Brenda Zane
Brenda Zane
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
A Critical Difference: Acceptance vs. Accepting When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Struggles with Addiction
Thursday 5th June 2025
Brenda Zane discusses acceptance vs. accepting in parenting kids with addiction, offering insights and strategies for balance and boundaries.
23 minutes
Compassionate
Supportive
Informative
Hopeful
Healing
About this podcast
Author:
Brenda Zane
Overview:
Categories:
Sobriety Toolkit
Family Recovery from Addiction
Navigating Challenges in Recovery
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Recovery from Trauma
Links:
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Episodes:
278 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Acceptance vs. Accepting: Navigating Parental Challenges in Addiction
Episode Overview
- Distinguish between acceptance and accepting behaviours.
- Use radical acceptance to foster change, not resignation.
- Implement communication strategies like 'I statements'.
- Set boundaries as acts of love, not rejection.
- Balance acceptance with hope for future possibilities.
"You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather."
In this episode of Hopestream, Brenda Zane takes a solo dive into the tricky waters of acceptance versus accepting when dealing with a child struggling with addiction. Brenda, a seasoned health and wellness coach, uses her personal experiences to guide parents through the often confusing landscape of substance misuse and mental health challenges. With warmth and empathy, she shares the distinction between accepting the reality of your child's situation and being accepting of behaviours that cross boundaries.
Through anecdotes and practical advice, Brenda illustrates how maintaining a balance between love and firm boundaries can help preserve relationships without enabling harmful behaviour. Brenda introduces listeners to the concept of 'radical acceptance'—embracing what is real today while holding onto hope for tomorrow. She shares insights from Tara Brach's RAIN technique, which encourages recognising emotions, allowing experiences, investigating with kindness, and letting go. These strategies are not about resignation but about empowering parents to respond wisely and maintain their well-being.
Brenda also highlights the importance of communication strategies, like using 'I statements', to express feelings without escalating conflict. Acceptance doesn't mean tolerating disrespect or manipulation; it's about understanding what you can control—your reactions, boundaries, and self-care. If you're navigating the stormy seas of parenting a child with addiction issues, this episode offers valuable insights and support. Brenda's compassionate approach reminds parents that they're not alone in this journey and that acceptance can be a powerful tool for fostering change.
So, why not give it a listen? You might find the clarity and hope you've been seeking.