The acronym — pronounced “Sad O.D.” — does not bring to mind images of the hope, help, or healing that this project is all about, but the decision to use SADOD was entirely intentional. It was born of the understanding that the sadness of grief needs space for healing.
Sadness — especially over a death — can be a very distressing emotion both for those who feel it and those who witness it. We are often tempted not to give it the space it needs, but rather to try to fix it, to escape from it, to make it go away. We fight our tears, and our family, friends, and colleagues seem not to know what to do to help us. SADOD gives us a place to go to find help coping with strong emotions like sadness after someone has died, and it provides those who care about us information to guide them in offering us support.
Peer support is at the heart of SADOD’s mission because the main message we want to convey to people who have lost someone they care about to substance use is that you are not alone. If you are grappling with the pain of loss, there is someone out there who has carried a similar burden. If you are judged because the death involved substance use, there is someone out there who knows how wrong those judgments are. If you need to talk about the person who died, there is someone out there who wants to listen. It is our hope that SADOD helps connect you to that someone.
When you are hurting, sometimes the hardest thing to do is reach out for help. SADOD gives you a starting place by offering you online information, resources, and connections to accompany you on your journey toward healing.