Dr. Sarah Wakeman

And he had struggled his whole life with substance use disorder and using lots of things, mostly opioids, but also alcohol and cocaine and just had had a really, really hard time. And After, I mean, years of knowing him, one day he broke down my office and shared that he'd actually been molested as a young kid.

And he had struggled his whole life with substance use disorder and using lots of things, mostly opioids, but also alcohol and cocaine and just had had a really, really hard time. And After, I mean, years of knowing him, one day he broke down my office and shared that he'd actually been molested as a young kid.

And so sometimes there is that thing that people have never felt like they could share with anyone that really is at the root of so much of what they've been dealing with.

And so sometimes there is that thing that people have never felt like they could share with anyone that really is at the root of so much of what they've been dealing with.

And like the person who whispered to you, I think the pain of keeping that inside, not only the trauma of experiencing that as a child, but then holding that secret and feeling like you somehow are damaged or that this thing inside you is there and not being able to heal it, talk about it, share it with people, I think, is just this well of pain that lives inside people.

And like the person who whispered to you, I think the pain of keeping that inside, not only the trauma of experiencing that as a child, but then holding that secret and feeling like you somehow are damaged or that this thing inside you is there and not being able to heal it, talk about it, share it with people, I think, is just this well of pain that lives inside people.

He actually passed away.

He actually passed away.

From substance use, yeah.

From substance use, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, I think a couple things. One, there are so many stories of hope that I think counterbalance that for me. So I think the other stories in my mind I carry with me and still care for and are in touch with people who are living these amazing, vibrant lives in recovery. I mean, in the U.S. alone, there's 24 million people living in recovery.

Yeah, I mean, I think a couple things. One, there are so many stories of hope that I think counterbalance that for me. So I think the other stories in my mind I carry with me and still care for and are in touch with people who are living these amazing, vibrant lives in recovery. I mean, in the U.S. alone, there's 24 million people living in recovery.

So there are these stories of people who have overcome just trauma, tragedy, hardship, and are doing awesome. They're parenting. They're working. You probably don't even know they're around you. You know, they don't tell people necessarily that they're in recovery. And getting to be sort of a part of that process with someone and

So there are these stories of people who have overcome just trauma, tragedy, hardship, and are doing awesome. They're parenting. They're working. You probably don't even know they're around you. You know, they don't tell people necessarily that they're in recovery. And getting to be sort of a part of that process with someone and

watching you know there's nothing in medicine where I can actually see as dramatic of a change as with addiction where someone can be you know in a moment where they're dealing with all of these health consequences and relationship challenges and then they get better and it's just like the most beautiful thing to be a part of and so I think the hope from that the sort of

watching you know there's nothing in medicine where I can actually see as dramatic of a change as with addiction where someone can be you know in a moment where they're dealing with all of these health consequences and relationship challenges and then they get better and it's just like the most beautiful thing to be a part of and so I think the hope from that the sort of

positivity of it is what keeps me going every day. Obviously finding ways to care for myself through that and family and connection, exercise, I run, I write, you know, you have to keep yourself whole through it all too. But I think I get tremendous purpose and mostly like a lot of hope from working with people and seeing them recover.

positivity of it is what keeps me going every day. Obviously finding ways to care for myself through that and family and connection, exercise, I run, I write, you know, you have to keep yourself whole through it all too. But I think I get tremendous purpose and mostly like a lot of hope from working with people and seeing them recover.

I think one thing is language. It's like this subtle thing. I sort of mentioned an example where you did it really well, where instead of saying someone failed treatment, you said the treatment failed them. But a lot of the language that we use with addiction actually subtly and not so subtly worsens stigma.

I think one thing is language. It's like this subtle thing. I sort of mentioned an example where you did it really well, where instead of saying someone failed treatment, you said the treatment failed them. But a lot of the language that we use with addiction actually subtly and not so subtly worsens stigma.