What happens to your bright-eyed, passionate child when drugs or alcohol become part of the equation? How can you gauge how your children are really doing and make happy memories this holiday season? Michael interviews Bryan Fikes to answer these questions. Bryan is the co-founder and CEO of Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center, a unique and personalized adolescent dual-diagnosis treatment program based in Oxford, Mississippi. Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy, purpose-focused programming, private school and a host of evidence based clinical approaches, Stonewater helps young men ages 12 to 18 struggling with substance use and mental health disorders identify their gifts, reconnect them with goals, address trauma and achieve new purpose. Bryan’s passion for helping other young men identify their substance use problems stems from his own recovery. At 16, Bryan began his own journey to recovery and experienced firsthand the challenges adolescents and their families face on this path.
Listeners can check out the Stonewater Recovery website to learn more: https://www.stonewaterrecovery.com/ You can also follow Stonewater Recovery @Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
SHOW NOTES:
[3:18] Bryan shares his story of recovery and hope.
[3:55] Your life is not over when you go to treatment. This is your, or your child’s, moment to get back on track.
[5:19] A high-performing child can still be susceptible to substance abuse.
[7:45] You might think, “It’s not my kid.” Here are things to pay attention to, especially as families get together around the holidays.
[10:51] Undeniable red flags: isolation and losing interest in their favorite activities.
[16:45] How parents’ relationships and expectations of their children can blind them to substance abuse issues.
[20:20] What about adolescents and marijuana (pot)?
[21:20] Keeping your kids safe instead of trying to control them.
[30:15] How to talk to your children about substance use.
