Like so many others, Ian lost his life to his substance use disorder (SUD). Substance use disorder, also known as addiction, is a disease of the brain. His addiction was set in motion after an injury when he was overprescribed opioids. Ian died on March 18, 2019 from an accidental overdose. Approximately four million people in the U.S. currently live with opioid use disorder (OUD) and 46% of Americans say the opioid crisis is impacting them.

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It's time to start educating and discussing what it means to have a substance use disorder. The stigmas that addiction faces are public, structural, self, and the stigma against medications for opioid use disorder.

By giving back to organizations like Shatterproof, which educate and support families and individuals with SUD and OUD, we hope to help others know they are not alone and to help end addiction stigma.

Although the individual with addiction has the longest road to recovery, those who love that person also have their own journey they face and must go through.