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Mental health advocate Sam Anthony brought a deeply personal account of anxiety, addiction and survival to McLean students on Friday, March 6, joining a local family determined to prevent another overdose tragedy.

Anthony partnered with the Drew Stieg Aspiring Wellness Program, which helps student-athletes and their families confront the risks of substance use. The Stieg family created the organization after losing Drew Stieg, a former McLean baseball standout and Class of 2020 graduate, to an overdose while he was attending George Mason University in 2022.

Alexa Stieg, Drew’s older sister, said Anthony’s emphasis on fitness, self-care and honest conversations fits the family’s mission. After Drew’s death, she said, her family struggled to locate help because overdose was rarely discussed openly in the community.

Drew had been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression during childhood and was introduced to prescription medications as treatment. What began with legitimate medical intentions gradually became dependence during high school and eventually an addiction that led to his fatal overdose.

Anthony told students that his own substance use also began as an attempt to manage persistent anxiety. He recalled constantly worrying about how others judged him and taking his first drink at age 12 in search of relief.

“Growing up, there was a voice in my head that feared judgment from others,” Anthony said. “Every thought, every interaction, every conversation, that voice was always there, and I didn’t know how to get rid of it.”

Alcohol briefly masked that distress but ultimately intensified it. Anthony described what he experienced as “mentalization overload,” or repeatedly trying to anticipate other people’s thoughts to avoid embarrassment. He encouraged students to recognize anxiety as serious distress rather than a minor inconvenience.

“If you want to know how addiction and unhealthy coping start, you really have to learn to recognize some patterns,” he said.

As Anthony’s alcohol and drug use escalated, so did the consequences. He was arrested six times and repeatedly put his life at risk. In 2013, he regained consciousness in an intensive care unit after an overdose.

“I didn’t want to die that night,” Anthony said. “I just had no idea how to live.”

He explained that using substances was less about seeking a high than silencing the turmoil in his mind. The overdose ultimately forced him to reconsider how he was living and begin confronting the vulnerability he had resisted when he was younger.

Anthony urged students not to let fear of judgment or labels prevent them from seeking assistance. While people cannot control everything said or done to them, he said, self-reflection can help them choose how to respond.

Senior Youssef Zmantar said Anthony’s honesty made the presentation memorable, particularly his message that difficult experiences do not have to determine a person’s future.

“Hearing his story reminded me that setbacks don’t mean the end of your path and that growth often comes from difficult experiences,” Zmantar said.

For the Stieg family, bringing Anthony to McLean was also a way to make support visible to students before they reach a crisis. Alexa Stieg said speakers willing to discuss these subjects openly can help the foundation raise awareness, reduce stigma and show young people that resources exist.

“I want the students to know that there are resources out there, and it is normal to go through challenges,” she said.