When one person in a family suffers from addiction, the whole family suffers alongside them. Addiction can change you into someone your family will not recognize. Sarah Keast told her story on “Good Morning America” about what her family when through when her husband had a substance abuse disorder.
How Did Sarah Yeast Find Out About Her Husband’s Addiction?
Sarah Keast’s husband, Kevin, struggled with severe anxiety as well as finding the right therapist and the right medication. After a suicide attempt, Kevin was in the hospital for a week. In 2008, Sarah peeked into the bedroom and heard a strange, snoring sound. When she opened the door, Sarah found her husband blue in the face and chest. After calling 911, the paramedics asked what Kevin took, and he admitted to intentionally overdosing on heroin.
How Did Kevin’s Addiction Affect His Marriage?
Sarah was dealing with post-traumatic stress from finding her husband nearly lifeless. After the incident, she suffered chronic anxiety about his disease. They faced separation but managed to stay together. Kevin got help in Narcotics Anonymous, but still experienced periods of sobriety and relapse. Sarah hardly told anyone about her husband’s addiction, leaving her feeling isolated. In 2016, things seemed to be going well as Kevin got a new job as a social worker, saw a psychiatrist, and was getting healthier.
How Did Kevin’s Addiction Take a Dark Turn?
Sarah and her two daughters spent two weeks at her parent’s house, and Kevin said he was too busy with his new job to join them. One night, Kevin did not call to say good night to his daughters. Sarah’s text messages were found unread and unanswered. On August 6, 2016, Kevin Yeast died of a heroin overdose in his home.
How is the Yeast Family Today?
Sarah is raising her two daughters alone and left her corporate job. She is now a writer and public speaker who gave a TED talk. She has her own business in Toronto called Lost + Found that centers on mental wellness. Sarah hopes that by telling her story, people can learn that addiction is only one part of a person and does not define them. This empathetic approach to addiction is essential in encouraging addicts to get help. It is crucial to always be there for your loved one when they are struggling with addiction. Remember that addiction is a disease, and the person you love is still there, trapped inside their sickness.
Located in Georgetown, Texas, Alta Loma is a transformative living center to help those struggling in early recovery to transition out of our Psychiatric and Substance Abuse inpatient center. Alta Loma believes that addiction is born from an untreated mental illness in which our facility is willing to help you. Our facility offers residency, medication management education, individualized treatment, life skills education, 12-step support, and more tools to bring patients the confidence to be able to live an independent life. For more information, please call us at 866-457-3843.
