Author Hillman to speak about being the parent of an addicted child July 20

LOVELL — The Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library is hosting Lisa Hillman, author of “Secret No More: A True Story of Hope for Parents with an Addicted Child,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at the library, 227 Main St.

Hillman, who ran multi-million dollar campaigns for one of Maryland’s leading hospitals, and her husband Richard, mayor of Annapolis, Md., from 1981 to 1985, enjoyed a fulfilling career in government and law. Together they raised a happily married daughter, all while living in a historic home steps away from the Maryland State House, Hillman said in a news release.
But their lives were far from perfect. For years the Hillmans hid behind a shameful secret: their son Jacob was an opioid addict, Hillman said.
“The shame of my son’s actions kept me isolated,” she writes in her book. “At the time, I was terrified that anyone, even my closest friends, would find out that Jacob was using. What would that say about me? What kind of mother was I if my son was a drug addict?”
“Secret No More” is a memoir about overcoming the shame that comes with having an addicted loved one.
In Maine alone the death toll from drug overdose reached 376 in 2016, 39 percent higher than in 2015. More than one victim per day, and it shows no signs of stopping. The only way we can solve this crisis, as a community, is to talk about it openly and compassionately, Hilllman said.
She will give a brief presentation about her book, followed by a question and answer session, as well as sign books available for purchase.