Stories

At the core of the Unshame California campaign are the thousands of Californians impacted by substance use disorder. They are our parents, siblings, children, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. These are their stories.

Nov 26

Luis’s Wife Inspired Him To Try Self-Care

For Luis, family has been everything on his journey.

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Nov 8

Tessa’s Tips for Parents

Tessa's experience in harm reduction shapes how they raise their children.

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Oct 14

Tiana and Her Mom Rediscovered Their Closeness

Tiana's relationship with her mom has always been important to her.

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Oct 7

Theresa Finds Joy in Motherhood

Theresa wanted to be as present as possible for her children, which inspired her to pursue treatment for her substance use disorder (SUD).

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Jul 17

Robert Knows How Powerful Support Can Be

Positive change is possible when we support a friend or family member with substance use disorder (SUD).

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Jul 11

Perla Celebrates Elijah's Life

"I don't just say it cause he's my boy but he was special," Perla reflects, "I've never met anyone as thoughtful as him."

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Jun 6

Amy & Susan Honor Melanie's Memory

Melanie was a funny, outgoing, and charismatic person. She was a cheerleader from the age of 5, and she loved fashion and dancing.

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May 3

Julio Wants to Help Others Thrive

Help can come from all sorts of people in our communities.

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Apr 5

Yerson Learned How to Express Himself

Growth and connection can happen within a family at any point, and it starts with speaking up.

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Feb 26

Amber Opens Up About Dreason

Amber's son, Dreason, had the brightest smile, and he'd always light up the room.

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Feb 14

Anna's Family is Her Motivation

Family has always been a big part of Anna's life.

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Jan 30

Danny Talks About How Addiction Can Happen to Anyone

Danny wants to honor Kathy's life and memory.

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Jan 12

Juli Takes Action

Addiction didn't run in Tyler's family.

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Jan 4

Support & Acceptance Can Make All the Difference

Cassondra and Ryan are no strangers to experiencing stigma around their substance use disorder (SUD).

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Nov 16, 2023

Marion's Advice for Talking with our Loved Ones

Marion's loss has inspired her to take action.

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Oct 27, 2023

Make a Difference with Love

Jocella says that loving someone who uses substances can make a difference. She's speaking from her lived experience.

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Oct 16, 2023

Anthony Redefines Connection

Anthony never felt super comfortable in social situations, but using substances made him feel connected.

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Sep 6, 2023

Heather Shares about the Chain Reaction of Kindness

When Heather was using substances, the people who showed her kindness made the difference. Now she wants to pass that kindness on.

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Aug 1, 2023

Danny's Message: It's Okay to Talk About Addiction

Danny and his wife Kathy owned a gourmet grocery store in Sacramento together.

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Jun 11, 2023

Ken's Family's Support Made the Difference

Ken grew up in a family that believed that substance use disorder (SUD) was a personal weakness. It was viewed as a mark of shame, so it...

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Dec 201 min read

Recovery Journeys

Cameron Is Proud To Be Himself

His favorite part of recovery has been thriving in his own skin and living his values.

Sean Pays It Forward by Supporting Others

Sep 201 min read

Giving Back

Sean Pays It Forward by Supporting Others

Since deciding to learn more about himself and focus on his recovery, Sean has applied what he’s learned to help others.

Melissa Found Connection in Her Recovery

Sep 111 min read

Lived Experience

Melissa Found Connection in Her Recovery

When Melissa started pursuing her recovery, she found the community and support she'd been looking for through her relationship with God.

Dr. Christina is Changing her Community Through Education and Compassion

Dr. Christina talks about what she has learned about opioid use disorder (OUD) and medications that can treat OUD.

Bryant Talks About the Science of Addiction

Bryant shares how educating himself and those around him has helped reduce the stigma of blame.

Deanna Shares the Importance of Family

Journeying Toward Hope: Supporting Her Brother's Recovery from Opioid Use Disorder and Overcoming Stigma Together.

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