“Ryan Douglas Bossie, 27, died January 30, 2015, in Portland, after losing a hard-fought battle with addiction.” Bossie obituary  “All of the wonderful blessings that he had: talent, friendships, positive outlook on life, and, most importantly, family, were sidelined by a wrong decision to do drugs,” Hesse obituary.

Addiction took the lives of two young men this year, whose families weren’t ashamed of the way they died. Both Ryan Bossie, 27, and Alex Hesse, 26, died of drug overdoses. The men didn’t know each other, but the families of each had similar ways of dealing with their obituaries. Rather than hiding the cause of death, both families decided to highlight it. In moving online passages, the cause of death was published, along with the accomplishments and qualities of each loved one. The families wanted to raise awareness about the magnitude of loss brought on by addiction. ““I hope that by including that, maybe it helps someone else just a little bit, and maybe their story has a different ending,” Bossie’s brother Andrew told the Bangor Daily News. Both Bossie and Hesse led full lives and had loving families. Bossie not only enjoyed skateboarding and hiking, he was a hunter and a gardener. He was a church member and employed when he died. Alex was also active in sports, playing on his high school golf team. He was musically inclined and could to play an array of musical instruments. That these two men were loved and supported is obvious in their obituaries. Addicts and their families benefit from bringing addiction out of the shadows and dispelling the myths surrounding it. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse points out, addicts are shamed by the negative myths surrounding addiction – myths that include: Addiction is a failure of values; it’s a character flaw; or it’s an incurable disease that causes irreparable loss of basic brain functioning. The idea that addiction is a disease that can affect the most talented, the most generous, loved and loving individuals, is the truth behind the myths, a truth that is often lost in the hiding and the shame. The Bossie and Hesse obituaries bring forward the truth about these two young men, so that others might have the courage to seek help or to share the pain of their loss. Add your thoughts and comments below and follow us on Facebook!