A Real Story Behind The Opioid Crisis Addiction Recovery and Advocacy
- Apr 13
- 4 min read
Nicolette Dalhamer is a trauma-informed recovery coach, speaker, and founder of Evolve 2gether LLC, who uses both lived experience and professional expertise to empower others to heal, grow, and break generational cycles.
I don’t want the version of my mom that addiction turned her into. I want my mom back. The real one, the one who threw me birthday parties and made magic out of nothing. The one who let us sleep outside in a tent on Sunset Ave, like it was the greatest adventure in the world. The one who sat on the floor doing arts and crafts with me and Liv, laughing, present, there. The one who was a good mom, until everything changed. Until the drugs. Until Paul.
Lately, it feels like a door in my brain has been forced open. I started taking a supplement to support memory and cognitive function, and now everything is coming back. Not just the good, but all of it. Things I must have buried just to survive are returning in waves.
This morning, I remembered something from 1995. I haven’t thought about that moment since it happened. I’m not even sad the way people might expect. I feel disappointed. Disappointed in how everything unfolded and in what was taken from us.
When I think about my dad, I realize I never really had a fair start. I was shaped by circumstances I had no control over. You and Uncle Owen stepped in when you didn’t have to, and that is something I carry with me every day. Still, there is so much left unsaid, so much I wish I could go back and change.
In many ways, I became the person my mom needed, just too late.
I do everything now because of her. She did not deserve what happened to her. She did not deserve to be consumed by something that was handed to her by a system that should have protected her. When Dr. Smith wrote that first Oxy prescription, it set off a chain of events that changed everything.
I became a drug runner. I was picking up pills that were not even in my name, putting myself at risk without fully understanding the consequences. I could have been arrested, ended up in juvenile detention, or worse. Somehow, I made it through. Looking back, it feels like a miracle that I finished college and built a life beyond that environment.
It was not until 2019 that I truly came to terms with everything and found a way to forgive her. Not because it didn’t hurt, but because I finally understood addiction on a deeper level.
I learned about the role of pharmaceutical companies, the misinformation around addiction rates, and the broader system that contributed to the opioid epidemic. It opened my eyes to how many lives have been affected, including my own.
That understanding now fuels me. One day, I want to sit in front of Congress and tell the truth, not just my story, but the stories of families who no longer have a voice. I want to advocate for change and accountability.
Everything I’ve built comes from that pain, that loss, and that love that never truly disappeared. I feel her with me, and I believe she would be proud.
I watched her go through withdrawal without proper support, in a small bed, when there were no available treatment options. I witnessed a level of pain no one should have to endure.
And still, I chose to step back into that world, to help others in their darkest moments. If I can help even one person, if I can prevent even one family from experiencing this kind of loss, then her life and her struggle will mean something beyond what was done to her.
This story is not just about loss. It is about awareness, accountability, and the power of choosing a different path. Addiction does not begin in isolation, and neither does healing. Behind every statistic is a family, a child, a life shaped by decisions made far beyond their control.
If there is one takeaway, it is this. We need to ask better questions, demand better systems, and show up for those who are still fighting battles we cannot see. Because change does not start in boardrooms alone. It starts in the courage to speak, to face the truth, and to make sure no one has to carry this story alone.
Read more from Nicolette Dalhamer
Nicolette Dalhamer, Trauma-Informed Recovery Coach, Speaker, and Founder of Evolve 2gether LLC
Nicolette Dalhamer is a trauma-informed recovery coach, speaker, and founder of Evolve 2gether LLC, who turns lived experience into purpose-driven impact. After navigating her own journey through trauma and loss, she now helps others heal at the root level using a blend of holistic and evidence-based practices. Nicolette is deeply committed to breaking generational cycles and creating safe spaces for growth and transformation. Her work reflects both her professional training and her unwavering belief in resilience. She continues to inspire others through her writing, speaking, and coaching.
