Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic
173 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 59 ratingsAngela Kennecke is a journalist who lost her 21-year-old daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning on May 16, 2018. Angela is "grieving out loud" to try to put an end to this epidemic by stopping the stigma and promoting the treatment of substance use disorder as the disease it is. Anyone coping with loss and looking for inspiration can benefit from listening to this podcast.
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Episodes
How Grieving, Angry Mothers are Changing the World
March 09, 2020 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBShortly after the death of her daughter, Emily, Angela Kennecke got an email from Fiona Cullinan Firine. Fiona had lost her son Cameron to fentanyl poisoning just a couple of months before Emily died. She was discouraged by the lack of criminal prosecution against the dealer who supplied Cameron with what looked like and Oxycontin pill. Fiona wrote Angela out of frustration and Angela encouraged her to fight for her son and find other parents who had also lost children in this way. It turned...
Fake Prescription Drugs Laced with Deadly Fentanyl
February 17, 2020 02:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBAccording to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fake prescription pills are flooding the market in the United States. They look exactly like the real thing, but often contain the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. In this episode, Angela Kennecke talks with DEA Agent Travis Ocken about the problem and his advice for parents in dealing with drug issues that are killing tens-of-thousands of mostly young people every year. The DEA paints a frightening picture of the hold drug cartels have on t...
The "Poster Child" of Recovery Relapsed and Died
February 07, 2020 03:00 - 38 minutes - 26.1 MB"Grief is untamed," Ryan Blomberg's mother Denise said. Ryan died of fentanyl poisoning at age 26. Ryan was gifted in music and with languages. After a battle with heroin use, Ryan found long-term recovery. Only after the overdose deaths of two friends, Ryan relapsed and died. His mother shares his story and what she learned during his recovery and how she is coping with the loss of her son. Ironically, Angela spoke with Denise about Ryan's overdose death for the first time, on the day Emily...
Daughter writes book on mother's public struggle with addiction
January 07, 2020 00:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBAlexa Giebink's memoir Phoenix: Rising From Addiction is the true story of a family who battled their way out of the fires of addiction and rose together, stronger from the ashes. Mary Ann Giebink was a successful attorney who lost her career and her reputation because of alcoholism and depression. When her daughter, Alexa, was a junior in high school, her mother was sentenced to prison. Alexa explains how her world view has been shaped by having a parent who suffers from substance use disor...
Wife, Mother & Heroin Addict Shares her Overdose Story before Serving her Prison Sentence
December 09, 2019 01:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBJessica Pfau has battled opioid and alcohol addiction ever since her 2011 gastric bypass surgery. Jessica has made several attempts at recovery and blown all the chances given to her by the legal system. After overdosing on heroin laced with fentanyl in March, and surviving, Jessica must now say goodbye to her three-year-old son and serve her time. She's giving us an inside look at the mind of an addict and why "they just don't quit." You can watch Jessica's story here. Support the show ...
SD Governor Gets Personal on Battling Addiction
December 03, 2019 01:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBSouth Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Angela Kennecke have a conversation about the personal toll addiction takes on families; whether or not South Dakota's new anti-meth campaign can be effective, despite the ridicule; and how the State plans to make more treatment available to people. Take this link for more information on SD's new controversial anti-meth campaign. Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blog, just go to our website, Emilyshope.charity Wishing you faith...
The Barriers and Challenges to Addiction Treatment
November 11, 2019 02:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBRimrock in one of the largest treatment centers in Montana, serving adults and adolescents with substance use and co-occurring disorders. Rimrock views addiction as a whole person illness affecting an individual’s emotional, physical, spiritual and social well-being. Angela Kennecke was recently the keynote speaker at the Montana 2019 Symposium – The Future of Addiction Medicine: Advances in Mental Health & Addiction Treatment. She sat down with Rimrock CEO Lenette Kosovich to talk about how...
Author Interview: "And Then, We Laughed: A Memoir of Hope & Healing"
October 14, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBThe author of the book, And Then, We Laughed: A Memoir of Hope & Healing, shares the trauma that plagued her childhood and resulted in her own alcoholism. Delaine Shay's family struggled to come to terms with the fact that her father accidentally ran over and killed her brother. After decades of drinking, Shay eventually chose recovery and now has a mission to help others find their way to healing. Shay is now part of Faith Communities Facing Addiction, a group of churches working to bring ...
Author Interview: "And Then, We Laughed: A Memoir of Hope & Healing"
October 14, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBThe author of the book, And Then, We Laughed: A Memoir of Hope & Healing, shares the trauma that plagued her childhood and resulted in her own alcoholism. Delaine Shay's family struggled to come to terms with the fact that her father accidentally ran over and killed her brother. After decades of drinking, Shay eventually chose recovery and now has a mission to help others find their way to healing. Shay is now part of Faith Communities Facing Addiction, a group of churches working to bring ...
Founder of Power for Abundant Recovery
September 29, 2019 22:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBMark McManus started Power for Abundant Recovery Ministries. McManus took his first drink at age 11 and has battled alcoholism. While he has been in recovery for decades, he also faced addiction as a parent of two sons, who have struggled with similar issues. In this podcast, McManus shares his insights into addiction and why he started a faith-based recovery organization out of Montana. PAR is now spreading nationwide. Learn more about Power for Abundant Recovery, Support the show For mo...
An Interview with the Interventionist
September 23, 2019 00:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBIn this episode, Mary Ann Giebink tells her story of addiction and the turmoil it caused in her life. This once successful attorney eventually ended up in prison. But for nearly a decade, she has worked on her own recovery and is now helping others get into treatment. Giebink is an ARISE* Interventionist. Giebink uses her legal knowledge and personal experience with addiction to conduct interventions with families. To learn more about Mary Ann's work visit Addiction Solution 605. Support t...
Moms Turning Heartbreak into Action
September 16, 2019 01:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBIn this episode, Angela Kennecke talks with fellow mother, Barb Olson. Barb lost her daughter, Caitlyn "Cat" in 2018 in a horrific car crash. Olson has started a non-profit to carry on her daughter's legacy and love for reading and education. Both Angela and Barb discuss dealing with grief, the unfairness of the justice system and channeling their grief into charity work. You can find out more about the "Live Like Cat Foundation" by taking this link. Support the show For more episodes and...
Broken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We Grieve
September 01, 2019 22:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBIn this episode Dr. Mark VandeBraak, a a board certified music therapist and thanatologist (grief educator) talks about the symptoms of a broken heart after someone we love dies. He shares four ways that grief affects us and gives us tools for coping with significant loss. As a music therapist, Dr. VandeBraak leads daily music groups for all behavioral health inpatients. He facilitates grief education support groups for adults and groups specifically for those experiencing child and infant ...
What Two Mothers Have Learned Following the Deaths of their Daughters
July 16, 2019 04:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBMothers Angela Kennecke and Celia Farmer are now part of a club that no one wants to join. Celia lost her 14-year-old daughter, Mali, to suicide. Angela and Celia share how they have coped and what has helped them, as well as what has not. Both agree that reaching outside of themselves to help others is among one of the most healing things they have done. They share their reflections on this journey through grief in this podcast. Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blo...
"The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know"
July 06, 2019 04:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBIn this episode, we hear from Dr. Joshua Sharfstein from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has co-authored a book with his wife, Dr. Yngvild Olsen, titled "The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know." Dr.. Sharfstein discusses the causes and ineffective methods now used to address substance use disorder, along with best practices to end this public health crisis. For more on the book, click here! Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blog, just go...
Father Loses His Only Two Children to Overdose
June 24, 2019 03:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBIn Episode 7, Steve Grant shares the story of losing both his sons, his only two children, to overdose. Chris and Kelly died five years apart, but both succumbed to substance use disorder. Steve's ordeal is unimaginable, but somehow he has managed to create a new life for himself. He found healing through giving back and helping others. He started Chris and Kelly's HOPE Foundation and has financially assisted countless other non-profits in the work they do to get and keep young people health...
Addiction is a Disease
June 12, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBIn this episode of "Grieving Out Loud" Angela Kennecke interviews Psychiatrist, Dr. Matt Stanley, the Medical Director of the new Avera Addiction Care Center opening in October of 2019. Dr. Stanley explains addiction as a disease, discusses the long-held stigma around it and the response of the medical community. He also addresses new ways of viewing how people should get help and how long it takes brain function of a substance abuser to return to normal. Support the show For more episode...
"The Rebeccas:" Two Women in Recovery Determined to Help Others
June 02, 2019 18:00 - 36 minutes - 16.8 MBTwo women, both named Rebecca, have each been in recovery from methamphetamine addiction for more than a decade. Now they are determined to give back and open a series of sober living homes to help others recover in their community. To find out more and how to help with the Oxford House Sober Living Homes contact: [email protected] Click here for more on Emily's Hope! Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blog, just go to our website, Emilyshope.charity W...
Loving My Son Through Heroin Addiction
May 20, 2019 18:00 - 48 minutes - 22.2 MBIn this episode of "Grieving Out Loud," Angela Kennecke interviews mother Sara Crosby. Sara has three children; two of them are twin boys. One of her twins developed substance use disorder, which started in his teen years, but intensified after he went away to college. Sara is a trained social worker, but nothing could have prepared her for the treacherous journey of her son's addiction. Sara has gained deep insight into dealing with a child who is abusing substances and shares what she's le...
Emily's Friends Overdose
May 13, 2019 02:00 - 9 minutes - 4.44 MBIn this episode of "Grieving Out Loud," Angela Kennecke shares how two of Emily's friends recently overdosed and lived after getting Narcan. From their frantic parents, to the confusion over how to get help, it's an eye-opening podcast on the powerful hold the opioid epidemic has on young people. For more information and how to get help go to our Emily's Hope Website Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blog, just go to our website, Emilyshope.charity Wishing you faith...
The Tornado: An Interview with Melissa Flynn about Stepson's Overdose
April 15, 2019 03:00 - 21 minutes - 10.1 MBIn this episode of "Grieving Out Loud," mother Melissa Flynn talks about losing her 25-year-old stepson Nicholas to a fentanyl overdose. Melissa and Angela talk about their frustration in trying to get their children help and what they have learned during this difficult journey that may be of help to other parents. Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blog, just go to our website, Emilyshope.charity Wishing you faith, hope and courage! Podcast producers: Casey Wonnen...
The Tornado: An Interview with Melissa Flynn about Stepson's Overdose
April 15, 2019 03:00 - 21 minutes - 10.1 MBIn this episode of "Grieving Out Loud," mother Melissa Flynn talks about losing her 25-year-old stepson Nicholas to a fentanyl overdose. Melissa and Angela talk about their frustration in trying to get their children help and what they have learned during this difficult journey that may be of help to other parents. Support the show
"Beauty is all Around Us:" The Day Emily Died
April 11, 2019 05:00 - 9 minutes - 4.23 MBJournalist Angela Kennecke shares her vision for this podcast as an advocate in the opioid epidemic to stop the stigma. In this episode Angela talks about the phone call she received that her daughter, Emily, had overdosed. Support the show For more episodes and to read Angela's blog, just go to our website, Emilyshope.charity Wishing you faith, hope and courage! Podcast producers: Casey Wonnenberg & Anna Fey