Things I Can't Say

Annie shares a deeply personal and challenging experience about her son, who began exhibiting uncontrollable and destructive behavior shortly after moving into a new home. Her son experienced episodes of anger, causing significant damage to their home. The family, unable to find a diagnosis or effective help, faced daily struggles, involving paramedics and police to manage the situation. As her son started high school and entered a...

Annie shares a deeply personal and challenging journey with her son, who faced significant mental health struggles during his high school years. The family dealt with the stress of managing psychiatric medications, unexpected behaviors, and episodes of psychosis. Despite efforts to find the right treatment, including hospital stays and day treatment programs, the situation escalated with substance use and behavioral issues. The fam...

The clip features a heartfelt and challenging narrative from Annie, who shares the journey of her son approaching adulthood amidst significant behavioral and mental health challenges. Annie discusses the complexities of her son's past actions, including inappropriate behavior and the impact on their family. She reflects on the struggle to find proactive solutions and the emotional toll of feeling powerless as her son becomes a...

Do I have regret? Wish I would have done things differently? Annie shares her deeply personal and challenging experiences as a parent navigating a tumultuous family life. She describes the overwhelming stress of managing multiple responsibilities, including her work and family, while dealing with her children's mental health issues. Annie recounts a particularly difficult night that highlighted the ongoing struggles within her...

Annie shares her complex feelings about adoption and highlights the challenges and systemic failures she encountered. She discusses the lack of support from the adoption system, particularly in accessing necessary resources for children with special needs. Annie emphasizes the difficulties in navigating a system that often requires situations to reach a crisis point before help is available. Despite her love for fostering and open ...

This episode features Annie, who shares her struggles as a parent dealing with a challenging situation involving her son. She describes the difficult transition from protecting her child to protecting others from him, highlighting the emotional turmoil and societal judgment she faces. Annie recounts specific incidents, including accusations against her son and her efforts to minimize harm to others, even when it meant making tough ...

Annie discusses the potential causes of her son's behavior, including prenatal drug exposure, early childhood trauma, and the chaotic environment he experienced in foster care. She highlights the difficulties in finding effective psychiatric medications for her son, as many caused severe side effects. She also addresses the impact of marijuana on his mental health, noting its detrimental effects despite its perceived mildness....

Annie shares her personal journey of navigating PTSD and advocating for her children's mental health needs. She reflects on the challenges faced with her son during middle school and the current struggles with her daughter, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between advocating for necessary supports and excusing behaviors. Annie candidly discusses the emotional toll of revisiting past traumas and the fear of repeatin...

Annie shares her personal journey of navigating faith and mental illness, highlighting the challenges faced by families who don't fit the traditional mold of church communities. She reflects on her deep connection to the church, which was once her entire community, and the subsequent isolation she felt when her family's struggles with mental illness and trauma were not understood or supported. Annie candidly discusses the...

In this heartfelt and candid clip, Annie shares her struggles and insights as a parent raising children who have experienced severe trauma. She discusses the challenges of balancing accountability and compassion, acknowledging the difficulty in holding children accountable when their brain function may not allow them to fully control their actions. Annie reflects on the societal expectations placed on her children, who appear "...

This episode features Annie discussing the deeply sensitive and challenging topic of sexual abuse within her family. She shares her personal experience of discovering the abuse between her children, emphasizing the complexity and hidden nature of such situations. Annie reflects on the signs she missed, the fear and confusion her daughter faced, and the difficult decisions she had to make to protect her daughter's healing and s...

In this heartfelt clip, Annie opens up about the complexities of navigating family dynamics and emotions following a period of personal struggle. She reflects on the challenges of explaining the current state of her world, particularly the grief and trauma that don't have finality. Annie shares the difficulties of making decisions that impact her children, especially when those decisions are misunderstood or resented by them. ...