Things I Can't Say

Send us Fan Mail

Annie shares her personal journey of navigating PTSD and advocating for her children's mental health needs. She reflects on the challenges faced with her son during middle school and the current struggles with her daughter, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between advocating for necessary supports and excusing behaviors. Annie candidly discusses the emotional toll of revisiting past traumas and the fear of repeating difficult experiences. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Annie discusses the potential causes of her son's behavior, including prenatal drug exposure, early childhood trauma, and the chaotic environment he experienced in foster care. She highlights the difficulties in finding effective psychiatric medications for her son, as many caused severe side effects. She also addresses the impact of marijuana on his mental health, noting its detrimental effects despite its perceived mildness. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

This episode features Annie, who shares her struggles as a parent dealing with a challenging situation involving her son. She describes the difficult transition from protecting her child to protecting others from him, highlighting the emotional turmoil and societal judgment she faces. Annie recounts specific incidents, including accusations against her son and her efforts to minimize harm to others, even when it meant making tough decisions that went against her values. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Annie discusses the complexities of her relationship with her children's birth mother, highlighting the challenges and dynamics of co-parenting in an adoption context. She shares experiences of mediation, the emotional journey of fostering and adopting, and the evolving relationship with their birth mother.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Annie shares her complex feelings about adoption and highlights the challenges and systemic failures she encountered. She discusses the lack of support from the adoption system, particularly in accessing necessary resources for children with special needs. Annie emphasizes the difficulties in navigating a system that often requires situations to reach a crisis point before help is available. Despite her love for fostering and open adoption, she criticizes the current system for not being designed for success.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Do I have regret? Wish I would have done things differently? Annie shares her deeply personal and challenging experiences as a parent navigating a tumultuous family life. She describes the overwhelming stress of managing multiple responsibilities, including her work and family, while dealing with her children's mental health issues. Annie recounts a particularly difficult night that highlighted the ongoing struggles within her family. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The clip features a heartfelt and challenging narrative from Annie, who shares the journey of her son approaching adulthood amidst significant behavioral and mental health challenges. Annie discusses the complexities of her son's past actions, including inappropriate behavior and the impact on their family. She reflects on the struggle to find proactive solutions and the emotional toll of feeling powerless as her son becomes an adult.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Annie shares the challenging journey of moving her son into a group home, hoping for a positive change. Initially, things seemed promising, but quickly deteriorated as her son's behavior worsened, leading to frequent runaways and substance abuse. Despite efforts to secure a safe environment, the situation remained dire. Annie grappled with hope and fear, uncertain about the future.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Annie shares a deeply personal and challenging journey with her son, who faced significant mental health struggles during his high school years. The family dealt with the stress of managing psychiatric medications, unexpected behaviors, and episodes of psychosis. Despite efforts to find the right treatment, including hospital stays and day treatment programs, the situation escalated with substance use and behavioral issues. The family faced difficult decisions, including moving their son to a group home for better support. Throughout, Annie highlights the emotional toll on the family and the ongoing search for solutions.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Annie shares a deeply personal and challenging experience about her son, who began exhibiting uncontrollable and destructive behavior shortly after moving into a new home. Her son experienced episodes of anger, causing significant damage to their home. The family, unable to find a diagnosis or effective help, faced daily struggles, involving paramedics and police to manage the situation. As her son started high school and entered a new relationship, the situation seemed to stabilize briefly, but the reintroduction of substances led to further decline, which Annie plans to discuss in a future episode.

Support the show