When your teen is caught in the cycle of substance abuse, it can feel like you’re living in a nightmare you can’t wake up from. You find yourself wondering: Is this just normal teenage behavior? Or is something much bigger going on? I remember asking myself those same questions when my own son was struggling.

That’s why this conversation with Dawn McCord resonated so deeply for me. Dawn is a fellow mom who’s walked the exhausting, heartbreaking path of teen addiction. Her son Carson went from experimenting with marijuana, to overdosing on opioids, and eventually finding healing and recovery through wilderness therapy.

Dawn and I talk about what it’s really like to live through this as a parent, the endless cycle of treatment programs, the fear of overdoses, the strain it can put on your marriage, and the impossible-feeling boundaries you sometimes have to hold. What I love most is that Dawn’s story doesn’t end in despair. Today, Carson is sober, thriving, and building a meaningful life in recovery.

Currently, Dawn, along with her film partners, is producing a film called “Forest for the Trees: The Truth about Wilderness Therapy” which is an in-depth documentary that shares the stories of families who have been positively and negatively impacted by the often-misunderstood industry. The team is in the process of procuring funding so they can start filming late fall 2025-early 2026. Please follow along at www.wildernessdocumentary.com

In this episode on surviving teen addiction, you’ll hear:

• How to know if your teen’s behavior is “normal” experimentation or signs of substance abuse;
• Why the rehab cycle can feel so endless and how to keep going without losing hope;
• The boundaries Dawn had to hold with her son, even when it broke her heart;
• How wilderness therapy became a turning point for their family;
• What it looks like to survive this season as a parent, and even find healing along the way;
• And much more.

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at [email protected]

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And remember parents, the change begins with us.

✨ Free 4-week workshop for parents of teens and young adults: Stop Enabling & Start Supporting — Your Young Adult in 2026.

Hosted by Not Therapy (former “troubled teens” turned coaches who’ve supported 70+ teens/YAs) and parent coach Beth Hillman.

Register for free → https://form.typeform.com/to/CR6KyeKY