Dear Therapist: I Blame Myself for My Son’s Death
I can’t stop thinking about how much he suffered—and my own inability to save him.
Editor’s Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com.
Dear Therapist,
My adult son died recently from a drug overdose, after a lifetime of struggles with depression, learning problems, peer rejection, and addiction. A large part of my grieving is self-blame. I blame myself for choosing a person to father my children who was himself afflicted with depression and other problems. I should have thought ahead, realizing that there was probably a genetic element that could affect our children.
I did my best to help our son have a rewarding life, as did his father, but the happy times were
