The families perspective of addiction- treatment- recovery with Renee.The families perspective of addiction- treatment- recovery with Renee.
The Elevate Experience
Renee shares her experience as a mother watching her son move through addiction, several rehabs and into recovery work at Elevate Addiction Services. The conversation focuses on fear, hope, SMART Recovery, self‑care for parents and how family expectations change along the way.
1:10:16•21 Dec 2021
A Mum’s Story: Addiction, Hope and Letting Go of the “Perfect Child”
Episode Overview
- Parents often confuse early addiction signs with normal teenage moodiness, which can delay meaningful help.
- Multiple treatment attempts are common, and each stay can still provide useful learning for both family and client.
- Alternative approaches like SMART Recovery, mindfulness and exercise may suit some people better than traditional 12‑step models.
- Parental anger and shame can deepen isolation; open communication, support and self‑care make it easier to keep showing up for a child.
- A child’s addiction can reshape family expectations, shifting focus from achievement to safety, sobriety and genuine happiness.
“"Your child is your résumé. I'm like, no, no, no. That's so messed up. Your child is not your résumé; you are your résumé, not your child."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when the whole family is affected? This conversation centres on Renee, a mum whose son Chris went from struggling with serious drug use to working at Elevate Addiction Services in South Lake Tahoe. Speaking with hosts Angie Manson and Dallas Terrell, Renee talks frankly about the slow slide from “moody teen” to obvious addiction, and how easy it was to mistake early warning signs for normal adolescence.
She recalls the shock of learning it wasn’t just cannabis but Xanax and other benzos, the car accidents, and the fear of late‑night phone calls. Her description of those years as a parent – praying her son would stay alive long enough to get help – will resonate with anyone who’s lived through similar chaos. Renee compares multiple rehabs, reflecting on why earlier attempts didn’t stick and what felt different once Chris entered Elevate’s SMART Recovery–based programme.
She highlights practical elements that seemed to matter: mindfulness work, structured reading, honest amends, and especially exercise and hiking as healthier outlets than the usual coffee‑and‑cigarettes culture. A big theme is letting go of perfectionism and parental shame. Renee shares the moment she rejected the idea that “your child is your résumé” and started focusing on her own wellbeing – walking, seeing friends, and refusing to isolate.
She also talks about lapses versus full relapse, and how compassion and conversation often work better than anger and punishment. Throughout, the tone stays hopeful: family relationships ease, communication improves, and Chris finds purpose helping others in recovery. If you’re a parent feeling scared, furious, or utterly alone, this candid chat might make you feel a little less isolated – and remind you that there is still room for change.
Could hearing a parent’s honest account be the spark you need to keep going—either for yourself or for someone you love?
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