Are we drugging the magic out of our kids?

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🎙️ Welcome to the First Episode of 'Rise to More'

This is the official rebrand of the podcast formerly known as Uplevel Together. I’m excited to step into this new chapter with you. If you’re wondering why I made the switch and what “Rise to More” truly means, I break it all down in this article:

Now, for our first episode under the new name—it's a big one.

Podcast Recap: Are we drugging the magic out of our kids?

I don’t know about you, but as a mother and a concerned citizen, I am becoming very frustrated with the mental health of our children - our future!! Today’s episode is deeply personal—and deeply needed.

We explore a growing crisis: the over-medicalization of childhood. It’s not just a parenting concern; it’s a cultural shift that’s replacing trust in intuition with reliance on labels, diagnoses, and prescriptions. Inspired by Abigail Shrier’s controversial but courageous book Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up, this episode calls parents to reclaim what we’ve outsourced: our ability to see and support our children without panic.

Here’s the truth: being loud, curious, sad, or restless isn’t a problem to fix—it’s childhood. When we intervene too quickly, we don’t help our kids—we teach them they’re broken. And that belief follows them for life.

We discuss:

* The real cost of misdiagnosis and overmedication

* Why therapy isn’t inherently bad—but overuse is

* How parental intuition is being dismissed in favor of systems and checklists

* The power of letting kids be wild, emotional, and fully human

* Steps parents can take to reclaim sacred childhood

Timestamps:

* 00:00 – Opening monologue: Are we drugging the magic out of our kids?

* 01:20 – “Kierkegaard said, ‘When you label me, you negate me’” – What we’re missing when we pathologize childhood

* 04:00 – Review of Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy and the book’s core arguments

* 11:20 – Step 1: Trust your knowing before you diagnose

* 14:07 – Healing the inner child by raising yours with freedom and trust

Closing Thoughts: This episode isn’t a takedown of therapy—it’s a wake-up call for overreliance. When 90% of a classroom is medicated, that’s not healing. That’s crisis. Let’s get back to basics. Let's trust ourselves—and our children—again.

Call to Action: Share this with a parent who’s been questioning the system. Comment with your thoughts—especially if you're in education or mental health. And remember, trusting your child isn’t radical. It’s ancient.

Have thoughts or want to share your story? Drop a comment or reply directly. This isn’t just my voice—it’s ours.

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