[Cliff R]

Make no mistake about it, there are PLENTY of organizations and programs out there to help people in need. The problem I've seen is that the person has to want to be helped.

I just retired from 16 years with the County here as Chief CSI, many of you may not know this. Yes, I've been doing homicide, suicide, fatal motor vehicle accident, and drug overdose investigations for them since right after i retired the first time back in 2003.

I get to see how things end up and the end of the long journey. I get to talk to the families who are left behind wondering what they did wrong, or if there was anything else they could have done? Every story I hear with drug overdoses and many who commit suicide after years of being at the bottom of the barrel are similar if not exactly the same. They tell me that their loved one just never could figure it out, and struggled with addiction for many years.

Often I hear that they were getting their life in order, had been clean" for a while and just got and were getting a new job, just about ready to get custody of their son or daughter, etc, etc. Sometimes I'm holding the preliminary blood test in my hand (if they made it to the ER) and seeing where they tested positive for some sort of opioid or illegal narcotic....I say nothing about it. So the families all have hope but were unable to help because their loved one simply couldn't figure it out in time.

You can actually tell by talking to many of them as crazy as this sounds but they seem somewhat relieved as the long battle and suffering is finally over.........FWIW.......