experience that can occur following a DRD (Standing et al, 2019), family members and other loved ones may perceive that their experience sets them apart from others, preventing a sentiment of shared understanding with others who have undergone a similar experience.…”

“Once you open that door, it’s a floodgate”: Exploring work-related grief among community service workers providing care for structurally vulnerable populations at the end of life through participatory action research

“…coalesce to create patterned experiences of grief and distress at the community and population level. [7][8][9][10] Viewed through an equity lens, research demonstrates that the disproportionate burden of disease and negative health outcomes among populations experiencing deficits in the social determinants of health (e.g. income, food security, housing, etc.)…”