things to do while your child is in treatment, for the first or 20th time, with Brenda Zane
It's a really common question parents have, "my son/daughter just went to treatment...now what?"If this is a place you find yourself, this episode will give you some assurance, guidance, and thoughts about what to do during this time of change. There can be so many mixed emotions from relief to sadness and even guilt...whether it's the first time your child is in treatment, or even if you've been down the treatment road many times.
what does it mean to be “in recovery?” why it's confusing for parents and what we should focus on to help our kids make positive change, with Brenda Zane
In honor of September being National Recovery Month, I'm sharing an episode all about the confusing topic of "recovery." Does it mean total abstinence from all drugs and alcohol, forever? Are there “flavors” of recovery? If you're a parent or love someone who's working on overcoming addiction and you're confused about what recovery actually is or isn't - this is your episode.
self-Compassion, laziness, or self-sabotage? being the right kind of good to yourself when your child struggles with drugs or alcohol, with Brenda Zane
If you're working on being a little more self-compassionate and practicing self-care, there may be times when you ask yourself, "am I just being lazy?" You might also find there are times when your so-called self-compassion might feel more like self-sabotage. SO confusing. You end up feeling guilty for not feeling guilty, or vice versa. This snack-sized episode will break down what self-compassion actually is, what it isn't, and importantly, how to tell the difference between healthy self-compassion and laziness or self-sabotage.
rethinking drinking when our kids struggle with substances; why and how you might consider a change, with Casey Davidson
This episode explores that sometimes uncomfortable topic of parents' drinking when they have a son or daughter struggling with substances, and provides non-judgemental information and ideas on how to make a change if you decide it’s right for you. It'll help you completely reframe how you think about alcohol's role in your life, and how this important change might be a big step in role-modeling healthy behavior and coping skills for your children.
a ninja parenting tool for dramatically more calm and productive conversations with a child who’s misusing drugs or alcohol, with Brenda Zane
This is a lighter-than-usual episode to get you thinking about ways you can apply radical self-care and take control of events, people and things that cause friction in your life. If you have a child who's misusing substances, you probably spend too little time on yourself and have more than enough friction, so now's the time to change all that.
a 2021 reality report from inside the walls of teen mental health and substance use treatment: are the kids ok?
The siblings. What's happening to our other kids when we have one struggling with lifestyle choices, substance use, or mental health issues? How are they being impacted? What do they know? What should they know, and when? I figured the best way to answer these questions would be to talk with my son, who watched his older brother go through "it" and share his thoughts; what he saw, how he felt, and the impact it's had on his life.
unapologetic, radical self-care to make life better when your child is misusing drugs or alcohol; a lighter episode, with Brenda Zane
This is a lighter-than-usual episode to get you thinking about ways you can apply radical self-care and take control of events, people and things that cause friction in your life. If you have a child who's misusing substances, you probably spend too little time on yourself and have more than enough friction, so now's the time to change all that.
watching from the sidelines; a sibling's vantage point on his brother's risky lifestyle, drug use and recovery, with Marco Narciso
The siblings. What's happening to our other kids when we have one struggling with lifestyle choices, substance use, or mental health issues? How are they being impacted? What do they know? What should they know, and when? I figured the best way to answer these questions would be to talk with my son, who watched his older brother go through "it" and share his thoughts; what he saw, how he felt, and the impact it's had on his life.
shattering the youth treatment mold and getting real about drugs, alcohol and mental health, with Wes Robins & Zac Sweat of Eternal Strength
Wes Robins and Zac Sweat are passionate about helping young people heal and have opened a therapeutic healing center outside of Atlanta, GA to do just that. Eternal Strength Therapeutic Youth Center is an outpatient program without a program, where each client is met with a tailor-made set of activities and therapies that work best for them and their family.
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 5 stages of why and how your child decides to change and what to do at each stage, with Brenda Zane
If you watch your child do harmful things and they don't see them as a problem, they waffle with ambivalence about what they're doing, start and stop behaviors over and over and also struggle with relapse, this is your episode
what are CRAFT and harm reduction, and can they work with teens and young adults who are misusing drugs or alcohol, with Dee-Dee Stout
Dee-Dee Stout is a force to be reckoned with in the world of substance use treatment and specifically in the area of harm reduction. She’s in long-term recovery herself and is an author, coach, speaker and professor. In this episode, Dee-Dee shares much knowledge and wisdom from her work with families and organizations related to CRAFT, motivational interviewing and harm reduction. It’s a must-listen for parents who aren’t finding success with traditional treatment programs or who are just looking for ways to improve the communication between themselves and their child.
when life feels unfair: staying away from victim mentality when your child is misusing drugs or alcohol, with Brenda Zane
There's no doubt that life can feel very unfair when your days and nights become consumed with your child's substance use issues, whether they're just experimenting or in active addiction. We wonder what it would be like to not have a large portion of our hearts and heads filled with worry, doubt, concern and resentment.
This short, personal episode may help you reframe these feelings, while not discounting them or making you feel guilty for having them. You'll discover ways to honor the difficulties in your life while also keeping them in their place and finding joy and peace through the chaos.
your child isn’t the patient: the role parents need to play when a teen or young adult is misusing drugs or alcohol, with Rebekah Tayebi
Rebekah Tayebi has been working with families in a variety of therapeutic settings for 18 years and has valuable insights for parents when they have a child who needs help with mental health issues or substance use. An important one is that your child isn't and shouldn't be identified as the "patient" or client. Listen in to hear why.
releasing trauma from your body; helping parents restore their health through trauma release exercise, with Ericka Thomas
You may not realize how much trauma your body is holding onto from the stress, anxiety, and fear you experience if your son or daughter is misusing substances or having mental health challenges. This episode takes a deep dive into what's happening in your body when you endure months, years, or even decades of trauma and how a very accessible exercise practice, TRE, can provide relief. My guest, Ericka Thomas introduces us to trauma release exercise in this deeply informative episode.
insider perspective, insights and harsh realities parents need to hear from a therapeutic educational consultant with Jennifer Taylor
In this direct, heart-to-heart discussion with Jennifer Taylor, a therapeutic educational consultant in the Bay Area, I ask the questions parents often have and get answers that can sometimes be difficult to hear. Jennifer helps families all over the country develop the right plan and placements that can help their children (teens and young adults) with everything from emotional and behavioral concerns to substance use. You may not like everything you hear, but it's critically important information as you work to help your child.
dear friends and family, this is what i need you to know; a shareable episode to open conversations, with Brenda Zane
It can be really hard to tell friends, family members, and co-workers about your situation if you have a child who's misusing substances - first, you're too exhausted to talk about it, also, they probably won't really understand the nuances and depth of the confusion, fear, and helplessness you feel. I created this episode as one you can share with those people in your life who need to know what's going on but you're having a hard time getting the words out.
how can a therapist help parents when their child is misusing drugs or alcohol? every question you secretly want to ask, with Laura Richer, LMHCA CHt
Laura Richer is a therapist, coach, podcaster and lover of all things mental health. She spent time with me answering all the questions we have about whether or not having a therapist while our child is struggling with substance use or emotional issues will really help. We cover topics like trauma, EMDR, PTSD, marriage and relationships so it’ll be helpful to anyone curious about what a therapist might be able to help them with, without even having to see one.
four counterintuitive things to do when you're overwhelmed by your child's substance use or emotional challenges, with Brenda Zane
In this solo episode, I share four counterintuitive things that can help when you get to the point where you don't know what to do and are paralyzed and feeling helpless. Getting yourself unstuck and encouraged is an important part of helping your son or daughter, so take a short break, dog walk or drive around the neighborhood and soak up some love and hope from today's show.