“Unresponsive.”
I can still see that word vibrating on the screen of that stupid old iPhone. That word would describe my best friend of 12 years, who had encountered a fate that we are all too familiar with; she lost her life to the disease of addiction.
My name is Naomi and I’m a person in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder and eating disorder. My initiation into the life of drugs and alcohol began at 12 years old, and my food restricting behaviors started even earlier. Genetic predisposition and crippling anxiety made me an ideal candidate for these diseases. As a privileged white kid from Southeast Alaska, I excelled in school but found it dull. I felt as though there was nothing to do, and alcohol became my solution for the inner turmoil I experienced. Read more here.