Why Us Kids presents: Shattered: Stories of Lives Broken by Substance Abuse and How We Put the Pieces Back Together

“Danny Strong - SHATTERED is a moving collection of short stories that covers the full range of the substance use disorder crisis from the sad final consequences to the joy of recovery, those trying to turn it around and the call for justice. A deeply powerful book that will bring insight and empathy to all who read it.”

Shattered: Stories of Lives Broken by Substance Abuse and How We Put the Pieces Back Together is a compilation of personal narratives focused on substance abuse and how this disease has impacted our lives. Several of our writers lost loved ones to drugs and alcohol, some have dedicated their lives to helping those in need, some have battled their addictions, recovered, and come out stronger than ever, and all of us have witnessed the effects on family and friends.

Shattered tackles addiction from several different angles. Each story is unique; written in that specific writer's voice, but all of us express our vulnerability, allowing the reader to dive in and feel what we experienced on the rollercoaster ride of addiction. Ten-year-old Gracie Parker lost her mother to a drug-related incident when she was six months old and then was adopted by her grandparents. Her father suffers from substance use disorder and is not present in her life. To turn her tragic situation into a positive one, she hosts mental health rallies in North Carolina and fights to keep trauma counselors in school. She founded a nonprofit organization, Why Us Kids, to raise awareness of the youth mental health crisis in our country.

This book is full of inspiring stories, including those who are actively making a difference in the lives of others:

• Blu Robinson, a Clinical Mental Health Therapist, Substance Use Disorder Counselor, and founder of Addict II Athlete (a non-profit in Utah), wrote a powerful and moving foreword. His foundation uses sports and recreation to replace addiction.

• Ed Bisch, an outspoken activist, described his years-long fight against Purdue Pharma after he lost his eighteen-year-old son to an OxyContin overdose in February 2001.

• John Shinholser is a man who struggled with addiction for years before he realized he no longer wanted to live that life-that he wanted more for himself. He and his wife founded the McShin Foundation in Virginia, and their recovery center has helped transform many lives.

Substance abuse does not discriminate. It affects every aspect of a person's life. The disease spreads like a virus, infecting everybody closest to it, but people need to know that there is hope. People have overcome the disease. We must continue to break the stigma and offer more resources, so people know where to turn to for help. The more we discuss this critical issue, the less ashamed people will feel in seeking professional treatment. This book shines a light on a dark but important subject.