Kathy son is 34 years old and living at home. Hospitalized around 15 times and does not do well on his own. However, given her macular degeneration diagnosis, she was determined to take an RV trip, knowing that her son would probably contact her.

She went and he did need her, but he managed to keep safe and she went away. Kathy has done her best to help her son, but she had hoped to have him more independent than he currently is, so she doesn’t have to put him in a facility after she is gone.

As for most parents, it is a work in progress.

This episode is especially helpful to those who have had some time since their child’s diagnosis. Kathy is experiencing facing tough decisions as she ages. Her son and her have limited options. She also provides advice on where to find support as you struggle to help your child.

Rosali’s daughter mental health challenges started at an early age. She was diagnosed with mental illness (high cyclic bipolar and borderline personality disorder) at age 13. After a suicide attempt, Rosali worked to get her counseling help.

In another hurdle for Rosali, Washington State age of consent is 12 for a parent to not receive medical information. So after not taking her meds and continuing to struggle, Rosali did her best to support her child.

After years of this roller coaster ride (including heroine addiction and two children) her son told her that the other siblings needed her too.

That was her rock bottom.

From then on, she separated herself from her daughter’s illness and drug addiction. Rosali was able to keep her marriage from collapsing (they were separated for a year) and maintain distance from her daughter’s destructive cycles.

If you struggling with mental health and suicide attempts of your child, this episode is for you. As Rosalie says, it gets better and you can have a life, even when your child may not ever become healthy.

Welcome to Season 3!!! We created a fun, new logo and 20 episodes recorded!

We feel like we are starting out again, like Jen, out first episode’s mom. Jen has many questions and is learning the difficulties of a parent dealing with these with issues on her own, since her husband shocking suicide in 2018.

Losing his dad, one of Jen’s son started down a long road of mental illness, eventually diagnosed with bipolar 1.

Dealing with many challenges over the last couple years has pushed Jen to her limits. For example, with a recent psychotic episode, Jen dropped her son off at the hospital and waited. After waiting in what seemed like forever, she found out her son was admitted and they would not share any information with her. A week passed until she did hear.

These are just some of the rollacoaster moments Jen has experienced in a short period of time. But, as Laura and Bill point out, Jen has a resiliency that comes through every word she shares.

Discover strategies for supporting your child through mental health struggles, understanding grief from suicide, and fostering resilience. Learn from Jen's journey—a mom facing the complexities of her son's mental illness and the aftermath of her husband's suicide.