In 2016 I found myself standing on a stage at the base of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington D.C.. I was looking out at a large group of people who had come together to raise awareness about the opioid crisis. I'd been asked to come there to sing a song I'd written and recorded titled "Where Did Beautiful Go". I too had been affected by the opioid epidemic, but nothing had prepared me for what came next.

As I looked out at the crowd, many were wearing photos of their lost loved ones taped across their chests. The birth and death dates were written in bold letters underneath the images of these cherished loved ones who had lost their lives to opioid overdose. The dates represented young people and short lives, thousands of them. It was shocking.

There were speeches from dignitaries, experts, and advocate. There were parents, spouses and family members and people who had miraculously recovered. My heart hurt as I listened, the grief and anger palpable. Not only had this audience suffered the loss of their nearest and dearest, often their children, they had also been stigmatized for the way their loved one had died.

As I took my place on the stage, I saw a large banner with hundreds if not thousands of names under a header that read “Lost But Not Forgotten”. I started to sing my song and that is when I realized something else. In the face of all that these beautiful people had endured, they were there, to fight back and get the powers that be to recognize that this crisis was responsible for a massive and tragic loss of life. That the threat was getting worse, not better. These were the people who were sounding the alarm about the opioid crisis, they had lost their loved ones, and now they were trying to save others from the same fate.

The crowd had their signs for the protest march in hand and were ready to go make some noise. I would join them. They were in our Nation's Capitol to speak truth to power and demand change. I knew then and there that I had to do more.

When I came home, I met with my producer and co-writer Rick Barretta. I shared my experience with him. What became important to us in creating this song was to remember those that had been lost with dignity and to respect and honor these strong advocates who had transformed their pain into purpose.

This is that song.

Click Here to Listen to Song without story

Elizabeth

A special thank you to my producer and co-writer Rick Barretta for his contributions to this song and for capturing the essence of this song in this recording. A special thank you to Carl Wheeler and Julie Besancon for their amazing contributions to this song and for sharing their amazing talents! And a special thanks to Chris Vigil for the wonderful photos and images. For more about my music and my work Click Here.

Elizabeth discusses the fifth of the five patterns of Codependency - Low Self Esteem.

Sharing from her "lived experience" as a person in long term recovery from addiction, she takes a deep dive in to this common set of coping mechanisms.

The Five patterns of codependency:

Denial

Compliance

Avoidance

Control

Low Self Esteem

Here is the YouTube playlist link for this mini series

👉    • Codependency - Five Patterns  

• Codependency - Five Patterns

In this five part series, Singer Songwriter Elizabeth Edwards will share her experience with Codependency based on her "lived experience". She offers suggestions that have been helpful in her recovery because she believes that many with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) are limited by these patterns well into their recovery, as was her experience.

The Resources mentioned can be found at the link below:

https://givingvoicetorecovery.com/rec...

Elizabeth Edwards is a singer songwriter, and recording artist known for her smooth vocals and powerful lyrics. She is a person in long-term recovery from Substance Use Disorder. She is a speaker and advocate for recovery causes and currently serves on the National Board of Directors for Faces & Voices of Recovery. She is the host of the new Podcast Giving Voice to Recovery.

Giving Voice to Recovery celebrates those who have found purpose in using their voice to change perceptions and challenge stereotypes while inspiring hope and providing awareness to those still seeking solutions for addiction.

"There is a healing power in sharing our personal recovery journeys."

👍To Support Elizabeth and this channel please visit the GV2R Boutique:

https://givingvoicetorecovery.net/

The items in the GV2R Boutique are from Elizabeth's Lyrics and Designs and make great gift items to support people in recovery as well as support the podcast and the Giving Voice to Recovery channel.

💗For more about Elizabeth's Podcast visit:

https://givingvoicetorecovery.com/

🎵For more about Elizabeth's Music visit:

Surrender to Win - Delusions of Control

Several years ago, I wrote a song titled Surrender to Win. This song describes the paradox that has been a deep lesson in many areas of my life. For much of my life, I unconsciously believed that I had some kind of control over others. This was a coping mechanism and a compulsion that gave me a sense of safety. What I’ve learned and now truly appreciate is that when it comes to others, I have influence at best. What I suffered from was “delusions of control” and until I turned this around, my focus was perpetually stuck on others. When I stopped trying to control others and instead learned to listen, observe and for the most part enjoy others, that is when my relationships really started to blossom as well as my creativity and authentic self-expression. By learning to accept others and meeting them where they are, I'm now able to make healthy choices. When I stopped trying to control others I was able to focus on controlling myself, this changed everything.

Elizabeth

Sharing from her "lived experience" as a person in long term recovery from addiction and codependency, she takes a deep dive in to this common set of coping mechanisms.

The Five patterns of codependency:

Denial

Compliance

Avoidance

Control

Low Self Esteem

Here is the YouTube playlist link for this mini series

👉    • Codependency - Five Patterns  

• Codependency - Five Patterns

In this five part series, Singer Songwriter Elizabeth Edwards will share her experience with Codependency based on her "lived experience". She offers suggestions that have been helpful in her recovery because she believes that many with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) are limited by these patterns well into their recovery, as was her experience.

The Resources mentioned can be found at the link below:

https://givingvoicetorecovery.com/rec...

Elizabeth Edwards is a singer songwriter, and recording artist known for her smooth vocals and powerful lyrics. She is a person in long-term recovery from Substance Use Disorder. She is a speaker and advocate for recovery causes and currently serves on the National Board of Directors for Faces & Voices of Recovery. She is the host of the new Podcast Giving Voice to Recovery.

Giving Voice to Recovery celebrates those who have found purpose in using their voice to change perceptions and challenge stereotypes while inspiring hope and providing awareness to those still seeking solutions for addiction.

"There is a healing power in sharing our personal recovery journeys."

👍To Support Elizabeth and this channel please visit the GV2R Boutique: