No one person is born with a substance use disorder. Biological, behavioral and environmental factors all play a role in the evolution of the disease. My youngest son, Carter, may have died from his addiction, but he was a compassionate and humble man. He grew to be six and a half feet tall, and yet his physical height was in direct contrast to the tender, shy and incredibly sensitive young man inside.

Like many others, Carter struggled with addiction and the co-occurring disorder of anxiety. He also suffered from the ignorance of some of those he loved the most in this world and – at the very best – what you might characterize as misguided attempts at “tough love”.