Episode 100 My Father Was A "Death of Despair" - He Won't Be The Last
Joe, a recently licensed Private Investigator, lost his father last month. So when the official cause of death came back purposely vague, he started asking questions.
Deaths of Despair are generally considered suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related liver diseases. But a “Death of Dispair” doesn’t fit neatly into a death report. So when Joe’s father passed away in mid-February the medical examiner took a look at his health record, and labeled it “Natural Causes.”
There are a myriad of reasons why a complicated death with a long medical history would be simplified for official records. But for Joe’s family, the difference between “Natural Causes” and “Death of Dispair” is the difference between being filled with guilt for not reconnecting with a vulnerable family member, or feeling vindicated when a problematic drunk reaches their limit of what their body can handle.
In Part 1 we discuss the death of Joe’s father, Robert, and we talk about what it feels like to have an addict in the family. Todd and Joe share stories about the emotional cost of watching someone self-destruct, and we share national statistics about why everyone in America is about to have that exact same experience with a loved one or close friend.
In Part 2 we explore old articles we’ve covered in past episodes, and then we connect the dots to form a picture of why the medical industry is so costly, why insurance companies have profited so much off us, and why the hardest place for an addict to get help is a hospital. Finally we discuss the last few days of Joe’s father, and we answer the question: what killed Joe’s father?
Warning: This episode will contain emotionally-charged language, discussions about death and mourning, and statistics about the current state of things regarding substance abuse and the rise in Deaths of Dispair. Especially as it relates to Covid.
Science Links:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2767633
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4547584/
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/03/16/9736847