Holidays can be a mix of emotions, stress, and anxiety. Many different factors come into play with adoptees and the holiday season, join us today while we discuss the difficulty that comes with being adopted and the holiday season.

For our listeners, please feel free to reach out if you need someone to talk to during these times. Our team here at the Tough Love Podcast wants to recognize the current state of the world right now, and is extending a listening ear to anyone who might need it. 

Interested in being on the show? Know an adoptee who might be? Please send us an email, [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast 

Difficult conversations can arise anywhere, even at work. Join us while we discuss how different workplace environments can affect us either positively or negatively as adoptees.

We are looking for topics and potential interviewees! Please, please, please, if you have any ideas or know of anyone who would like to be on the show, send us an email at [email protected] or reach out on our Instagram @tough.love.podcast. Thank you!

Trigger Warning: Death 

Why are goodbyes so hard for adopted people? 

Join us this week as we discuss how abandonment, and our wounds surrounding abandonment, come up in our lives. 

Interested in being on the show? Send us an email: [email protected] 

Follow us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast

Welcome back! We all had very busy and challenging summers, and we wanted to update you all during this episode. We apologize for the hiatus, but we're back to interviews, conversations, and connections. Thank you all so much!

Interested in being on the show? Know someone who might be? Email us: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast

"My name is Laura May. I was adopted when I was an infant and have had an incredible life with my family. I met Lauren in high school and we became fast friends. Her family also took me in as one of their own, as I was a boarding student at our school and Lauren was a day student. You could say I was adopted twice, once by my family and once by Lauren's. I am a proud adoptee. I am excited to share my story of having my own biological daughters and them being the first biological family members I have ever met. So grateful to my friend Lauren for asking me to be a part of the Tough Love Podcast."

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Interested in being on the show? Know someone who might be interested? Send us an email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast

Trigger Warning: Disordered Eating

Welcome back, Tough Love Family! For this episode, Lauren and Deontae spoke to Narmada Morris, an international/transracial adoptee, about disordered eating and how it plays a part in many adoptees' stories. 

More about Narmada...

"My name is Narmada Morris. I was adopted when I was 2 from India and grew up in Colorado with my mom. I Began attending Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families when I was 5 and it was amazing growing up around adoptees, I began volunteering for HCAF as an adult and am proud to be a board member. I love my adoption community and I have learned so much from connecting to different families. It has really become an integral part of my life."

Interested in being on the show? Know someone who might be? Send us an email: [email protected]

Find us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast

Trigger Warning: Suicide

Adoptees are 4X more likely to attempt suicide than non-adoptees. An ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) score of 4 or more puts you more at risk of attempting suicide by 1220%. The number of attempted suicides in 2019 was 1.8 million. 

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Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com

QPR Institute Training: https://qprinstitute.com/individual-training  

Adverse Childhood Experiences: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html  

Dr. Nadine Hood, TedTalk on Adverse Childhood Experiences: https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en

Amanda Baden, when to tell children they are adopted: https://www.montclair.edu/newscenter/2019/07/22/the-best-time-to-disclose-adoption-status-to-children/

Raise the Future: https://www.raisethefuture.org

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Find Moses:

IG: @mytruthislouder

Twitter:

@mosesfarrow

And on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkOnoAwftO1KOK2LI7dLNaA 

Welcome back, Tough Love Community! I interviewed my identical twin sister, Natalie, who I was adopted with from Russia in 1999. We spoke about our differences and similarities regarding life, processing, healing, and of course adoption. Being identical twin sister and coming from closed adoptions has impacted us both in many different ways, and we hope that this episode sheds some light on the importance of individual personal development. 

Interested in being on the show? Know someone who might be? Send us an email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast

Welcome back, Tough Love Community! In this episode, we welcome our first guest to the podcast. 

Katie Barry (she/her) is a domestic adoptee born, raised, and living in Denver, Colorado. She's an Estate Planning and Probate paralegal. She's passionate about adventure, self-exploration, writing, children, all things adoption-related, and her 15 year old cat, Carl. 

Katie shared her experiences and thoughts surrounding abandonment, and we talked about the importance of finding community. 

Interested on being in the show? Know someone who might be? Send us an email: [email protected]

Find us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast

Welcome back, Tough Love Community! In this episode, Lauren and Deontae share their experiences regarding their relationships with their biological families. 

Interested in being on the show? Know someone who might be? Send us an email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram! @tough.love.podcast