‘It’s been nearly a year since he died and I still can’t believe it doctor.’ All I could do was listen to the mother in front of me who cried heavy, angry, tormented tears. Her grief was palpable and etched on her face, which had aged significantly since our last consultation.*

I knew this mother and her family well. Her son was 27 when he died. He was funny, kind, caring, and full of bravado, with his whole life in front of him. But he was also deeply troubled and ravaged by childhood trauma. His father died after years of alcohol abuse and addiction when he was 7, and the cracks of trauma started to take their toll on his mental health. Unbeknown at the time, he was self-medicating by taking valium that he was buying online and from street dealers. Then he tragically died; alone, in …