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Life does not always give us what we are expecting and can bring many challenges that make us question our ability to handle the pain. When Debbie’s oldest son, Alex, was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at age seventeen after being hospitalized for nearly a month and then became addicted to drugs and alcohol, she wasn’t prepared for how to deal with what she would be up against over the next nine years and the fear, anxiety, and grief she would experience. read more
As a parent, we feel like it is our job to fix everything for our child. While some things we can fix, others we can’t.
If they have a mental illness or addiction, we may feel guilty because we are not able to fix it.
No matter how hard we try, we can’t make them to return to the way they were before the illness.
We feel guilty because we start thinking…maybe there was something we could have or should have done differently, and maybe if we did, they would not be ill or addicted to drugs or alcohol.
The thing is, we do the best we can with what we know. And we did the best we could with what we knew at the time.
We did not cause their illness or addiction. And we do not have control over another person.
Releasing guilt can come from a place of self-love and self-compassion, so begin with giving yourself lots of love and compassion.
Sending love and light,
Debbie
I feel blessed for the opportunity to have been interviewed on 2 TV networks today! It was a beautiful experience and I appreciated the opportunity to share my story to help others who are coping with the loss of a child on Mother’s Day or with having a child with mental illness and addiction. Spending the morning of Mother’s Day in this meaningful way felt like such a blessing. A huge thank you to Rachel Anderson, Fox 5 WTTG DC, WUSA 9 DC and the wonderful reporters! Link to the Fox WTTG DC interview below. (WUSA 9 DC interview was shared in a separate post)
I feel blessed for the opportunity to have been interviewed on 2 TV networks today! It was a beautiful experience and I appreciated the opportunity to share my story to help others who are coping with the loss of a child on Mother’s Day or with having a child with mental illness and addiction. Spending the morning of Mother’s Day in this meaningful way felt like such a blessing. A huge thank you to Rachel Anderson, Fox 5 WTTG DC, WUSA 9 DC and the wonderful reporters! Link to the WUSA 9 DC interview below. (Fox 5 WTTG DC interview was shared in a separate post)
