My Journey to Recovery

This is My Story 

When you’re in the thick of it—when your child is struggling with substance use and everything feels like it’s spiraling out of control—there are moments when the chaos becomes unbearable. I know because I’ve been there. For years, my family lived in the shadow of addiction. Sleepless nights, constant anxiety, and the sinking feeling that no matter what I did, things only seemed to get worse. If you’re reading this, perhaps you’ve felt it too. 

Like many parents, I was told that “tough love” was the answer. That I should step back, let my child hit rock bottom, and then—and only then—would they choose to change. But as a mother, that advice cut deep. It felt wrong to turn away when my child needed me most. And so, for a long time, I found myself stuck in an endless cycle of fear, frustration, and helplessness. 

That’s the story I share in the very first episode of my podcast, Journey Beyond the Chaos. 

The Moment That Changed Everything 

There was a moment—a pivotal turning point in my family’s journey—when I realized that the old ways of thinking just weren’t working. I couldn’t stand by and watch my child sink deeper into addiction, and I also didn’t want to contribute to the constant conflict in our home anymore. Something had to change. That realization came with both clarity and heartache—the understanding that tough love wasn’t the answer, and that recovery wasn’t a battle I could win with force or ultimatums. 

What I discovered, through countless hours of studying, research, and personal growth, was that there is a way to support our loved ones without sacrificing our own well-being. And more importantly, there is hope for recovery—not just for your child, but for your entire family. 

This was the beginning of a new approach—one that focused on compassion, connection, and practical tools to navigate the chaos without getting lost in it. In the first episode of Journey Beyond the Chaos, I take you back to that pivotal moment in my family’s recovery journey. It wasn’t pretty, but that moment was the turning point for us.

Tough Love vs. Compassion: The Hard Lesson I Learned 

For so long, I thought that tough love was the only way. It was the advice I’d been given over and over again: let them hit rock bottom, set hard boundaries, and force them to face harsh consequences. But tough love wasn’t working. It was tearing our family apart, creating more conflict and chaos. 

In that pivotal moment, I realized that tough love was driving us further away from each other. My child was suffering, and so was I. We were both stuck in a destructive cycle. What I really needed was a new approach—one that didn’t rely on ultimatums or punishment, but instead practical tools and strategies. 

I became a health and mental health coach, committed to learning approaches that truly work—approaches that help families support their loved ones struggling with substance use in a way that fosters healing rather than deepening the divide. These strategies give families practical, evidence based tools to create meaningful change, focusing on connection, understanding, and navigating recovery with compassion. It’s about offering hope, not by stepping back or letting go, but by stepping into a new way of thinking—one that keeps families united on this challenging journey. 

Listen Now 

If you're ready to step off the exhausting cycle of fear and frustration and discover a new way forward, I invite you to listen to Episode 1 of Journey Beyond the Chaos. It’s where my story begins, but more importantly, it’s where yours can begin to change too.