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The Nightmare of Who My Dad Was

The Nightmare of Who My Dad Was

I had a nightmare last night of who my dad really was, and knowing that I’ll never have time with him again broke my heart this morning.

When I think of the man my dad was I think of an intelligent, gentle, kind, and caring dad. He was so organized, clean, and down to earth. He couldn’t stand a speck of dirt on his white shoes. He spoke with sweetness and curiosity. Because of the disease he…

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Shatterproof Boston 5k Rise Up Against Addiction

Shatterproof Boston 5k Rise Up Against Addiction

Today I was able to participate in the Shatterproof 5k in Boston to rise up against addiction. The event was special in every single way. I began volunteering with Shatterproof as an ambassador a month after my dad passed away. I wanted to find a nonprofit that I could learn from, meet others who have gone through what I have, and most importantly that I believed in their cause. Shatterproof name…

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Health Care Policy Change for Opioid Addiction

Health Care Policy Change for Opioid Addiction

My dad overdosed and was brought to the hospital 6 times before his fatal visit. I must’ve spent over 30 hrs in total on the phone with nurses, doctors, but primarily case workers. The calls with doctors and nurses were often cut short. Because of policies put into place to protect peoples privacy, anything I wanted to find out about my dad was denied. Me providing information on my dads history…

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Inspired: Letter to Kanye West

Inspired: Letter to Kanye West

I wrote an email to Kanye West and I’m not sure he’ll ever read it. When I get inspired by someone, no matter how famous or not they are, I have to write to them. I feel the burning in my heart and the passion. I know they may never read it, but I have to put it out there just in case. I’ve never had luck with reaching back, not surprisingly, but that’s okay! I got it out on paper, or the screen,…

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September 2018 Opioid Addiction Research + News

September 2018 Opioid Addiction Research + News

A new series that I am starting! I subscribe to news and updates on opioid addiction research and events and I’ll be using my blog to share that with my readers as well. I’ll only publish one per month but each month I’ll update the post with new articles and events. I will keep this as unbiased as possible while summarizing the articles. Rising Hope is a safe place for discussions and talking…

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Resuscitation

A poem by Leanna Olbinsky

Fall to the ground

Heart beat slow

Vision white

Reaching for a hand

From god or something

It isn’t here this time

Scared

Begging for one last call

What would be said

decay and weakness

Finally taking over

A strong mind

deteriorated

What would you do if you knew

One chance too many

One last breath

free from the demons

Released from the pain

Absence

My daughter will feel

W…

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Facebook cracks down on Opioids Sold on its Platform

Facebook cracks down on Opioids Sold on its Platform

TechCrunch has released an article, “Facebook cracks down on Opioid dealers after years of neglect.” Recent information from the Center for Disease Control, Facebook plays a role in the opioid crisis.  Xanax, OxyContin and other painkillers are often bought online, with dealers promoting themselves on social media including Facebook.

    SUMMARY + DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Drug dealers were using…

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7 Stages of Addiction Grieving: Opioid and heroin death grieving

7 Stages of Addiction Grieving: Opioid and heroin death grieving

How can we handle the death of a loved one that has passed away from opioid or heroin or any drug addiction?

The truth is it’s almost impossible because unfortunately, we’ve been watching our loved one die repeatedly probably for years.

Common are the 7 stages of grieving but due to our frequent grieving of the spirit gone, addiction redefines our steps for grieving. Below are the steps of…

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Demi Lovato's Addiction

Demi Lovato's Addiction and Relapse

There’s not a word strong enough that can describe the shame of a relapse.

  After my dad would overdose, all I wanted to do was call him and act like it never happened and that’s what I did. You just can’t ask why. No matter how badly we want to know the reason why- to be in the head of someone struggling with addiction and control…

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Bruno Mars Concert Tickets

Bruno Mars Concert Tickets

My dads last wish before he passed was to go to the Bruno Mars concert.

Now I have a chance to give the experience to another family and I want to make it happen for the Bruno Mars September 27th, 2018 Boston 24k Magic World Tour. I’ll be giving away tickets to a deserving family.

My dad called me on October 6th. “It’s my bucket…

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Success for the Sake of Success

Success for the Sake of Success

If someone told you that climbing to the top of a mountain would bring you success, what would you do when you got to the top?

The excitement that getting to the top of the mountain fuels you up. Everyone just knows that the top of the mountain is the greatest you can ever feel, but only so many people make it to the top. So your whole life you go on each day taking the right steps to get there.

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Family Problems Affect Confidence

Family Problems Affect Confidence

As a lady with a broken family, I really understand feeling fragile and broken and like you’re starting from a broken foundation. Confidence can feel extremely distant when you’re support system is either not present or harming who you are trying to be.

Family problems can result in a confusion of who you really are, what your purpose and place in life are, and the fears of not being strong…

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Self Reflection and the Problem with Social Media

Self Reflection and the Problem with Social Media

There’s a problem with how many people we think radiate confidence on social media but we find out that they are in fact depressed and have fluctuating opinions on their self-confidence.

With Instagram, I see it all the time. I’ll talk with someone and they’ll put themselves down. It’s frightening to hear amazing people talk so negatively about themselves. But what’s interesting is that the same…

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Handling Negativity

The only negativity we have in our lives we create.

I can say that for certain because I have been positive for my whole life. Optimistic, with the ability to take any advice, insult, or negativity and overpower it with a smile and a genuine desire to see past the bad and look for the good.

But for the past year, I’ve seen the other side.

I began shifting towards feeding my insecurities instead…

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Collateral Beauty | The Void

Collateral Beauty | The Void

When visiting my dad at the cemetery, I got lost. I had been there for 20 minutes, trecking through the snow in sneakers, frantically searching for my dad. It felt horrible. A parallel for the past two years.

I asked someone who was going for a run. After giving instructions, I began sobbing out of nowhere. The kind man asked who I was visiting. I explained it was my dads birthday. He pointed to…

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Collateral Beauty | California Friend

Collateral Beauty | California Friend

  I called a Lyft to pick me up at my apartment on March 23rd. We started chatting and he told me that he was here from California. As any New Englander would do, we joked about why anyone would move here from California with this kind of weather (even though we all know why… we’re the best.) My Lyft driver said quietly, “My sister has cancer.”

Suddenly my vulnerable heart and his connected in…