Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

Eps 128: Liz Blackwell-Moore is on Breaking Down how to Navigate Adolescents and Drug Use (YIKES!)

Listen Later

Alright - My guest today is Liz Blackwell-Moore. I connected with Liz through my friend, and one of your fave podcast guests, Julietta Skoog from besproutable.com. I am so excited to have Liz on today to talk about an incredibly relevant topic – kids and drugs. GAH. I know. No one really WANTS to talk about this, but we have to.

Liz has been working in the field of substance use since 2000. Her current work involves working with community coalitions and organizations to provide training on prevention strategies as well as technical assistance to translate public health research into practice and implement a restorative trauma-informed approach to addressing public health problems.

So basically, Liz is going to break it all down for us in a way that is helpful. She lives in Portland, Maine with her wife, two happy kids, and a puppy.

Content:

  • Liz shares about her early work with people involved with substance abuse and was drawn to exploring prevention work
  • How can we make “systems” (including the family) better for young people, with more support in their lives?
  • What the “risk taking years” feels like, according to Casey
  • Liz shares her moms’ analogy of the two boats
  • Adolescent brain development
  • It’s like a house being build bottom up
  • Built through interactions and the environment kids experience
  • Reward center develops first – ready to go, “volume turned up”
  • Front, logical part of brain not fully developed, and not integrated
  • W/o the desire to try new things, how would they ever leave home??
  • The perception and science of marijuana and adolescence
  • National Academy of Sciences – research on the research
  • Young people using
  • Impacts learning and memory
  • Significant effects on mental health
  • “Regular use” – once every 30 days
  • 2xs more likely to become depressed
  • 3xs more likely to have suicidal thoughts
  • Kids with MH issues are more likely to use/self-medicate
  • Initially make people feel calm/relaxed
  • Brain likes to do what’s easy so eventually wants more
  • What about vaping
  • Tobacco companies are SO LAME – trying to suck in kids
  • Some kids just the flavoring
  • Not regulated – we don’t know what is in it
  • Lots of kids ARE putting nicotine and weed into the vape
  • All drugs impact the reward center of the brain – putting young people at a greater risk of addiction later in life
  • Rewires/primes the brain for addiction
  • How do we get them to wait????
  • Relationship is the most powerful tool we have… Share our values… AND – THEY HAVE CRAZY REWARD CENTERS!!! GAH!!!
  • Be present, listen, develop a strong relationship
  • Set clear expectations – bring it up in a variety of ways
  • Continue to bring it back to what their goals are, how might risky behavior get in the way?
  • Help them to “see” the bigger picture
  • Restorative practices: Hold them accountable while offering support
  • What are you getting out of this?
  • What were you thinking?
  • How else can you get thrills?
  • Social connection?
  • Is this a mental health issue?
  • Having these conversations REQUIRES the adults to be in solid relationship with their kids
  • Also, our stuff shows up and gets in the way – fear, rigidity
  • Ok to say, “this is disappointing” “this is hard for me” – they need to know how they are impacting their parents
  • Teens aren’t great with nuance
  • SLEEP MATTERS!!
  • Natural consequences are powerful
  • Boundaries are MESSY
  • How do we balance nurture and structure?? It’s a dance
  • How do we know when it really is a problem?
  • Major changes in physical appearance
  • Personality
  • Participation
  • Peer group changes
  • Public image has changed
  • org – online resources
  • 20-minute guide – helping parents use motivational interviewing 20inuteguide.com
  • Find your people!
  • There is uncertainty and change AND we all have flexible, learning brains – we can be resilient!!


    • Resources:https://the20minuteguide.com/http://www.drugfree.org/

    Where to find Liz:

    Birchlanestrategies.com (under-construction) Linked in

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Joyful Courage for Parenting TeensBy Casey O'Roarty
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    246 ratings

    More shows like Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

    View all
    Mindful Mama: Raising Kind, Confident Kids Without Losing Your Cool | Parenting Strategies For Big Emotions & More by Hunter Clarke-Fields

    Mindful Mama: Raising Kind, Confident Kids Without Losing Your Cool | Parenting Strategies For Big Emotions & More

    437 Listeners

    Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children by Debbie Reber

    Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

    962 Listeners

    Therapist Uncensored Podcast by Sue Marriott LCSW, CGP & Ann Kelley PhD

    Therapist Uncensored Podcast

    1,387 Listeners

    AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety by Natasha Daniels: Child Therapist, Child Anxiety and Child OCD Expert

    AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

    1,196 Listeners

    Beautifully Complex by Penny Williams

    Beautifully Complex

    352 Listeners

    Calm Parenting Podcast by Kirk Martin

    Calm Parenting Podcast

    1,398 Listeners

    Neurodiversity Podcast by Emily Kircher-Morris

    Neurodiversity Podcast

    421 Listeners

    Raising Good Humans by Dear Media, Aliza Pressman

    Raising Good Humans

    1,861 Listeners

    Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry by Lynn Lyons LICSW, Robin Hutson

    Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry

    450 Listeners

    Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam by Dr. Cam

    Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam

    59 Listeners

    Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens by Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

    Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

    121 Listeners

    Good Inside with Dr. Becky by Dr. Becky Kennedy

    Good Inside with Dr. Becky

    4,381 Listeners

    We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle and Audacy

    We Can Do Hard Things

    41,337 Listeners

    This Is So Awkward by Peoples Media, This Is So Awkward

    This Is So Awkward

    316 Listeners

    Parenting & You With Dr. Shefali by Dr. Shefali / Maia Wisdom

    Parenting & You With Dr. Shefali

    158 Listeners