A Mother’s Story of Losing Her Son to Overdose | with Margaret Martin

Premieres Monday 15 JUNE at 6am (AWST)

What do you do when the worst day of your life becomes the thing people do not know how to talk about?

In this episode of the Sh*ts F*cked podcast, Paris sits down with Margaret Martin, a Western Australia-based social worker and counsellor, to talk about losing her son Ethan to an MDMA overdose at 25.

Margaret remembers Ethan as cheeky, philosophical, full of risk, and deeply loved. He was a passionate chef, a young father to two girls, and a person whose life was much bigger than the way he died.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The police knock that changed everything

• Who Ethan was before overdose became the headline

• Why some substance use is about chasing a feeling, not one specific drug

• How undiagnosed ADHD, dopamine and emotional pain can sit behind drug use

• Why Margaret supports harm reduction and drug testing

• The guilt parents carry after addiction and overdose

• How stigma changes the support grieving families receive

Margaret speaks with painful honesty about the “should have, could have, would have” thoughts that follow a death like this. She also names something many families know but rarely say out loud, that when a death involves overdose or suicide, people often disappear because they feel awkward, judgemental, or afraid of saying the wrong thing.

That silence can make grief even heavier.

This conversation also looks at harm reduction, including drug testing at festivals and clubs, and why knowing what is actually in a substance can be the difference between life and death.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts — and if these conversations matter to you, follow us so you never miss an episode.

About Margaret Martin

Margaret Martin is a qualified social worker and counsellor based in Western Australia. After losing her son Ethan to an MDMA overdose, she created My Condolences, a grief workshop and support space designed to help people understand what grief can feel like, what to say, what to avoid, and how to show up in practical ways.

👉 Want to connect with Margaret Martin?

You can learn more about Margaret’s work through My Condolences at www.mycondolencesworkshop.com.

This episode is proudly supported by our Season 4 sponsors, Coach Carly, Elevate Beyond Co. and Your Recovery.

If this episode brings anything up for you, you can find support at www.shtsfcked.com/resources.

Need support? Visit our Australian crisis services directory →