This podcast is a place to share stories of loss, and to know you’re not alone. Through a diverse population involved in this issue, we will explore surviving grief, moving on, advocacy, solutions to eradicate Substance/Opioid Use Disorder, research, and government action. Most importantly, we will attempt to decrease and eradicate stigma due to a SUD/OUD passing. We’re here to share our stories with sensitivity and humanity.
"After some time had passed since his son Zach had died in 2006 from an opioid overdose, H. Lee has been working tirelessly to help turn the tide on the opioid epidemic. He has launched a website – Voices From the Opioid Crisis – as a place for parents and others like us to share the story of our young people and their struggles with alcohol and substance use disorders. Now, he is hosting and producing a podcast, These Ghosts Must be Heard. We love the unique flavor of TGMBH – it’s funky with some fun bits of original music, very compelling stories and a lot of hope. All of his work and effort to help families affected by the opioid crisis has one over-arching goal among others: to break down the stigma that surrounds addiction and that keeps parents suffering alone with their grief. Three Cheers for Harris!"
"Many, many times I have told the story of losing my son, Joel, to heroin and meth addiction. I’ve been interviewed, written articles, testified publicly, and I am grateful for every opportunity. Doing the TGMBH podcast with Harris was special – first because I was talking with someone with a shared, lived experience, and secondly because the final product had me crying, laughing, and remembering the best of Joel, all at once. I was literally blown away. The editing, the timing and the inclusion of his song is such a tribute. It is very artistically done. It isn’t just a sad story. What a privilege to have our story told in that format living forever out there in the podcast universe!"
"I had the opportunity to be included in the series of podcasts called These Ghosts Must Be Heard. This podcast gave me the platform to share the story of my beautiful son, Matt, who died from an opioid overdose. I was able to share my heart with both Harris and the listeners hoping to shatter the stigma associated with this misunderstood disease. Being given the chance to tell stories of the real Matt and to show the human side to this disease meant the world to me. Harris allowed me to honor the life of Matt, taking the focus off the addiction and putting the focus on the human being."
"I love this podcast for many reasons! First, my daughter Cassidy died of a fentanyl overdose almost five years ago and I sat down with Harris to share her story in episode 8. I believe sharing our stories (as those left behind) and talking about our angels lost to this terrible disease, is not only cathartic for us, but also extremely important for others to hear. Stopping the stigma that surrounds addiction is absolutely mandatory now and one way to do that is to get people to see that those suffering from SUD aren’t that different from anyone else (except brain chemistry). Sharing our stories of those we lost and listening to others do the same brings us all together and connects us through understanding, empathy, compassion and love. Ultimately love is what heals us all. And isn’t it high time for that? I highly recommend listening to These Ghosts Must Be Heard. Let’s all join together and work to reduce the shame and stigma surrounding addiction so that we no longer need a podcast like this ten years from now. Let’s surround each other with love and do everything we can to help people get well and achieve lasting remission from Substance Use Disorder."
"When I got the word that my podcast had aired, I was excited but very nervous to listen. In fact, I couldn't listen to it initially. I ended up listening to a few others first and then I finally took the plunge and listened to mine. Listening to a couple of the others was so powerful. I laughed and cried and thought wow, those moms are just like me and their kid was like mine! It was amazing to hear the other stories and it made me realize just how prominent this issue is and how powerful these stories are. I encourage everyone to listen. Each story is about 45 minutes long and very impressionable and powerful, and possibly even life changing for some. A HUGE thank you to Harris and his team for this podcast series. Absolutely AMAZING!"
"I highly recommend These Ghosts Must Be Heard podcast. Harris has brutally honest conversations with people whose lives have been impacted by substance abuse disorder, which resulted in the loss of their beautiful children. Episode three is about my daughter, Kirby, who died from a heroin and fentanyl overdose, February 26, 2016. Thank you, Harris, for bringing attention and awareness to this devastating epidemic in our country."
"'These Ghosts Must Be Heard' Podcast was an extremely powerful way for me to share an all too often tragic loss of a wonderful, caring, young person to an accidental fentanyl overdose. Our 45 minute conversation allowed me to tell my son Hunter's story, at the core of which is the DANGER of recreational drug use. It also allowed me the opportunity to highlight the wonderful life that Hunter lived. Each story in this Podcast is heartfelt, informative and possibly life saving. I strongly recommend this Podcast to listeners! Harris, thank you for providing this platform for our loved one's voices to be heard."
"I was thrilled to participate in the first season of These Ghosts Must Be Heard (TGMBH). I am always excited to talk about my son Sam. It helps his memory stay alive. It is so important to have conversations around substance use, specifically opioid use, and addiction. The more we can personalize the effects of addiction, the family unit and the community, the more progress we can make in destigmatizing SUD. We must stop allowing a generation to fall through the cracks. It is at the peril of our sons and daughters. Harris was extremely easy to work with and talk to. He has his own story and the podcasts are telling a whole lot of other people's stories as well. Addiction does not discriminate. Thank you for keeping our young people's memory alive and for allowing us to have a platform to tell these stories. Keep talking and listening. You can learn something from every one of our stories."