Content Warning: This episode discusses substance abuse, addiction and suicide.

Long before she became a successful journalist, political pundit, and podcaster, Ana Marie Cox was doing her best to navigate some tough times. The family was constantly moving, which, combined with being an only child, made it hard to make and keep friends and get the peer support kids need. Ana needed even more support when her parents divorced and Ana was thrust into the role of being a parent for both herself and her alcoholic mom. When Ana went to live with her dad as a teenager, her mom was heart-broken, furious, and never stopped telling Ana about those feelings until she died of cirrhosis of the liver. Meanwhile, Ana began drinking herself at age 13, a habit that would lead to alcoholism, a life that fell apart, and ultimately rehab, sobriety, and a new lease on life. Ana tells host Dr. Michelle K. Murray about the steps she has taken to make sense of her past so she can thrive in the present and future.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Learn more about parentification and its impact on family systems:

• Parentification: Signs and Symptoms of a Parentified Child

Explore more about ketamine-assisted therapy and its considerations:

• A New Patient's Guide to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
• Ketamine Infusion Therapy Treatment Considerations

Content Warning: this episode discusses self-harm, anxiety and grief.

Author and artist Moon Zappa became famous at age 14, doing a guest vocal on the hit song “Valley Girl” by her dad, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Frank Zappa. It’s a fun song, what isn’t so fun is that the song came about from Moon’s desperate attempt to get some kind of attention and approval from her dad in what she says was a chaotic household. In this wide ranging interview, Moon talks about a mother prone to fits of rage, a father gone nine months out of the year and checked out when he was there, and a childhood of self-harm and desperate people pleasing. She also explains how as an adult she got some good therapy, learned to identify the root causes of her suffering, and gain a deep understanding not just of the events of a traumatic upbringing but how to grow and even thrive. Her memoir, Earth to Moon, is highly recommended by host Dr. Michelle K. Murray, President and CEO of Nexus Family Healing.

Content Warning: This episode discusses addiction.

As a young resident at Duke University, Joseph Lee saw the profound change that people were capable of when dealing with addiction. He witnessed how people could become healthier than they had ever been with the benefit of skilled treatment, good support, and a lot of determination. Dr. Lee has been with Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation for 17 years, including serving as President and CEO for the last five years. He joins Nexus Family Healing President and CEO Dr. Michelle K. Murray for an enlightening discussion about how addiction works, the misconceptions about it, and some important, practical ways families can help in the recovery process. Dr. Lee says if families can overcome the guilt and shame that goes along with looking for causes and blame, they can be much better equipped to guide their loved one to a better tomorrow.