01/26/2026
Stories have power. These takeaways from nurses show the impact of our anti-stigma sessions.
Comments from the post surveys:
Be patient and be kind
Kindness goes a long way
addiction can happen to anyone at anytime but it can also be overcame at anytime as well
Addicts are humans. We ALL deserve respect, you never know what someone is going through and WHERE it all started.
This was an amazing talk. I truly appreciate the vulnerability and hearing the successes. Thank you so much for being open and honest.
Be kind and remember addiction is a disease.
That something as simple as just being kind can go a long way.
Addiction is a long journey and I feel like I understand it a lot better. I loved this speaker’s message!
Compassion
Addiction is a disease that requires support and guidance to overcome.
It definitely depends on each person’s situation, when they want help, and if someone is willing to accept it. THEY ARE STILL HUMAN! I’ve always heard, “but for the grace of God, we could be in the same situation.”
I appreciate hearing the story. I feel proud of Matt for turning his life around. It showed me that true recovery is possible
Kindness goes a long way
How you communicate with patients on a daily basis can have a positive or negative impact. Someone may thank you one day for your kind words.
Was a great presentation and eye opening
Recovery is possible for anyone
Always treat a person with respect and talk to them with empathy. Listen to what they’re telling you about their journey with addiction and recovery and BE THEIR ADVOCATE
Never give up hope and always be kind
Drugs dont discriminate, everyone has their own struggles, and not everyone has an addictive personality. If we want something bad enough the choice is somewhat easier to seek help.
Treat everyone with kindness
You never know what the background of what someone has dealt with.
Words matter
It’s a long process, not for us to judge.
We don’t know peoples story’s
nurse interactions really matter
There’s a person on the other side of their addiction
Inspiring!
be kind
How to speak to addicts in recovery with them being your patient
That are words are powerful
You truly can’t understand how difficult it is to break away from recovery until you’ve been in it so be empathetic
Recovery is possible for everyone
Always try to put yourself in the patient’s shoes
Recovery is possible for everyone
That people struggle with talking about their story, but once they do they feel better
Better understanding of what addiction looks like
There is always hope for those suffering from addiction.
That it’s never too late for someone to get the help they need.
There is hope and recovery is possible
Every addict is different and needs a different type of care.
Addicts need us to be empathetic
Everyone has a story, have empathy and put aside your biases.
Addiction is an illness.
Remember everyone has a story deserves hope
Uplifting and Hopeful for those still struggling.
Treat everyone they way you want to be treated you never know what someone is dealing with
There’s always hope, you shouldn’t judge, listen to their story.
Always be the voice of hope for my patients.
People can change
To just have kindness
The story Matt told was eye opening.
Everyone deserves a second chance. Thank you Matt!
People can change given the opportunity and support.
recovery is possible
It’s never a waste to reach out.
Even small words can make a huge impact on someones life.
Even multiple failures don’t disqualify someone from changing.
Addiction can change and can come from different situations.
When someone has addictions, they might be looking for a way to stop. Even though sometimes they do not ask for help.
I enjoyed listening to Matt speak. By providing insight into his own life, he provided insight to the complexities of the recovery process that can be difficult to acknowledge, especially for people who have family and loved ones who struggle with addiction and never become sober.
Great speaker. Great dude. I’m glad he came to talk to us!
These are still humans who need love, compassion, and support
Don’t forget every patient has a story.
To be patient and respectful
It can happen to anyone
I think I have a better understanding of addiction and what the recovery process can look like for a person. I really enjoyed listening to Matt, thank you!!
Words matter because they stick with people no matter the state of mind
It is never too late for someone to change
Very informative story that was shared today. It made me put myself in his shoes and think about how I can be better when caring for patients in active addiction or recovery
I know people who have struggled with addiction, and hearing their stories are always inspiring and I always learn something new about addiction and recovery. I hope it helps me to better help patients and other people who are struggling and want help.
I love hearing peoples life story like that. My personal experience with knowing somebody addicted to drugs is not a positive situation and it has always hindered my outlook on it. Seeing a side of wanting to get help, wanting to get better is refreshing and gave me another way to look at somebody struggling with addiction.
Be kind because I may be the voice that could help lead someone to help, recovery, and a beautiful life.
That there can be hope of long-lasting recovery, even when there is pitfalls and backtracking along the way. I should not give up on someone just because they have gone back to using several times.
I have lost my ex bf from addiction with drugs and alcohol who was sexually assaulted at a young age and he was treated for pneumonia and the medication he was given him sent him into a spiral and he died of a pokydrug od later that day and his mother started a mental health talk where I’m from to help those with addiction and trauma and Matt’s experience touched me since I’ve had a “similar” experience. It always reminds me to be nicer and give grace because you don’t know trauma unless it’s shared and even when we dated I didn’t know about his abuse but later in his recovery journals after he passed it was shared with us all. It’s a good reminder to treat people as people because we all need some grace and aren’t perfect.
It is so easy to allow personal bias or other people’s opinions shape your way of thinking. I am a firm believer that I want to help people and truly believe that empathy and treating patients as the people they are is soooo important. I think this is an area in my life in which I need more empathy, compassion, and above all patience. I will do my absolute best going forward to try to connect with everybody but especially in this instance with addicts or recovering addicts. I’m so very glad that Matt came to speak to our group. Hearing his story really resonated with me and my heart. Thank you!
No life’s too short it can’t turn around
Recovery is a journey that is not always smooth
It is important to meet people where they are because you don’t know at want point in their addiction/recovery journey they are on, and what you say has a lot of impact
People with addiction are not always aware they have a problem
To always keep in mind that people can be struggling emotionally and not just physically in the hospital, and that their behavior can reflect that.
Very insightful to how nurses care can impact someone who is struggling with addiction
That being a decent human being can go a long way. Sometimes a simple action can help those who might not even know they need it.
There is hope for everyone who uses substance.
The lecture reinforces my understanding that addicts are victims and suffer unnecessary judgement from others.
Recovery is possible
Listen to people and hear there story. Advocate for your patient
You should treat others with empathy and kindness even when you don’t understand their behavior
How much of an impact we can have on those who are struggling with addiction
Choose compassion and don’t judge
It takes a lot of effort to get clean and even then there are opportunities everywhere, it takes open communication to stay clean
Matt is awesome
I really appreciate hearing how the patient takes the words that healthcare providers use.
Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes. The guilt these people feel is deeper than the judgement we as a medical community may give. Show kindness and don’t kick people when they’re down.
you never know what someone else is going through or has been through. Kindness is very important.
Empathy is important for helping patients with addiction history
Treat everyone with dignity and respect. We are all just one decision away from being in their shoes.
To not judge a person by just looking at them. Most of them have a past and they just need understanding and compassion.
When a addict is ready is when they will finally get the help they need but encourge them to seek help and show kindness
To always treat people with kindness
As someone who has been deeply negatively affected by addiction through family and friends, it was amazing to hear an actual positive story. I appreciate your time and has brought a more positive mindset for me after many recent years of negativity!
Give kindness
It is possible for anyone to become clean
Addiction is a multi layered problem and there are man steps to recovery and relapse is common
Kindness has the biggest impact
kindness goes a long way
right support from one person can change everything
I gained a better understanding of caring for people who struggle with addiction
It matters how you treat people and I hope to be a person that helps someone turn their life around
Treat people like they are your family member being treated
Addiction is way stronger than what a lot of people think and be kind to every
