Episode 70 | The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd | "A Message For Families"Episode 70 | The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd | "A Message For Families"
The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast by Freedom Recovery Services of Greenville
Mike Todd shares a heartfelt message to families dealing with a loved one’s addiction or mental illness, speaking openly about his son’s struggles and his own powerlessness. He reflects on shifting from trying to fix his son to strengthening his own recovery, offering honesty, support and hope for parents in similar pain.
11:42•13 Apr 2022
A Message for Families: When Your Child Struggles with Addiction
Episode Overview
- Parents cannot control or fix a loved one’s substance use disorder, no matter how hard they try.
- Focusing on personal recovery through meetings, sponsorship, step work, prayer and meditation can provide stability in the middle of family chaos.
- Accepting powerlessness over someone else’s disease can reduce guilt and shame and create space for healthier boundaries.
- External support, such as peer support and family-focused services, can help when families are too emotionally close to the situation.
- Putting your own recovery first is presented as one of the few reliable actions a parent can take while their child continues to struggle.
“I found out just how powerless, how little power I have over someone else’s disease.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode offers a raw, honest look at what happens when addiction hits close to home, especially for parents already active in recovery. Host Mike Todd shares a deeply personal message aimed straight at families whose children are living with substance use disorder or mental illness.
He talks openly about his own son’s struggles, saying, “I felt as though I had a hand in helping those folks, but like I couldn’t help my son,” and admits to going through years of trying to fix things by sending his son to multiple programmes.
You’ll hear how that approach reached a breaking point when his son finally told him, “All these places that you have sent me have not helped me.” That moment pushed Mike towards a difficult but vital shift: accepting his powerlessness over someone else’s disease and focusing on his own recovery instead.
Rather than offering quick fixes or tidy answers, he speaks to parents who are worn down, frightened, or grieving, and shares how boosting his own self-care – more meetings, step work, prayer, and meditation – has helped him stay upright, even while his son remains in serious trouble. His message is simple but challenging: “Work on myself.
That’s what I can do.” The episode also touches on support networks like Freedom Recovery Services and the wider recovery community in South Carolina, highlighting how outside help can be crucial when families are “too close to it” to see clearly. If you’re a parent, partner, or loved one watching someone you care about struggle, this honest share might feel like sitting down with someone who truly gets it.
It asks a tough but important question: what would it look like to put your own recovery first, even while your heart is breaking?
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