In this podcast episode James Lumumba and I discuss mental illness and addiction in teens/young adults and my story with my son.  SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2242pedOY3lYWDk31CDvkG?si=eec3b453514a4f39 ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/losing-my-son-to-addiction-with-debbie-gail/id1583988945?i=1000575261447 ONLINE: https://www.podpage.com/dontbeafraidtotalkpodcast/

When your child has mental illness or addiction, you may feel there is no other way than to feel in a constant state of stress. Maybe you have even become accustomed to it and so this state feels very familiar. Stress can be very damaging to your own health. And it can create an emotional…

Have you found the best way to communicate with your teen or young adult child?  I know sometimes this can feel frustrating.  

It’s possible to work on having a closer relationship with your teen or young adult child even while they are struggling with issues. You don’t have to wait until their mental illness is more under control, until they stop using drugs, or until they are making the decisions for their life that you agree with.…

If you have a child who is struggling with mental illness or addiction, please do not blame yourself.  If your teen or young adult child chooses to stop taking their medications or self medicates with drugs, it is not your fault. And it is not your fault they became ill in the first place. It…

It may feel like your mentally ill teen or young adult child blames you for their illness, their problems, and whatever else is happening in their life. It may sometimes feel like they are so angry at you and even want to say hurtful things to you. But here is the thing to remember…this is…

When your teen or young adult has mental illness or addiction, one big thing you are going through is that life is much different than before.   Your child is much different than before. How they communicate, their moods, their expressions, their abilities.   Your relationship with them may be different too. Grieving the loss of how…

One of my favorite quotes is “where focus goes, energy flows” by Tony Robbins. I love it because it empowers me with the ability to choose whether I will experience more negativity or more positivity based on where my focus is.   That way, I can focus my attention on what I want more of. I…

Since I started as a coach, one thing I have noticed is that one of the biggest things holding people back is their mindset. When they believe something they want isn’t possible for them, everything they say or do relates to how and why this thing won’t happen. So by their actions or inactions, they…

If you are experiencing disconnection with your teen or young adult, I know this can sometimes feel very difficult as to how to go about becoming closer again. Especially when they struggle with mental illness or addiction and you both disagree about the path for them. You want them to be on their medications, be…