Flag raised in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day

On Sunday, Aug. 31, Anna Maria Iredale organized an event at the town hall in honour of the annual Overdose Awareness Day. Iredale shared her story along with some other moms with their personal stories.

By Wendy Lamond

August 31st is the annual International Overdose Awareness Day. Mayor Al Strathdee and outreach worker Jade Orquin were on hand as a moment of silence was observed and a flag was raised to remember those that we have lost to overdose.

The event was organized by Anna Maria Iredale who lost her son Matthew in 2017. She was joined by some other moms that bravely shared their stories, each with their own unique history but forever joined through grief and support.

Joe Gladding, Peer Outreach worker at CHMA, told his story of addiction and recovery and how to help people instead of keeping them down through stigma and prejudice that come with not understanding.

He suggested things like staying away from the question, “are you using again? Instead, ask them “what’s wrong, what’s going on? How can I help?” Or don’t ask anything, just listen.

Gladding said, “I encourage communities to try to grow awareness and knowledge about what this is. It is a mental health struggle. It is a health problem and a global pandemic. It always has been. Humans are not without struggle and will always find ways to cope with that struggle.”

Nobody ever chooses to be an addict. They choose to do the drugs and know about addiction but never expect to be at that point until they are there.

Gladding ended his share with “Every single person starts as a son or daughter, brother or sister, cousin or friend. We all start as babies, and we are all humans no matter what problems or successes come after that - we all start the same. The best thing we can do for each other is just to be there.”

Justin Anantawan was the musical guest and sang a very emotional song called You’re Still my Baby and finished with I Will Always Love You. Anantawan, who works with Patient Aids services, helps bring awareness about harm reduction, substance abuse, and resources for addiction. He has also collaborated with Iredale on a project called “My Child Too” for those impacted by substance-use-related harms and deaths, providing peer support to grieving families and fighting to change failed drug policies.

In speaking with some of the moms before the service started, they talked about the power of grief and said it is not something you ever get over, you just learn to live with it. It is always on your mind but if you take it one day at a time you can find a little bit of happiness again.

Iredale is now at that point. “It has been eight years. It has softened. I have joy in my life again, happiness, I keep on trying to do my best. I have moments of tears and connecting with the other moms is very helpful. It lets me gets a little bit of it out so I can have my moments and then I am ready to go out and face the world again.”

By keeping this issue at the forefront, hopefully it brings the community together with awareness and some solutions can be found to help with mental health struggles and remove the stigma on addiction.