One life is one too many

From Advocacy to Awareness

Anena Hansen

This month’s blog begins with a personal story of a life lost to overdose. It was shared with us and written by Anena Hansen, Project Manager at Trauma Responsive Monadock. 

“I didn’t end up working at Trauma Responsive Monadnock because there were no better options on Indeed. 

Like most people, my vision for creating a trauma-informed community was inspired by my past. 

My various adverse childhood experiences brought me to alcohol addiction as an adult. Then, when I was five years sober and thought I kind of had a handle on this trauma stuff, I got the snot kicked out of me by the sudden death of my life partner.

Phil 

Phil was the guy I’d been waiting for my whole life. He was a powerhouse. 

In recovery from both alcohol and heroin addiction, he took his lost decades and transmuted them into five years of relentless dedication to addressing substance addiction in New Hampshire. He won a seat in the State House on a platform of addiction and recovery policy. He ran sober houses. From appearing on national podcasts to lobbying in Washington, he was committed to being a voice for the voiceless. 

I was proud to partner with such an incredible man.

Then COVID happened. Phil’s mental health tanked. One day, he left for a motorcycle ride and never came home. Phil died of an overdose that night. My powerhouse of a guy had gotten so desperate for relief that he’d reached for the oldest comfort he knew, and it killed him.

It wasn’t just the devastation of losing my beloved. 

It was losing him to such a pointless and preventable death. No one knew more than Phil about the dangers of street drugs—how did he fall victim to them? How did such a powerful man breathe his last breath in a drug den in Manchester?

My recovery from substance dependence merged with recovery from overdose loss as I learned the connection between addiction and trauma. 

Addiction is a learned response to felt threat, a way the nervous system manages what it perceives to be life-threatening discomfort. Addiction is just one of the many survival skills that some bodies learned in the past, which can become problematic in the present. Learning about this trauma cycle in the body allowed me to understand why Phil’s knowledge and dedication weren’t enough to save him. 

That’s why I came to work in the field of trauma: because even though it’s too late for me to help Phil recognize and interrupt that cycle, I can help others.

In that sense, Phil died like he lived, in service to the cause.

It’s been four years since I lost my guy, and working with Trauma Responsive Monadnock has given my love for him a place to land. I adore this work, because I think it’s what matters most: reminding people that what hurt before doesn’t have to hurt forever.

Addiction, physical and mental illness, and a host of other conditions can be mitigated; our 

bodies can learn to feel safe in the world. It’s not easy, but it’s simpler than you think.”

Overdose Awareness Month 

Phil’s story is a reminder of the urgent need for compassionate, trauma-informed approaches to addiction and recovery. His life and death highlight truths that too often remain in the shadows.

• In 2024, New Hampshire recorded 373 overdose fatalities, down from 465 in 2022, representing a 19% decrease. 
• The CDC reports an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during 2024
• The 30–39 age group accounts for over 30% of all overdose deaths in the US 
• The 40-40 age group accounts for over 28% of all overdose deaths in the US 
• The majority of these overdoses continue to be driven by the spread of fentanyl and its analogs