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The Power of Addiction...and a Message of Hope

One remarkable family chose to use their daughter’s obituary as an opportunity to help save the lives of others.

By David WyldPublished 5 years ago 5 min read
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Madelyn Linsenmeir, 1988-2018

Addiction is such an important topic today. And yet, all too often, we see addiction as a problem dealt with by others—and not our own problem. However, the stark reality is that today, the sad numbers being generated by America's opioid epidemic mean that all of us are being impacted by the costs of this disease in one way or another. And far, far too many of us know—or will know—a family member, friend, classmate, or colleague who is fighting their own addiction battle or whose life is ended by the effects of the highly addictive opiate drugs commonly available—both legally and illegally—today.

The numbers are indeed staggering. And the present situation is as frightening as it is dangerous, particularly when you considerthe dangers posed by Fentanyl—a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin! According to statistics compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NDIA), each and every day, 115 Americans die from an overdose of some form of opiate drug. In fact, the total number of drug overdose deaths in the US spiked to over 72,000 in 2017, with almost 50,000 of these individuals falling victim to an opioid overdose. Last year alone, illicit Fentanyl was deemed the cause of death for 29,406 Americans. This represents a more than 50 percent increase when compared to the year before (2016) (Source: Overdose Death Rates: Revised August 2018)! Many more overdose and are lucky enough to survive. However, all told, researchers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, which includes the costs of healthcare, addiction treatment, lost productivity, and criminal justice involvement associated with just this form of addiction.

It is all too easy to get lost in the big picture of all of this. When reduced to charts and graphs, the troubling—and in many cases mind-boggling—statistics of the opioid crisis become that—just numbers. It is almost easier to be focused on the big public policy and public health issues arising from the opioid epidemic and to forget about the very personal toll that these drugs take on individuals and their families and friends.

And yet, behind every overdose death there is a story—a very real person. All too often, these are just names and faces of those gone too soon that pop-up in our social media feeds or that we see in our local newspaper. However, every one of these individuals who succumb to this deadly addiction have a story to tell through their life—and their death. And yet, most go silently into the night, with their family feeling many emotions, including those of shame and regret in many instances.

One of these stories belongs to a young woman and young mother, Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir, who indeed died earlier this month (October 2018). I only learned of her story the way that most of us middle-aged Americans get our news todayboth real and #fakenewsthrough scrolling Facebook. My Facebook friend, ESPN's Sarah Spain, shared Madely's obituary with her followers, commenting:

"Man is this devastating. And honest and understanding and important. I don’t know how but we need to find ways to better stop people from ever getting started. Too many of these losses. Her poor family and friends and son."

Sarah's heartfelt comment prompted me to click on the link to read Madelyn's obituary, and I was so glad that I did. This is simply the most powerful obituary you will likely ever, ever read! Please do take the time to click on the link below and actually read the tribute that the family wrote in their moment of personal anguish for Madelyn Linsenmeir:

Obituary: Madelyn Linsenmeir, 1988-2018

When you do read this young woman's story, you will see that her family took the opportunity of her death to write something that will hopefully help save the lives of others. And so my "ask" is that you share this article and her wonderful obituary. In doing so, you can help make Madelyn's story and her family's message go viral and accomplish what her loving family desires in their grief—to make Madelyn Linsenmeir's all-too-brief life have an even more telling impact in helping others overcome addiction....

Having lost my own father earlier this year, I know just how difficult it is to put the right words together at the end of a loved one's life. I can only imagine how difficult this task is when the loss is your own child and it comes unexpectedly. And so I can only look with wonder at the strength it took for those who loved Madelyn to muster the courage to take the sad occasion of her death as an opportunity to try to reach out to thousandsmaybe millionsof individuals who themselves struggle with addiction to opiates and the many more who have to deal with these wounded, troubled individuals within their families and in their circle of friends.

To me, this is simple a "Wow!" act of humanity! And it would be only fitting and proper as a tribute to Madelyn and to the family that loved her if this article prompts you to share her story more widely, so that her life—and her death—will have an impact far beyond the Vermont community in which she lived—and died so young! RIP Madelyn—and blessings and comfort to your family and to your young son.

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Need help with substance abuse or mental health issues? In the U.S., call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the following link: http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help.

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About the Creator

David Wyld

Professor, Consultant, Doer. Founder/Publisher of The IDEA Publishing (http://www.theideapublishing.com/) & Modern Business Press (http://www.modernbusinesspress.com)

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