A Mother's Resilient Heart (Part 1): Navigating Brain Injury, Mental Health & Substance Use | Ep #25

Guest speaker Dawn Lohr shares her son’s journey from an outgoing kid who was a great soccer goalie, to a major concussion and subsequent thoughts of suicide. She walks us through the timeline of events that shaped a parent’s worst nightmare - in and out of treatment programs, psychiatric hospitals, and multiple attempts to take his life. Dawn shares how her faith and self-care helped her make it through some of the most difficult experiences while simultaneously raising her four children.

In this episode, we raise awareness of 1) brain health and how important it is to make sure your child is getting proper care after a concussion and at the same time, watching their behavior for changes in the years to follow, 2) learning that it is up to you as the parent to navigate the system and advocate for your child’s care. Often, traumatic brain injury leads to self-medicating, which can lead to addiction issues. Finding programs that treat both mental health issues and substance use disorders (a dual diagnosis) is not easy… but it is very necessary. Know the difference. Ask good questions. Get support, and 3) once you find a good place for your loved one to recover, it can be devastating when they choose to leave and say they don’t want help. Refusing treatment or even medication is part of the journey and renders you helpless. You might also encounter wait lists and financial challenges that come with long-term treatment, but there is hope. You have no choice but to keep going, keep seeking help, and make sure your child or loved one knows they are needed and wanted. It is a journey no one wants to experience but one that happens more often than expected.

Here are some important statistics:

• Suicidal Thoughts: Alarmingly common, affecting 13 million adults and 3.4 million adolescents. In 2023, 1 in 20 U.S. adults, or 13.2 million people, experienced serious suicidal thoughts.
• Substance Use Disorder (SUD): 50 million Americans struggled with SUD in 2023.
• Illicit Drug Use: 70.3 million people aged 12 and older used illicit drugs in 2023.
• Mental Health and SUD: Nearly 1 in 4 adults faced mental illness in 2023. Additionally, 77 million U.S. adults experience both mental health and substance use disorders.
• Co-occurring Disorders: 18.2% of adults with a mental illness also suffer from co-occurring SUD. Over 60% of teens in substance use treatment programs also meet criteria for a mental health disorder.
• Treatment Gaps: Only 9.1% of individuals with co-occurring disorders receive treatment for both conditions.

This first episode of our 3-Part Series may be difficult to listen to, but we hope you approach it with compassion and empathy for those who may be navigating these challenging experiences with a loved one. If you’re concerned about someone you care about, call 988 — the National Suicide and Substance Use Hotline — to find help and support.