Hopestream: Parenting Kids Through Addiction & Mental Health

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
When I heard today’s guest on another (seemingly unrelated) podcast, I immediately wanted to bring his wisdom and perspective to the listeners of Hopestream. 

After years of stimulant and other substance abuse, Adam Sud tried to take his own life with an overdose - which thankfully failed. In the decade that followed that pivotal event, he became a behavioral wellness nutrition expert, international speaker, and the founder and CEO of a nonprofit that studies how nutrition impacts mental health and addiction.

I began this interview wanting to bring you a conversation more specifically about food and nutrition, but once we got started, it was clear that Adam had SO MUCH MORE to share – about the core motivations and behaviors connected to substance misuse. 

He’s full of truths that are sometimes hard to hear but are invaluable to help parents understand what their kids are going through, how to be an active part of their recovery, and, importantly, how not to sabotage it.

This episode is long, but that’s because it’s full of gems that I couldn’t bury in the editing room. Over the course of this conversation, we discuss:

• Why we must understand how it “makes perfect sense” to misuse drugs and alcohol 
• The evolutionary programming that leaves humans susceptible to addiction
• Why we should never ask, “Why won’t you stop?” and what to ask instead
• How food both fueled and healed Adam’s addictive patterns
• How the notion of willpower has become a trap
• Why Adam believes the word “recovery” shouldn’t be defined as “an absence of substances”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• INFINITE Study about the benefits of a plant-based diet in addiction recovery
• Adam Sud's website
• Rip Esselstyn, PlantStrong
• Doug Lisle, Ph.D., Author, The Pleasure Trap
• Doug Lisle, Ph.D. Ted Talk
• Plant Based for Positive Change (Adam’s nonprofit organization)
• Johan Hari Ted Talk (Rat Park Experiment)

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Shorty episode alert 💫⁠
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Today I'm taking a break from talking about addiction, substances, mental health, all.the.things. ⁠
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Instead, I'm sharing six decisions you get to make as a parent that can help better your life when you have a child struggling with substances or finding their way to recovery.⁠
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It's a quicky that will give you a few things to consider if you feel a bit untethered or like life is controlling you vs. the other way around.⁠

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
On several occasions, Hopestream has hosted conversations about the complex intersection of substance use and other issues like anxiety, trauma, and ADD. 

But there’s one convergence we haven’t yet discussed: substance use, addiction, and autism.  After searching for a trustworthy specialist, we're finally covering this topic today with neuropsychologist Dr. Brandon Park, Founder and Executive Director of New Focus Academy.

In this episode, Dr. Park explains why kids with autism can find themselves especially susceptible to addictions – not just to alcohol and drugs, but also technology use and other behaviors.  Over the course of this conversation we discuss:

• What is neurodiversity and how does it impact teens and young adults?
• Indicators for undiagnosed autism
• Why some kids (especially girls) are good at masking neurodivergence and how that makes them even more vulnerable
• What parents need to know if they're considering treatment for a neurodiverse child
• How therapists and mental health professionals can sometimes misunderstand the experience and needs of kids with autism
• The importance of working with professionals who can parse the connections between trauma, autism, substance use, and other issues

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• New Focus Academy Website
• Instagram: @newfocusacademy
• Social Emotional Fluency Model developed by Dr. Park

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
You might hear the term "boundaries" thrown around as you work to parent your child who's misusing drugs and alcohol - but what exactly are they, and why do you need them?

Hopestream Community co-founder Cathy Cioth and I deep dive into this topic today because we see parents in our communities struggle with it constantly. 

We share:

• What boundaries are and are not
• We divulge some of our own struggles with setting and holding boundaries
• What can happen if you don't have boundaries 
• Why Cathy called herself the "marshmallow" when it came to holding boundaries with her kids
• Examples of boundaries we set with our families during our experience with our kids

It's practical, a little humorous, and revealing in a way that may help you gain some confidence and control in what can feel like a very out-of-control situation.

Please click here if you'd like to join the Hopestream Community two-hour boundaries workshop and come away with an actionable plan to make a change in your life and family.

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
In this episode, Stream advisor Dina Cannizzaro is back with me to discuss the profound lessons in the story of the Chinese farmer.  The parable applies to everyone’s lives, but it is especially relevant for those going through difficult times, as many parents in the Hopestream Community are.  Take it from two moms who have survived their child’s extreme substance misuse: you never know what good may come from tragedy and misfortune.

Yes, we are acutely aware of how crazy that sounds to parents currently going through it. It certainly would have sounded crazy to us amid our children’s struggles. But take a few minutes to hear us out. In this episode, we discuss:

• what the radical skepticism of the Chinese farmer has to teach us about withholding judgment and letting go of what we cannot control
• the one thing we can (and should!) control in situations that often leave us feeling powerless
• how Dina’s son taught her that she had her own recovery to do
• the power of a parent's “tagline”
• being a shining light in the dark experiences of children dealing with substance use

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
By the time Cindy learned to establish boundaries with her son Colin, he had already endured brain injuries and intubations as a result of his alcohol abuse. When Colin finally called her from jail one night, she knew that she shouldn’t bail him out despite her instincts. She expressed sympathy but didn't offer to rescue him - again.

As Colin stewed in a holding cell that night, he realized his parents would no longer buffer him from the natural consequences of his actions. And he knew if he continued down his current path, his life would culminate into nothing.

Since that day, Cindy and Colin have both experienced profound personal growth. Colin is now a fitness enthusiast serving as director of personal training at a gym. Cindy is an advisor in The Stream Community and personal coach to several moms. Their story gives hope that change can and does happen – and that’s what Hopestream is all about.

In this episode, I talk to Cindy and Colin together about how they each experienced Colin’s addiction and the work they both had to do to move beyond it. We discuss:

• Cindy's go-to strategy for getting through their family's crisis
• what they each wish they had known during Colin’s addiction and recovery
• why parents must confront their own issues to have whole-family healing
• the practical application of boundaries
• a Netflix show that helped Colin move forward and thrive in long-term recovery

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Tara Branch
• Kristin Neff
• Partnership to End Addiction
• Psalm 80
• Stutz

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
On this episode of Hopestream, the show comes full circle to its roots. My guest, Jess Kupferman, is the CEO of She Podcasts, a membership-based group of all-women podcasters that played an important role in the creation of this show. 

What I didn’t know when I launched the podcast was that Jess lost her daughter to a heroin overdose at the same time I was going through our family struggles with my son.

One of the most fascinating things about Jess is the way she has learned to process this trauma with a sharp sense of humor rarely seen in addiction and recovery spaces. Don’t feel bad if you laugh a few times while listening to her story, but take her advice on telling your own story seriously.

On this episode Jess and I discuss:

• why she sometimes views her family’s struggles as great sitcom material
• how she “kinda kidnapped” her daughter from a rehab facility
• the frustrating state of recovery centers for those who suffer from other mental health issues
• the incredible benefits of an all-female podcasting community
• baby steps toward telling your own story

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• ShePodcasts
• ShePodcasts Podcast

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
It's a very special Hopestream episode today in memory of a dear friend and host of The Woods Community, Bill Guy.

Bill passed away June 2nd and he leaves a big gap in the world - we were fortunate to have had him as a generous and brave leader for our community in it's infancy. 

Bill was on the podcast late last year and to honor his legacy of helping parents of kids with substance misuse challenges I decided to share a compilation of beautiful thoughts and insights from our previous conversation.

If you want to hear the voice of someone who led by example and epitomized the approach of love, education, empathy, boundaries and self-care when your child is misusing substances, you won't find anyone more pure than Bill.

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
It's a shorty episode today, tackling the question of whether a calm approach can work when you have a child misusing substances.

I share my perspective on why I believe parents often think they need to use aggressive, confrontational tactics to get their children to change and invite you into an experiment to test the theory.

I then provide a four-step way to move into a CALM approach when things get heated with your child. It's a simple but effective way to have less drama and more control.

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Figuring out how to parent a teen or young adult experimenting with substances is hard enough on its own.  But if you’re like me, there’s an additional layer of confusion about how this all happened:  Didn’t we provide a stable home life for our kids?  Didn’t they have access to everything they needed?  What did I miss to prevent this?

My guest today is Dr. Crystal Collier, an award-winning therapist working with adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness, behavioral problems, and substance use disorders.  But her experience is not entirely academic.  What made her so interested in recovery was her own misuse of alcohol beginning at age 12, and the difficult times that followed.

After finding recovery at a young age, Crystal had the same question about herself that Hopestream Community parents often have about their own children:  How did an otherwise smart kid with a great family end up making terrible decisions about substance use?

That question led to a 30-year journey of study and service, and I’m happy to share some of Crystal’s insights with you in this episode, including:

• How our own childhood experiences created “Family Of Origin (FOO) buttons,” and how they connect to present-day responses to our kids
• The FOO buttons we are programming into our own kids, and why they could lead to escapism, drug use, and antisocial behavior
• The pervasive myth that when parents allow drinking at home, it prevents excess “forbidden fruit” binging later on
• How helicopter parenting destroys a sense of self-efficacy in young people

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Dr. Collier’s website
• Dr. Collier's Books

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Watch the podcast on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.