Staying alive is the first step to recovery.
Let’s talk about something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable — but needs to be said: I say this not to shock or scare you, but to wake us up. Because far too many families are being guided by outdated, fear-based advice that frames love as silence, shame, or disconnection. “Tough love” has become a phrase we throw around, often without knowing what it really means. And for some families, that “tough love” ends in tragedy.
Here’s the truth: harm reduction isn’t enabling, it’s lifesaving.
It’s not about condoning drug use. It’s not about ignoring the pain, fear, or consequences that addiction brings into a home. It’s about education, compassion, and keeping people alive long enough to choose recovery.
As a parent who has walked this painful path, I understand the desperation, the confusion, and the urge to find something that works. But I’ve also seen firsthand how harm reduction saves lives, not just through tools like Narcan and fentanyl test strips, but through a shift in mindset.
When we lead with education instead of punishment, with support instead of shame, and with boundaries that protect life instead of pushing people further away, we keep the door open. And that door? That’s where recovery walks in.
We need to understand the difference between helping and hurting, between holding space and shutting someone out, and most of all, between letting go and losing them forever.