Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died on September 20 at a rehabilitation facility, according to reporting citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. As of the reporting reviewed on September 21, his cause of death has not been established. Associated Press
My condolences are with Presley Gerber’s family and loved ones, and with every family reading this through the experience of their own loss or fear. So much attention goes to the person struggling with addiction that the needs of those who love them can be overlooked. They deserve someone who will listen and help them find care for themselves.
For someone who loves a person struggling with addiction, the news of Presley Gerber dying in a rehabilitation facility may be triggering and extremely emotionally distressing. It can bring up the fear of getting that phone call, or memories of a loss they already know too well.
Addiction affects the whole family, and others close to the person struggling with it, making it essential to understand how loved ones are coping and what support they need. Who is losing sleep? Who has taken on more than they can manage? Who has stopped asking for help because someone else’s situation always seems more urgent?
Family members need care in their own right. That need does not disappear when their loved one enters treatment, and it deserves attention after a loss.
The experiences discussed here are general clinical examples, not an assessment of Gerber or his family.
How addiction changes daily life for a family
Addiction affects brain systems involved in reward, stress, and self-control. This helps explain why a person may continue using substances despite wanting to stop and despite damage to their health or relationships. Treatment can help, and recovery is possible. National Institute on Drug Abuse
Meanwhile, life at home still needs to happen. Bills come due. Children need rides. Someone has to decide whether to answer another late-night call or get some sleep before work.
Over time, a family can begin organizing much of its life around the possibility that something will go wrong. A partner takes over responsibilities. A parent spends evenings looking into treatment options. A sibling decides to keep their own problems quiet.
From the outside, everyone may appear to be managing. That tells us very little about what it costs them to keep going. SAMHSA emphasizes that family members need to attend to their own health while supporting someone with a mental health or substance use disorder. SAMHSA’s family resources
Why it can be hard to stop expecting a crisis
After repeated emergencies, an unanswered message may no longer feel like just an unanswered message. It can set off a familiar chain of worry: Where are they? Are they using? Have they overdosed? Should I call for a welfare check?
A trauma-informed approach takes that history seriously. If frightening events have occurred, it makes sense to ask how those experiences are shaping the person’s reactions now. Heightened hypervigilance deserves attention when it interferes with sleep or takes over daily life.
Therapy can help loved ones distinguish between a problem that needs action and fear about what might happen, especially when exhaustion makes it hard to think clearly. Working with a professional to create a response plan clarifies when to act, whom to contact, and what they can reasonably take responsibility for, reducing the pressure to stay on alert around the clock.
Grief can begin while someone is still alive
There is a name for grieving a loss you fear may be coming: anticipatory grief. Addiction recovery writer William L. White has described how it can affect families living with a loved one’s addiction. Chestnut Health Systems
Someone might worry that their child will not live to reach the milestones they once imagined. Another person may be grieving changes that have already occurred, such as lost trust or the ease they once felt with their partner.
Loved ones may struggle to acknowledge their grief, fearing that doing so means losing hope for recovery. Acknowledging grief does not mean giving up hope for recovery. Talking about sadness can help loved ones process what they have experienced without assuming the worst will happen.
Families may still need help when treatment begins
A loved one entering treatment can bring enormous relief. It may also leave family members wondering why they still feel anxious, angry, or unable to relax.
Beginning treatment does not immediately repair the strain addiction has placed on relationships. Rebuilding trust takes time and consistency, and family members may need to adjust responsibilities at home and decide when they feel ready to reconnect. White’s discussion of family recovery emphasizes the importance of continued support throughout this process. Chestnut Health Systems
Individual therapy gives loved ones space to address their own feelings and needs, while family therapy, when appropriate and safe, can help them discuss expectations and boundaries together. Both allow room for unresolved concerns as recovery progresses.
You do not have to wait for your loved one to enter treatment to seek support for yourself.
When grief comes with judgment and unanswered questions
After a substance-related death, questions about drug use or treatment can overshadow the family’s loss, leaving loved ones feeling that their grief—and the person they are mourning—has been overlooked. This is disenfranchised grief.
Disenfranchised grief describes grief that is not adequately acknowledged or supported socially. A person may feel they have to defend their loved one before they can talk about missing them.
In a qualitative study involving interviews with 35 people bereaved by an overdose, participants described stigma, alienation, and a lack of support. The findings show how others’ responses can add to grief, although they do not represent every family’s experience. Stout and Fleury-Steiner, OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying
Unfinished conversations can leave loved ones replaying arguments, questioning boundaries, or wishing they had answered a call. When these thoughts become persistent or distressing, therapy can help them work through guilt and understand those moments within the full relationship. Feeling responsible does not mean they could have prevented the death, and one difficult conversation does not define the love they shared.
When is it time to seek support?
You don't have to wait until you can't work or care for yourself to seek help. Consider reaching out if:
- Worry or poor sleep is repeatedly affecting your daily life.
- Monitoring a loved one’s safety takes up much of your attention.
- You feel overwhelmed by treatment decisions or disagreements at home.
- Following a loss, self-blame, distressing memories, or isolation feel difficult to manage.
- You are using more alcohol or other substances to cope.
Grief itself is not automatically a disorder. A clinician considers the circumstances of the loss, the person’s culture, their symptoms, and how they are functioning over time. Prolonged grief disorder is a specific diagnosis; grieving deeply is not enough to establish it. American Psychiatric Association
You do not need to arrive at an appointment knowing whether you have a diagnosis. You can begin by describing what has become difficult and what you would like help with.
Frequently Asked Questions About Addiction, Family Stress, and Grief
Can I go to therapy if my loved one is the person struggling with addiction?
Yes. Your appointment can focus on how the situation is affecting you, whether that means constant worry, conflict at home, or feeling responsible for decisions you cannot control. Your loved one does not have to participate for you to seek individual support. Psychiatric Alternatives & Wellness Center (PAWC) offers individual, couples, and family therapy.
Is it normal to grieve while my loved one is still alive?
Yes. You may miss how your relationship used to feel or worry about losing the person altogether. Those feelings can exist alongside hope for recovery. A therapist can help you talk through them without assuming that you have given up on your loved one.
Why am I still anxious now that my loved one is in treatment?
The change in circumstances may be recent; the fear may have been building for a long time. You may need time and support to feel more settled. When contacting PAWC, explain what is happening in everyday terms: perhaps you cannot sleep, keep checking your phone, or struggle to concentrate. That information can help the intake team understand the care you are looking for.
Can counseling help if I feel guilty about something that happened before a death?
It can give you a place to talk honestly about it. You do not have to hide anger, regret, or a complicated relationship to receive grief support. A therapist can help you examine what you knew and could realistically do at the time, rather than judging yourself only with hindsight. PAWC’s provider network includes clinicians who work with grief and bereavement.
Should I see a therapist or a psychiatrist?
You can start by describing your concerns. Therapy addresses experiences such as grief, family conflict, and persistent worry. A psychiatric evaluation may be appropriate if symptoms such as depression or significant sleep disruption need further assessment. Medication is not automatically necessary because you are grieving. PAWC offers psychotherapy and psychiatric evaluation, so you can ask which appointment would be a suitable starting point.
Can I get help even if I am still managing work and family responsibilities?
Yes. Keeping up with responsibilities does not mean you have to keep handling everything alone. You might be getting through the day but spending most evenings worrying or feeling depleted. You can contact PAWC before those difficulties become more disruptive.
Are online appointments available, and can I use insurance?
PAWC offers telehealth throughout California and in-person appointments across the Bay Area. The practice is in-network with many major insurance plans. Ask the intake team to confirm your benefits, provider availability, and any expected costs before your visit. Learn about PAWC appointments and coverage.
How do I make an appointment?
Complete the intake form on the PAWC website or browse the provider directory. You can explain that you are seeking help with family stress related to addiction, grief after a loss, or another concern. You do not need to have the right clinical words. Start with what has been difficult.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2025, August). Prolonged grief disorder. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/prolonged-grief-disorder
Associated Press. (2026, September 21). Presley Gerber, son of Cindy Crawford and model, dies at 27. https://apnews.com/article/237ebcf4d1cda2811cecd9f8c27b2dab
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, July 6). Drug misuse and addiction. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addiction
Psychiatric Alternatives & Wellness Center. (n.d.-a). Find your provider. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://psychiatricalternatives.com/find-your-provider
Psychiatric Alternatives & Wellness Center. (n.d.-b). Therapy & psychiatry covered by insurance. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://psychiatricalternatives.com/
Psychiatric Alternatives & Wellness Center. (n.d.-c). Therapy & psychiatry services, in-network. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://psychiatricalternatives.com/our-services
Stout, J. H., & Fleury-Steiner, B. (2026). Stigmatized bereavement: A qualitative study on the impacts of stigma for those bereaved by a drug-related death. OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, 92(3), 1364–1383. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228231203355
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2026, August 3). Helping families cope with mental health and substance use disorders. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/children-and-families/coping-resources
White, W. L. (2014, January 3). Anticipatory grief and family recovery. Chestnut Health Systems. https://chestnut.org/li/william-white-library/blogs/article/2014/01/anticipatory-grief-and-family-recovery
