Laura Berman took to Instagram on Monday to confirm that her son, Sam “overdosed in his room” after “a drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and gave him fentanyl laced Xanax.” In a lengthy caption alongside a photo of Berman hugging her son, she wrote, “My beautiful boy is gone. 16 years old. Sheltering at home. They do this because it hooks people even more and is good for business but [it] causes overdose and the kids don’t know what they are taking,” she explained about Snapchat.
Berman shared that her son was a “straight A student,” who was “getting ready for college,” when an “experimentation gone bad” occurred. She added that her and her husband “watched him so closely,” yet, their son “got the drugs delivered to the house.” She continued, “My heart is completely shattered and I am not sure how to keep breathing. I post this now only so that not one more kid dies,” Berman wrote, before sharing the following warning with fellow parents: “Please watch your kids and WATCH SNAPCHAT especially. That’s how they get them.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine, but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), which states that synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. — Our thoughts are with the Berman family during this difficult time. HollywoodLife has 5 quick facts to know about Dr. Laura Berman:
1. Laura Berman is a relationship expert & sex therapist.
Laura has two masters degrees and a PhD degree from New York University and has spent the last several decades serving as a relationship expert and sex therapist. Her work has taken her in-front of the camera, where she hosts In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman on th e Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). She’s also a regular guest on The Dr. Oz Show, in which she serves on the advisory board. Bernam has also appeared on Today and The Steve Harvey Show, among other news and lifestyle programs. She hosts her own nationally syndicated radio program, Uncovered with Dr. Laura Berman, and she previously starred in Showtime’s reality TV series, Sexual Healing. Additionally, Berman contributes to women’s magazines, as well as other major publications and news outlets.
2. Laura Berman is a ‘NY Times’ best-selling author.
Dr. Berman is the author of eight books: Real Sex for Real Women: Intimacy, Pleasure, & Sexual Wellbeing; For Women Only: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Sexual Dysfunction; The Passion Prescription: 10 Weeks to Your Best Sex — Ever!; It’s Not Him: It’s You! How To Take Charge of Your Life and Create the Love and Intimacy You Deserve; The Book of Love: Every Couple’s Guide to Emotional and Sexual Intimacy; Quantum Love: Use Your Body’s Atomic Energy to Create the Relationship You Desire; Talk to Your Kids About Sex; and Secrets of the Sexually Satisfied Woman: 10 Keys to Unlocking Ultimate Pleasure, which she co-authored with her sister Dr. Jennifer Berman.
3. Laura Berman is a podcast host.
On February 14, 2021, Berman will officially launch her new podcast, Language of Love — where she’ll discuss everything from sex, to relationships, love and more. She encourages listeners to submit any and all questions because “we’re all in this together to love and be loved better, so no questions are off limits!”
4. Laura Berman has two other sons.
Berman, who was raised in Glynn County, Georgia, currently lives in Chicago and Los Angeles for work. She’s married and is mom to sons Ethan (born in 1999) and Jackson (born in 2005). Sam was Berman’s middle child.
5. Laura Berman has her own line of sex toys.
In addition to her sexual healing e-course, Berman sells her own line of sex toys. More information on the latter topics is detailed on her website.