Brandi Mac sits down with fellow mom and truth-teller Steffy Bailey to talk about what it really means to love an adult child through addiction without abandoning yourself in the process.
Steffy shares her decade-long journey of finding her voice, taking responsibility for her emotional and mental health, and learning how to tell the truth even when it costs comfort. Her son, is approaching six months in recovery, and this episode goes far beyond surface-level hope.
Together, Brandi and Steffy unpack the realities families face when addiction enters the home: fractured marriages, strained relationships with other children, protecting grandchildren, and the exhausting pressure of carrying it all alone. They speak openly about boundaries, forgiveness, accountability, and why there is no single "right way" to love someone in recovery.
What You'll Hear in This Episode
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What it means to speak your truth as a parent of a child with addiction
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The emotional cost of carrying family pain alone in marriage and motherhood
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How addiction impacts children and grandchildren in ways we rarely talk about
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Why boundaries are not abandonment, but protection and love
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The role of forgiveness, responsibility, and accountability in healing
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Breaking generational cycles instead of repeating them
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Ethical storytelling and sharing lived experience on social media
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Why there are many valid paths to recovery and family healing
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Holding hope without minimizing harm
About the Guest
Steffy Bailey is a mother, and creator who has spent years speaking openly about what it's like to love a child with substance use disorder. Known for her raw honesty and refusal to sugarcoat hard truths. Her son, Nehemiah, is currently approaching six months in recovery.
You can find Steffi on TikTok at Steffi's TikTok. Her handle is steffy_u_r_not_alone
About the Host
Brandi Mac is a critical care nurse practitioner, author, and mother of a daughter in recovery. She is the creator of Do What You Can Live With, a trauma-informed, harm-reduction-aligned framework for families navigating addiction, grief, and impossible choices.
Resource Mentioned
Do What You Can Live With: A Survival Guide for Families Navigating Addiction, Grief, and Impossible Choices by Brandi Mac Available on Amazon. Link Here
Brandi Mac Website
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