The AQPSUD has developed two complementary tools:
A support guide: On the Road of Grief, designed for individuals experiencing grief related to overdoses, the consequences of the war on drugs, and the overdose crisis. [Download here]
A workshop facilitation guide for discussing grief, to help communities and organizations set up their own workshops. [Download here]
The AQPSUD’s grief discussion workshops are supportive spaces by and for people who use or have used drugs and are experiencing grief following an overdose or the consequences of the war on drugs (such as suicide, infections, accidents, health issues, etc.). They were created to provide a place where individuals can freely discuss their losses without judgment or stigma.
According to the AQPSUD, these groups have become true communities of support where participants listen to one another, check in on each other, and sometimes find one of the only spaces to talk about their grief and their journey with substance use.
These workshops notably allow participants to:
- Share their experiences with people who understand this reality;
- Break the isolation;
- Address anticipatory grief, survivor’s guilt, and multiple losses;
- Build bonds of mutual aid and solidarity among participants.
These are mutual-aid harm-reduction grief support workshops that acknowledge the often-invisible grief experienced by people who use drugs and their loved ones.
Note: In-person grief discussion and harm-reduction workshops are often full. Please contact the organizers in advance to participate in an in-person workshop if possible. Otherwise, a few spots are often available in online workshops.
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SUPPORT GUIDE AFTER A BEREAVEMENT
This guide is for anyone who has lost one or more loved ones, acquaintances, or friends due to a drug overdose or the consequences of the war on drugs—such as blood infections, suicide, accidents, health issues, and more. With the overdose crisis, many of us find ourselves navigating complex grief without the support we need. This was one of the key motivations for creating this tool.
This guide’s content is also relevant for anyone experiencing other types of grief not mentioned above.
It was created with participants in the grief discussion workshops in mind, so they can take away a tool to support them throughout the process—even when they are on their own.
This guide includes exercises to support reflection on grief, quotes and excerpts from books, guides, films, and shows, as well as art by grieving individuals—such as coloring illustrations, photos, and drawings.
Contact Mélodie at Oc2@aqpsud.org for more information or to access the guides on grief and the support guide.