When Lauren lost her brother to a substance use disorder, her perspective on addiction changed.
Lauren grew up in a family affected by substance use disorder (SUD), and for a long time, she held stigmas about addiction, like many Kentuckians for whom SUD is a part of their personal stories. “I did not understand anything about addiction, or the brain, or why people just couldn’t stop,” Lauren says.
Then, in 2011, she lost her brother to an SUD, and over time, her understanding changed. “Addiction is a disease. You don’t get shamed if you have diabetes or a heart condition; if you have surgery, people come over with a casserole to help you heal. But individuals going through addiction don’t have that same welcoming.”
Today, Lauren works in the harm reduction field, serving individuals who face the shame and the stigma of SUD and opioid use disorder (OUD) every day. “There’s nothing that I can do to bring my brother back. But I can change the way I interact with individuals like him.”