Overdoses are declining in the United States.

That is worth celebrating.

But what most families do not realize is this: the drug supply is changing fast. And in many ways, it is becoming more unpredictable and more dangerous.

In this episode of Do What You Can Live With, Brandi Mac breaks down what is happening behind the headlines:

• Why fentanyl purity is dropping and what that actually means
• The rise of medetomidine and why Narcan does not reverse it
• Nitazines, synthetic opioids that are far more potent than fentanyl
• The methamphetamine surge and what makes today's supply different
• Why prohibition history matters
• What "safe supply" really means and why it is being debated
• Why rock bottom in 2026 can mean death
• How families can stay connected without shame

Drawing from her experience as a critical care nurse practitioner and as a mother of a daughter in recovery, Brandi explains why old advice like "they have to hit bottom" is increasingly dangerous in today's unregulated drug market.

This is not about politics.

This is about survival.

If you love someone in active addiction, this episode will help you understand:

1. Why the drug your loved one used last week may not be the same this week

2. Why Narcan still matters, even with tranquilizers in the supply

3. Why connection is not enabling

4. Why you have to decide what you can live with

Addiction is not disappearing.

The supply will keep shifting.

The question is how you will show up.

If this episode resonates, please follow, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it. Families deserve information without shame.

Follow Brandi on social media: the_original_brandi_mac

Email: brandi@brandimac.com

Website: http://www.brandimac.com

Purchase Brandi's book "Do What You Can Live With: A Survival Guide for Families Navigating Addiction, Grief and Impossible Choices" on Amazon

Alcohol is the most normalized drug in America and one of the deadliest.

In this episode of the Do What You Can Live With Podcast, critical care nurse practitioner and author Brandi Mac exposes how the trillion-dollar alcohol industry shaped the language we use around addiction, influenced federal policy, and helped keep alcohol socially acceptable while millions of families quietly suffer.

Alcohol kills an average of 178,000 Americans every year, more than all drug overdoses combined. Yet it remains legal, advertised, and culturally protected. That did not happen by accident.

In this episode, Brandi breaks down how corporate lobbying influenced federal agencies like the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, why alcohol was intentionally separated from the word "drug," and how terms like substance abuse were shaped by profit, not families, clinicians, or people in recovery.

Backed by peer-reviewed research and decades of frontline ICU experience, this episode connects the dots between policy, stigma, and the invisible grief of loving someone with alcohol use disorder.

• Why alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization

• How alcohol kills more people than fentanyl, heroin, meth, and cocaine combined

• The role of corporate lobbying in changing federal addiction language

• Why alcohol harm receives a fraction of the funding compared to other diseases

• How the separation of "alcohol and drugs" shaped stigma and shame

• Why families affected by alcoholism are often dismissed and minimized

• What boundaries, love, and clarity look like when the system fails you

Brandi also explores how lobbying dollars dwarfed public health funding, how Big alcohol companies profit off the sickest drinkers, and why harm reduction has worked for drug overdoses but remains taboo when applied to alcohol.

This episode is for parents, partners, siblings, clinicians, and anyone who has been told "it's just alcohol" while watching someone they love disappear.

Because your pain was not imagined.
Your crisis was not invisible by accident.
And you are not wrong for taking it seriously.

📘 Learn more at brandimac.com
📖 Author of Do What You Can Live With

What does "rock bottom" really mean when you love a child in active addiction?

In this episode of the Do What You Can Live With podcast, I sit down with Melissa Ledesma, a mother who lost her daughter, Angel, to a cocaine overdose in 2023. Not fentanyl. Not opioids. Cocaine.

Melissa shares the truth about grief that lingers years later, the shock of reading an autopsy report that did not match public assumptions, and what it actually looks like to love a child through addiction without abandoning them to shame or isolation.

We talk about stimulant overdoses, harm reduction, sibling dynamics, trauma, and the painful myth that families must step away to force change. This is an honest conversation for parents, caregivers, and anyone carrying grief that does not move on a timeline.

Content note: This episode discusses overdose, child loss, and grief.

In this episode:

• What "rock bottom" really looks like for families

• Cocaine and stimulant overdoses without opioids

• Why Narcan does not reverse stimulant overdoses

• Harm reduction, MAT, and what Melissa wishes she knew sooner

• Loving your child without losing yourself

Resources & Links:

• Melissa on TikTok: @the.real.melissa

• Melissa on Facebook: Melissa Ledesma

• Do What You Can Live With by Brandi Mac (Amazon)

• Family resources and support: brandimac.com

If this episode resonated, consider subscribing and leaving a review. It helps other families find conversations like this when they need them most.

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

• What it means to speak your truth as a parent of a child with addiction

• The emotional cost of carrying family pain alone in marriage and motherhood

• How addiction impacts children and grandchildren in ways we rarely talk about

• Why boundaries are not abandonment, but protection and love

• The role of forgiveness, responsibility, and accountability in healing

• Breaking generational cycles instead of repeating them

• Ethical storytelling and sharing lived experience on social media

• Why there are many valid paths to recovery and family healing

• Holding hope without minimizing harm

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

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.

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

In this episode, I talk about the moment I finally let go of trying to control my daughter's addiction and what radical acceptance looked like in real life. I share how fear was running my parenting, how close I came to losing myself completely, and how surrendering shifted our entire relationship.

I also share a story from yesterday that still feels unreal: taking my daughter — almost two years in recovery — and her children to the Magic Kingdom. Watching her run around with her son, sober and present, reminded me why letting go mattered more than forcing my plans onto her.

If you are drowning right now, scared of losing your child, or feel like you can't survive another day of chaos, this episode is for you.

• Parenting from fear vs clarity

• The breaking point that forced me to surrender

• What radical acceptance actually looks like

• Why bringing up rehab every day made things worse

• How I stopped reacting and started listening

• Letting go of the fantasy timeline of recovery

• Why self-abandonment is so common in parents

• How I rebuilt trust with my daughter

• A real exercise you can do tonight to start shifting your own patterns

My book: Do What You Can Live With
Amazon link: https://a.co/d/1pnyKll

Free resources for families: brandimac.com

Share your story or ask a question:
Email: brandi@brandimac.com

YouTube video of this episode:
Here

Please leave a rating or review. It helps other families find this support when they're searching in the darkest moments.

Keywords

recovery, addiction, advocacy, community, personal growth, storytelling, resilience, Kensington, self-care, support

Summary

In this episode, Brandi Mac shares personal updates about her family, including her daughter's recovery journey and her own struggles with work-life balance. She discusses her advocacy efforts, including a recent event called Rise for Recovery, where she engaged with other advocates and learned about impactful stories of resilience. Brandi reflects on her experiences in Kensington, a community facing significant challenges due to addiction, and emphasizes the importance of community support and outreach. She concludes with a call to action for listeners to contribute to their communities and support those in need.

Takeaways

Brandi's daughter is nearing two years in recovery.
She is focusing more on advocacy and less on hospital work.
The Rise for Recovery event was a transformative experience.
Storytelling is a powerful tool in advocacy.
Kensington is a community deeply affected by addiction.
Brandi emphasizes the importance of self-care.
Community outreach is crucial in addressing addiction.
Brandi's book aims to support families dealing with addiction.
It's okay to find joy amidst pain and struggle.
Everyone can contribute to their community in meaningful ways.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back and Personal Updates
05:27 Advocacy and Community Engagement
11:32 Storytelling and Collaboration in Advocacy
16:36 Impactful Stories from the Summit
21:14 Kensington Experience and Observations
26:03 Navigating Advocacy and Community Challenges
31:41 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Brandi's Book "Do What You Can Live With: A Survival Guide for Families Navigating Addiction, Grief and Impossible Choices" HERE

Please send emails that I can share. Send anything, but I really want to know whats the craziest thing you have done as loved one through their addiction?

Email: brandi@brandimac.com

In this episode, Brandi Mac discusses the complexities of addiction and recovery, emphasizing the broken treatment system, the importance of sober homes, and the need for medicated assisted treatment. She shares personal experiences related to her daughter's recovery from addiction and highlights the significance of hope, compassion, and community support in the recovery process. Brandi advocates for better treatment options and the necessity of addressing housing and employment challenges faced by those in recovery.

Takeaways

• The treatment system for addiction is fundamentally flawed.
• Sober homes often lack proper regulation and oversight.
• Medicated assisted treatment is crucial for recovery success.
• Housing stability is essential for individuals in recovery.
• Compassion and empathy are vital in supporting those struggling with addiction.
• There is a significant divide between harm reduction and abstinence-based models.
• Hope is a critical component of recovery.
• Community support programs are necessary for successful reintegration.
• Families need to be educated on alternative recovery methods.
• Ending conversations with love can provide peace in difficult situations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Addiction and Recovery
05:20 The Role of Sober Homes in Recovery
11:12 Medicated Assisted Treatment and Its Importance
17:00 The Need for Employment and Housing Support
22:32 Hope and Compassion in Recovery
28:35 Conclusion and Call to Action

Here is the book link for Rehab: An American Scandal

Brandi Mac's book is available Here

Resources: brandimac.com

Follow Brandi Mac on social media:

Instagram the_original_brandi_mac

TikTok the_original_brandi_mac

YouTube

Summary

In this episode, Brandi Mac discusses the complexities of loving someone struggling with addiction, focusing on the importance of setting and adjusting boundaries. She shares personal experiences and insights on how to navigate toxic relationships, the evolution of boundaries over time, and the significance of self-reflection and communication. Brandi emphasizes that while tough love is often advocated, it is not the only approach to support a loved one in recovery. The conversation highlights the need for protective boundaries, the role of love in setting limits, and practical ways to show care without compromising one's own well-being.

Takeaways

• Loving someone with addiction is a painful journey.
• Boundaries are essential for protecting mental health.
• It's okay to adjust boundaries as situations change.
• Tough love can sometimes do more harm than good.
• Self-reflection is crucial in navigating relationships.
• You can show love without enabling harmful behaviors.
• Communicating boundaries clearly is vital.
• Consequences for violating boundaries must be established.
• Creating a safe space is a priority for families.
• Everyone deserves compassion, even those struggling with addiction.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Boundaries in Family Dynamics
02:19 Understanding Boundaries in Addiction
05:06 Types of Boundaries: Controlling vs. Protective
07:50 The Pain of Setting Boundaries
10:28 Navigating Toxic Relationships
13:04 Consequences of Violating Boundaries
15:14 Creating Healthy Boundaries
17:38 The Role of Love in Setting Boundaries
20:31 Communicating Boundaries Effectively
23:05 Supporting Loved Ones in Addiction
25:19 The Impact of Addiction on Family Dynamics
28:02 Finding Peace Through Boundaries
30:20 Conclusion and Future Directions

Purchase Book Here: Do What You Can Live: A Survival Guide for Families Navigating Addiction, Grief and Impossible Choices

Resources: Here