Chasing Carson: The Story of Adolescent Addiction, Recovery, and Radical Acceptance with Dawn McCord

Season 3: Episode 2

February 28, 2026

Parenting is one of the most profound spaces in-between any of us will ever occupy — and when your child is struggling with addiction, that space can feel impossibly vast and terrifyingly uncertain. In this deeply personal episode of The Space In-Between, I sit down with Dawn McCord, author of Chasing Carson and family recovery life coach, for a conversation that is honest, gritty, and ultimately full of hope.

Dawn shares the story of her family’s journey through her son Carson’s adolescent addiction — from those early, disorienting moments wondering if this was “just teenage experimentation,” to the terrifying reality of street Xanax, overdoses, wilderness therapy, and the long, winding road to recovery. She wrote Chasing Carson, a raw and powerful memoir, during the COVID-19 pandemic — and the book became not just a record of her family’s story, but an offering to every parent who has ever felt completely alone in the dark.

I open up about watching my late brother’s drinking escalate as a teenager, and chasing my own daughter through her fair share of terrifying moments, as well as my “all is well” mantra that carried me through the hardest years of my husband’s illness. The result is a conversation that doesn’t flinch — and doesn’t let you look away — but somehow leaves you feeling less alone.

Together, we explore the particular heartbreak of the in-between spaces in addiction: the moments of hope when things seem to be turning around, the crashes that follow, and the long, slow work of learning to stop chasing and start trusting. We talk about the “Okay” practice that helped Dawn stay grounded during moments of crisis, radical acceptance, the Mel Robbins “Let Them” theory (and why it’s complicated when your child is a minor), and the difference between enabling and loving someone well.

Dawn also speaks to her work as a family recovery life coach — sharing what makes that role distinct from therapy or social work, and what she most wants parents to hear who are right now in the thick of it.

This one is for the moms and dads in the trenches. The ones who’ve had to put the book of someone else’s life down for a minute just to catch their breath. The ones who are quietly saying okay to themselves before every conversation. You are not alone — and there is light even here.

Key Takeaways:

  • The early signs of adolescent addiction can look a lot like “normal” teenage experimentation — and knowing the difference is harder than anyone tells you
  • The in-between moments of addiction — between episodes, between rehabs, between hope and fear — are often the hardest spaces to sit with
  • Saying “okay” is a powerful grounding tool that can interrupt the panic cycle and help you take the next step forward
  • The “Let Them” philosophy has real limits when your child is a minor — and the goal isn’t detachment, it’s learning to love without losing yourself
  • Recovery coaching focuses on helping families walk alongside their loved one without being attached to the outcome — and that includes doing your own work
  • Carson’s recovery taught Dawn one of her most important life lessons: trust that your child is capable, even when the evidence is hard to see

Resources: 

Lastly, if you’re in the Indianapolis area on March 13th, and want to connect with like-minded women who are ready to challenge themselves and grow through the transitions in their lives. Stop by indyb3.com for tickets and information.

Dinine Sig

Dinine Sig

Hi, I’m Dinine

I’m an attorney, a mom, an author, an entrepreneur and a widow. You are in the right place if you want to learn how we will navigate life’s transitional moments – both good and not so good. Together we will find the magic and bring the light to anything you are dealing with.

Come sit with us in The Space In Between.

. xx Dinine

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