Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction Podcast By Brenda Zane cover art

Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction

Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction

By: Brenda Zane
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About this listen

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-trained 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 in The Stream community for moms. Learn more at www.hopestreamcommunity.org/the-stream/.

© 2025 Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • A Critical Difference: Acceptance vs. Accepting When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Struggles with Addiction

    A Critical Difference: Acceptance vs. Accepting When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Struggles with Addiction
    Jun 5 2025

    ABOUT THE EPISODE:

    At times it can be confusing for parents of teens and young adults who are misusing substances to tease apart the concept of acceptance vs. the act of accepting. In this solo episode, I help distinguish the two and give examples of why it’s so important to both accept this part of your life while at the same time keep yourself safe, healthy and sane through being clear on what you will and will not be accepting of.

    I dive into the complex paradox of balancing love and acceptance with limits and loving our kids unconditionally while setting necessary boundaries. You’ll hear a Buddhist parable that may help you reframe some of your suffering, and I share a personal story of a time when I finally got the balance right on acceptance vs. accepting.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • Episode 138 with Dina Cannizzaro
    • Tara Brach website
    • Pungent Boundaries, Nancy Landrum

    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
    Find us 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.
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    23 mins
  • Insight from the Other Side: From IV Heroin and Felonies at 17, to Guiding Families Through A Child’s Addiction, With Henry Maxwell

    Insight from the Other Side: From IV Heroin and Felonies at 17, to Guiding Families Through A Child’s Addiction, With Henry Maxwell
    May 29 2025

    ABOUT THE EPISODE:

    Henry Maxwell began drinking and smoking marijuana at 12 and by 17, was an IV heroin & cocaine user. Not long afterward, his experimentation expanded to nearly every scheduled drug he could find, from Xanax to amphetamines and highly unregulated substances like ‘spice’. His teen years were largely spent among serious drug users twice his age, and involved many of the traumatic experiences common in that high-risk lifestyle.

    At the age of 17, Henry was hospitalized for a cocaine overdose that mimicked the symptoms of a heart attack, leaving him afraid for his own life. When an attending nurse asked if he was interested in treatment, he knew he had to say yes, or he wouldn’t make it to see his 21st birthday.

    To this day, Henry has only worked in one field: addiction and recovery. He now has a BA in psychology and certifications in mediation, intervention, and addiction. Through Maxwell Recovery Services, he has dedicated his professional life to helping families where a young person is struggling with substance misuse or addiction.

    In this episode, we discuss the complexities of topics like intervention and return to use, how parents can craft longer-term strategies that look beyond daily crises, and the importance of support systems for the entire family.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • Maxwell Recovery Services website
    • Man’s Search For Meaning on Amazon

    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
    Find us 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.
    Show more Show less
    56 mins
  • Saving You First: Self-Preservation, Go-To CRAFT Strategies and Taming Fear When Your Child Struggles With Addiction and Mental Health, with Brenda Zane

    Saving You First: Self-Preservation, Go-To CRAFT Strategies and Taming Fear When Your Child Struggles With Addiction and Mental Health, with Brenda Zane
    May 22 2025

    EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

    In this episode, I offer what might feel like slightly brutal truths if you're parenting a young person who struggles with substances and mental health challenges. I emphasize the importance of self-preservation for parents, noting that while you cannot force lasting change in your child or children, you can create the best conditions to foster it.

    I discuss the "self-preservation continuum" - the balance between being fully (overly) involved in your child's recovery and maintaining personal health and sanity. I also provide practical tools you can focus on when you have no idea what to do, and highlight the destructive impact of fear when it dominates.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    Hopestream episode 8: Don’t Let Your Child’s Addiction Kill Your Dreams and Passions

    Hopestream episode 58: Four Counterintuitive Things To Do When You’re Overwhelmed By Your Child’s Substance Use or Emotional Challenges

    Insight Timer meditation: Your Special Room

    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
    Find us 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.
    Show more Show less
    32 mins
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My daughter has been severely addicted to drugs for at least 6 years. She’s been in and out of dozens of rehabs and I’ve drained my retirement account and borrowed $6,000 from each of my family members to pay for it all. Then I lost my job because I used the wrong word on-air in between phone calls with the rehab facility and the insurance company that was kicking her out of treatment just as she was getting better. Then she crashed my car. So, now I’m living in Tijuana teetering on bankruptcy and homelessness and she needs a place to stay while she recovers from Covid. The only rule they have here is no smoking inside. I had to warn her about seven times that she couldn’t smoke marijuana inside the house today IN MEXICO where weed is still highly illegal. Finally, I had to ask her to leave. I’m not going to end up homeless on the streets of Tijuana because she can’t control herself enough not smoke marijuana inside. I’m sorry. I guess what I should have said is “how great you woke up early” but I listened to this podcast after the fact. I have nothing left to lose or give and I can’t do this anymore. She’s 18 now and it’s time she starts to lose instead of me. I’m really sad though. She’s safe back on the U.S. side with her drug dealer’s mother. But it’s really sad. I haven’t seen a whole lot of podcasts or online resources aimed at this devastating problem.

Thank you

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