Advice and information for parents of young adults with substance abuse and mental health disorders.

A person that has both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder is referred to as having a co-occurring disorder (also sometimes referred to as dual diagnosis).​​​​​​​​​

My daughter's mental health issues surfaced in late middle school and then substance abuse followed in high school, but everything didn't really come to a critical point until she was 18, and by then, a legal adult.

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I learned so many things through trial and error, so I wanted to share what I learned in the hopes that it might help other parents struggling through the same journey.

There is so much stigma around persons with mental health and substance use issues. No one experiences that more than our loved ones themselves, who are amazing people that are unfortunately affected by a disease. Learning to communicate with them in a way that reminds them that they are loved while they are working through their challenges can be a powerful way to connect and support them on their recovery.

Here are some resources that I found helpful on this learning journey.

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