Contributing writers share their stories.
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The Reiner family tragedy has been on my mind consistently
The Reiner family tragedy has been on my mind consistently. I woke up two nights ago thinking the horrendousness of it all. And yes, I think about Nick, caught up in past or current substance use but certainly mental illness. We will never know what comes first. Did he use substances to self-medicate for underlying mental illness, or did the substances cause the psychosis leading to such a horrible outcome. Folks who have family members who suffer with mental illness and/or substance use disorder (SUD) in the family will understand how well this impacts the whole unit. We have witnessed [...]
The Reiner Family is Our Family
Horrified. This is a natural reaction to the tragic murders of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Sadly, my horror does not include disbelief. In fact, I am feeling intense concern for the families I know personally for whom this story hits far too close to home. Countless parents who are quietly grappling with a loved one’s substance use and mental health disorders have been traveling this road for years with their own children. Their reaction may not be so much of shock, but rather understanding. Almost like a nod to each other, that, this could happen in our home. [...]
Sowing Seeds of Recovery through Warm, Gentle Fellowship
In the past, when I taught preschool, I taught precious children a song about magic! Laura D'Uva, parent volunteer, tabling to raise awareness about our free programming. The simple song spoke about planting a seed in the dark, dark, ground: The sun came out so big and round. The rain came down soft and slow. Then up came the little seed-grow, grow, grow! Yes, a seed grows into a plant — a basic science lesson. Yet, it really is magical, isn’t it? In the present, I am a Certified Family Recovery Specialist which is a credential you can [...]
Family Recovery: Shifting Expectations for Happier Holidays
When I became a parent, like so many, all I wanted was for my family to be happy and healthy. This wish was never more amplified than during the holidays. In spite of being a secular family, our traditions were sacred. They felt like a warm blanket that assured me all was well, and I was doing my job as a mom just right. Snuggling up for The Night Before Christmas … Check. Leaving out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer … Check. A photo from a recent Thanksgiving Before addiction was at the table, the [...]
The Window of Opportunity to Get Help: One Family’s Recovery Story
“Mom, I’m sick; I need help, can you come get me?” Those words to many parents would be frightening, alarming, perhaps devastating, unsure of their meaning. To me they were all that and more. As the mother of a young adult with a substance use disorder, I felt overwhelmingly grateful. She was asking for help, the window of opportunity was small to get that help, and I knew I had to act immediately. I did not even know what to do except to get her, bring her home, flip my insurance card over, and start making calls. This was in [...]
Our Journey Back Home
Note: This post was submitted in September of 2025 in honor of National Recovery Month. Our Journey Back Home When I dropped my 13 year old son at rehab on September 29, 2021, it felt like someone had pulled the floor out from under me. The house was too quiet, meals felt incomplete, and everywhere I turned I felt his absence. As a mom, my instinct was to keep him close, to protect him, to fix everything. Letting go was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I knew he needed that time away. He needed space to [...]
The Saving Grace of Family Recovery
Note: This post was submitted in September of 2025 in honor of National Recovery Month. The Saving Grace of Family Recovery My family’s destruction started with a phone call from a friend gently telling me that my daughter might be using drugs. While my initial reaction was denial, I soon learned that my beautiful girl was indeed in trouble. It was so hard to accept that my child was suffering the extraordinary challenges of addiction. Little did I know that I and my family would suffer too. We began a journey that took us to excruciating [...]
Siblings
Note: This post was submitted on March 2, 2023 as part of our first program focusing on the impact of addiction on siblings. To learn more, visit conversation.zone/siblings By Ethan Tankel, MSEd., LPC, CAADC My brother and I are nine years apart and by the time I was five years old my brother had begun abusing substances. From age six to eleven, my brother’s addiction dominated my parents’ attention and reshaped our lives. For me, being the sibling of an addict meant late nights listening to fights. It meant not being able to have friends [...]
I Believe in Change
Note: Diana Clark gave this Keynote Speech at Be a Part of the Conversation's Spring Brunch on Sunday, April 24, 2022. We thank her for so generously sharing her words and inspiration with us! Diana is the author of Addiction Recovery: A Family’s Journey. >> Click here to learn more about Diana. I Believe in Change By Diana Clark, JD, MA From 2004 to 2009, National Public Radio produced an essay series known as “This I Believe,” based on 1950’s radio programs of the same name hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each time I would [...]
A Letter to My Son’s Addiction
Note: Through my work with Be a Part of the Conversation, I am privileged to serve families who have been impacted by the disease of addiction. When I hear someone express anger and frustration with their loved one’s behaviors, I often recommend an exercise that really helped me once I became aware of my son’s addiction. The exercise is to write a letter to your loved one’s addiction ... not the child/spouse/sibling/parent, but to the addiction. This letter is not intended for our loved one’s eyes, but as a means to work through the emotions that are often present [...]