How to Take Care of Yourself While Parenting a Child Through Addiction
From Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction by Brenda Zane
April 9, 2026
About this episode
Maya Kruger shares her journey of navigating grief and trauma while becoming a psychotherapist for anxious mothers dealing with their children's crises.
When you're parenting a child through substance misuse or addiction, the focus naturally turns to their recovery, their treatment, their next steps. But what about you? Therapist Maya Kruger, who works with mothers navigating these exact challenges, offers a refreshing and compassionate perspective: your healing doesn't have to wait. Understanding Anxiety as a Process Addiction One of the most striking insights Maya shares is how parents can develop their own form of addiction in response to their child's substance use. She explains, 'We become addicted to our kids' addiction. Yep. We become addicted to trying to control everything in our world around us.' — Maya Kruger This isn't about judgment - it's about understanding. When your child is engaging in dangerous behaviors, anxiety is completely appropriate. The challenge comes when that anxiety becomes a loop you can't exit, a pattern that feels as compulsive as any substance use disorder. Why Your Behaviors Make Perfect Sense Maya offers a perspective that can lift tremendous shame from parents who feel like they're failing: your responses, even the ones you're not proud of, made sense at some point. 'Any behavior when we look…
People in this episode
Host: Brenda Zane
Guest: Maya Kruger
Topics covered
- parenting
- addiction
- mental health
- grief
- self-care
- trauma
Keywords
- parenting
- addiction
- grief
- mental health
- self-care
- trauma
- psychotherapy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Overture Therapy, Juilliard
Places: Utah, Tel Aviv
More episodes of Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction
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- 10 Self Coaching Questions for Parents of Kids Who Struggle With Mental Health and Substances, with Brenda Zane · June 4, 2026
- Letting Your Child Struggle and Choosing Love Over Fear, with Dr. Wes Robins · May 28, 2026
- Connect Before You Correct: Breaking Generational Patterns, with Lacey Tezino · May 21, 2026
- Inside Your Kid’s Mind: Hidden Pain Behind Substance Use, with Brad McLeod · May 14, 2026
- Co-Dependency Isn’t What You Think, with Rawly Glass, LCSW · May 7, 2026
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