Coping With Losing A Child To Addiction | Rich Pagano

In this powerful episode, Rich Pagano opens up about his journey as a father navigating the devastating impact of his son Nick's addiction and the profound loss that followed. A professional drummer and music producer, Rich shares the emotional highs and lows of raising a child who struggled with identity, mental health, and substance use.

Rich recounts the early signs of Nick’s struggles with anxiety, self-doubt, and addiction, starting with marijuana and escalating to heroin. He describes the challenges of supporting Nick through treatment programs and the life-altering lessons learned as a parent. After Nick’s passing, Rich and his wife turned their grief into action by establishing the Nick Pagano LGBTQ+ Recovery Scholarship and working to break stigmas around addiction and recovery. Today, Rich reflects on the journey with wisdom and a ...