Hopestream is the defacto resource for parents who have a teen or young adult child who’s misusing drugs or alcohol, hosted by Brenda Zane. Brenda is a Mayo Clinic Certified health & wellness coach, CRAFT Parent Coach, and mom of a son who nearly lost his life to addiction. Guests include addiction, prevention, and treatment experts, family members impacted by their loved one’s substance use, and wellness and self-care specialists. You’ll also hear heartfelt messages from me, your host. It’s a safe, nurturing respite from the chaos and confusion you live with. We gather in our private communities between the episodes, The Stream for moms and The Woods for dads. Learn more at www.hopestreamcommunity.org.
Parenting out of fear — and not even knowing it Cathy described the first time she heard the phrase ‘parenting out of fear’ and admitted she didn’t know what it meant. ‘All I knew was I was just doing the best that I could,’ she said. It wasn’t until a therapist walked her through it
Building Emotional Sturdiness When Your Child Is Struggling Read More »
The Apology Parents Don’t Need to Keep Making Brenda opens this solo episode by naming something she hears parents repeat constantly: I’m sorry I didn’t catch this sooner. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better parent. I’m sorry this is happening to you. Her message is direct — it is time to put that speech down.
The Difference Between Healthy Guilt and Harmful Self-Blame for Parents Read More »
Episode 335 ABOUT THE EPISODE: There’s an emotion most of us are carrying that we don’t talk about, because we’re pretty sure we’re not allowed to feel it. Anger. Anger at where our kid’s choices have led our family. Anger at what they’re doing to themselves. And underneath it, a heavy layer of guilt for
Anger for Parents of Struggling Teens: How to Recognize It, Name It, and Handle It Read More »
A mom’s experience navigating THC-induced psychosis Lynn, an active member of the Hopestream community, joined the episode to share what she has lived through with her oldest son — now in his mid-twenties — who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder following what she believes was THC-induced psychosis. Her son had been diagnosed with ADHD in
THC-Induced Psychosis in Teens and Young Adults: Signs, Risks, and What Parents Can Do Read More »
When You Confiscate Substances and Things Explode One of the most common scenarios parents face is taking away a substance — a vape pen, pills, alcohol, weed — only to have the situation escalate rapidly. Kids may become aggressive, threaten to hurt themselves, or say things that are genuinely frightening. Brenda and Cathy are clear
Practical Self-Coaching Questions When Your Child Struggles With Alcohol or Drugs Read More »
When a Child in the Community Is Lost Brenda and Cathy open this episode by acknowledging something deeply painful: a child of one of the moms in their community had recently passed away as a result of complications from substance use. They were honest about their hesitation to share it, not wanting to add to
Hard Conversations About Teen Substance Use: Why You Can’t Put Them Off Read More »
Episode 331 When Beth Hillman’s son came home from wilderness treatment, the first crisis didn’t come from him. It came from her. Standing in the driveway, anxious and spiraling, she watched her teenage son look at her calmly and say, “Mom, look at me. I’m gonna be okay.” Her first thought was not relief. It
After Treatment: What the First 90 Days Really Look Like, with Beth Hillman Read More »
Episode 330 ABOUT THE EPISODE: There are days in this journey when the weight of it all becomes almost too much to carry. You are still showing up, still trying, still breathing through a kind of pain most people around you will never fully understand. A few years ago, I sat down and wrote something
A Love Letter for Parenting Kids Through Addiction, with Brenda Zane Read More »
If you have been watching your child blow up their life and wondering why nothing reaches them, this episode will change how you see what is happening inside them. Brenda Zane’s son Enzo Narciso — founder of Life Strategies Mentors and a young man who survived two fentanyl overdoses — returns to the podcast with
There are moments in this journey when your coach isn’t available, your therapist can’t be reached, and the community is quiet. It is just you and whatever is unfolding in your relationship with your child, and you need a way through. In this solo episode, Brenda Zane distills a year of thinking into ten self-coaching
10 Self-Coaching Questions Every Parent of a Child Struggling With Substances Should Ask Read More »
