my experience & relationship with stress, trauma, food, pain and healing; an interview on The Work IN podcast
I'm excited to share this episode of The Work IN podcast where I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with Erika Thomas, founder of Elemental Kinetics and talk about my experiences and relationship with stress, trauma, food, pain, An-Anon, family, triggers, exercise and more! We often find ourselves in physical pain, mentally exhausted, and generally unhealthy when we have a child misusing drugs or alcohol. At one point I wondered if I was just getting old or if there was really something medically wrong with me. It's confusing and you need to know it's normal - which is why taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do to help your child.
a special episode: in the grip
I believe it's important to humanize the faceless statistics you see in the news about those struggling with substance use and addiction - the people are real, the families are real, and each has its own distinct story. The impact is massive and is made up of millions of individual tragedies. While I take a short break I'm sharing this special project with you, a short collection of writings called "In The Grip." These are 20 short chapters that drop you directly into our lives, hospital rooms, and conversations during a 30 day period when my son experienced two (non-fatal) overdoses in 2017.
the wild recovery story helping make sober high school an option for teens, with Seth Welch
Parenting a teen or young adult through substance use or addiction is a massive challenge, but layering on the complexity of a child who is questioning their sexual identity or openly part of the LGBTQ+ community makes it even more difficult. This episode is a must-listen for parents who are wondering how to approach their child with questions around sexuality and identity, or who have an openly gay or transgender child who’s also struggling with substance use. It’s complex, it’s confusing and it’s crucial to have this conversation.
the marijuana episode: the real deal about teens, weed and addiction with Dr. Nzinga Harrison
If there's one topic that worries and frustrates parents everywhere, it's marijuana. Cannabis, weed, MJ, whatever you want to call it, when your teen or young adult child is using it, or using it too much, it's hard to know what to do. This episode is a MUST-LISTEN for parents who are concerned about their child's marijuana use because Dr. Nzinga Harrsion breaks down the real deal for you, giving practical advice and sharing some alarming information about what we may think of as an “ok” substance.
adolescent substance use and recovery in the LGBTQ+ community, with Beck Gee-Cohen
Parenting a teen or young adult through substance use or addiction is a massive challenge, but layering on the complexity of a child who is questioning their sexual identity or openly part of the LGBTQ+ community makes it even more difficult. This episode is a must-listen for parents who are wondering how to approach their child with questions around sexuality and identity, or who have an openly gay or transgender child who’s also struggling with substance use. It’s complex, it’s confusing and it’s crucial to have this conversation.
why do they do what they do? answers on addiction from one who’s lived It, with Stacy Eakman (parts 1 & 2)
Nearly every parent of a child who’s living in addiction has the same questions, like, “why do they keep taking drugs or drinking alcohol when it’s ruining their life, making them sick, killing their family, and pretty much everything in their life?” or, “why do they do things that are so high risk, and obviously have bad outcomes?”
In this 2-part season opener, you’ll hear a mind-blowing story of an all-American baseball star who goes from imagining a Major League Baseball career to being broke, addicted to heroin and cocaine, and stealing anything he could from his loving and caring parents.
how do you set boundaries and live with natural consequences when your child is abusing drugs or alcohol? Real talk with Julie Jarvis, Ph.D.
If you've spent any time learning ways to parent a child who's experimenting with drugs or alcohol, or who's in active addiction, you've likely heard about the concept of setting and holding boundaries, and about letting natural consequences happen. But how do you actually do those things when they feel confusing and hard? In this episode, I do a deep dive with Julie Jarvis, Ph.D. into these two specific strategies parents can use in their families.
launched & unraveled: what to do when substance use or emotional issues disrupt college plans with Joanna Lilley
The transition from high school to college is never easy and some teens get to this phase in life and stall or "bomb out" with emotional challenges like anxiety and depression, or use substances to cope with the stress and demands of college life.
Parents can find themselves writing huge tuition checks for college semesters that may end up unfinished and questioning what to do with their young adult student who isn't thriving.
This episode will be a welcome dose of reality and hope for you if your student is unraveling as they leave high school, struggle in college or are just stalled altogether.
how heavy is your glass? perspective and coping skills for parents of teens struggling with drugs or alcohol, with Brenda Zane
There are tens of thousands of moms and dads carrying an unimaginable weight every day, trying to figure out how to move ahead when their son or daughter is misusing substances to cope with life. Using a simple story and analogy of holding a glass of water, this episode will provide parents with a powerful way to recognize and approach the stress level in their life.
Ayurveda to balance mind and body: a more holistic approach to stress reduction and addiction recovery with Jessica Ferrol, LMFC, MA, AyuD
Ayurveda is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.” Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” In the U.S., treatment for substance misuse and addiction is often centered around the medical-disease model, but the Ayurvedic model reframes this, focusing on the importance of balance within the body. Ayurvedic practices restore balance to the body, which can increase a person's capability to self-heal. In this special episode, I speak with Jessica Ferrol, an Ayurvedic physician, yoga therapist, licensed mental health counselor, Hakomi practitioner and herbalist who works with people
tending to the Mothership: surviving COVID, kids, drugs, addiction and holidays with Brenda Zane
Uncertainty, unpredictability, fear, anxiety, fatigue, dread...life right now is likely a mixture of all these things and maybe more. As the parent of a child with substance use issues who's also navigating COVID and looking ahead to celebrating holidays, you may be wondering how you can keep it all together. The elements of life you know and love have changed, things you used to be able to count on aren't there anymore, and there's a feeling of underlying anxiety about the future.
systemic barriers, generational trauma, and culturally affirming care; a conversation about race and substance use with Dr. Ayana Jordan
Dr. Ayana Jordan is a passionate advocate for racial and ethnic minority groups dealing with substance use. She's an MD/Ph.D. addiction medicine practitioner and associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine, but more importantly, she's someone who works tirelessly to bring culturally informed, gold-standard addiction treatment to racial and ethnic minority populations.
things you can let go of when your child is misusing drugs or alcohol, with Brenda Zane
Parents who are trying to help a child misusing drugs or alcohol are usually overwhelmed, stressed out and frazzled from trying to keep up with their normal life and deal with the chaos and uncertainty that's invaded their home. Add a global health pandemic, massive social unrest and an election of historic proportions and it can feel like a tidal wave has crashed over your world and you're about to slip under. This episode will be helpful if you're looking for ways to offload some of "life" while you focus on helping your child and yourself.
a brother stolen by addiction and thriving despite generational trauma with City Girl Gone Mom's Danielle Schaffer
Danielle Lucia Schaffer is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her business and her family, but not even this determined, dynamic Italian "momshell" who hails from New York City could save her baby brother from the grip of addiction. As founder of the insanely popular blog and Instagram account, City Girl Gone Mom, and host of The Mom Confidential podcast, Danielle puts her mind to something and then makes it happen. But sadly, when it comes to addiction, even when you love someone to the ends of the earth, you can't always save them.
10 practical steps to help you and your child misusing drugs or alcohol, with Brenda Zane
If you've started the process of looking for options to help your son or daughter with substance use issues, you know it can be overwhelming, intimidating, and exhausting. If you're just starting out and thinking about making that first call or sending the first email, you may soon find yourself wading through website after website, at 2 in the morning, wondering how you know you're even doing the right thing.
This episode is a practical guide for parents when you're embarking on the arduous journey of finding resources, programs, therapists, treatment centers, or any type of help for your child who's misusing substances.
life changing grants and scholarships for wilderness therapy: a conversation with Sky's the Limit Fund's Rochelle Bochner and Lani Dorff
When Rochelle Bochner's son was in a wilderness therapy program and she realized only families with strong financial means could access this life-changing experience she teamed up with her friend Lani Dorff to change the game. With a small pool of seed money from her 50th birthday and a plan sketched on a restaurant tablecloth, this dynamic duo has created a world-class non-profit that's helped over 700 families access therapy, after-care and family coaching.
gaslighting: how your child with substance use disorder can make you believe you're crazy, with Brenda Zane
"It didn't happen that way"
"You're way too sensitive, get over it"
"You're confused, I didn't say that"
and 10,000 other ways our teen and young adult kids twist and turn reality until we wonder if maybe we're the ones who need psychotherapy and treatment. It's called gaslighting and it's something you're may be all too familiar with if your child is misusing substances.
college and sobriety - can kids recovering from addiction stay sober on campus? with Keith Murphy, Rutgers University
Parents of kids in recovery from substance use disorder may not think college is a good or even realistic option - who would be crazy enough to send their child who struggles with alcohol or drugs to a place where those things tend to be rampant and "normal?" This episode will be a beacon of hope for those parents who want their kids to continue on to higher education but are skeptical of the idea and don't know where to start in the process.
coaches, mentors and a whole lot of tenacity: wrapping families with the support they need to heal from addiction, with Lori Thompson
Families who have a child or children with substance use disorder often have struggles other families don't ever experience or know about. Having a coach and mentor to come alongside your family is invaluable when it comes to navigating the tricky dynamics involved in overcoming addiction. Lori Thompson, LPC, brings a wealth of hands-on experience working with teens, young adults and parents as they work to make lasting change in their lives and restore damaged relationships.