This Is for the Parents Who Are Tired of Pretending They’re Fine

Why I Built “When Something Feels Off” Parent Support Group?

Most parents with a struggling teen lie when they say they’re fine.

“I’m fine.”

That sentence is survival.
It’s what you say when the truth feels unsafe.
At work. With friends. Even with family.

After listening to more than 2,000 parents, this came up again and again. Saying anything else felt risky. Shame sat underneath it. Isolation too. You were expected to keep showing up like nothing was wrong.

I never planned to build a parent community. I responded to what I kept hearing. And to what i wish existed when we were going through the thick of things with Maddie.

Parents needed somewhere to land.
Somewhere they didn’t have to explain depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, grief, or addiction.
Somewhere people already understood what those words do to your sleep, your focus, your body.

These conversations started quietly.
Late nights. Private messages. Phone calls where parents lowered their voices out of habit, even when they were alone.

Different families. Same weight.

I lived this years earlier with my daughter Maddie. Silence and shame caused real harm. We lost her to suicide at 14. I don’t say that casually, because her loss almost killed me.

People like to believe things are better now. I’m not convinced they are.

Most parents start the same way.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
“I should be able to handle this.”
“Other parents have it worse.”

Then the truth comes out.

They feel like they’re failing.
They are scared for their child.
They are exhausted and still expected to perform everywhere else.

What they’re really talking about is loneliness.

Parenting a struggling teen cuts you off. Friends rush to advice. Schools focus on outcomes. Work expects consistency. Family often doesn’t see the daily pressure you live under.

So you adapt.
You smile.
You hold it in.

The phrase I hear most after someone finally speaks.

“I’ve never said that out loud before.”

Advice was never the problem.

Parents are flooded with articles and opinions. What’s missing is a space where you don’t have to defend yourself. A space where you can say this is hard and not be fixed.

Parents need:

• A place to breathe
• A place to tell the truth
• A place where nothing needs to be wrapped up neatly

That’s why I built this.

“When Something Feels Off” is parents supporting parents. No pressure to post. No expectation to share more than you want. Real conversations about real days. Fear that finally has somewhere safe to land. Resources when they help, not when you’re already overwhelmed.

Most parents notice the shift quickly.

Relief comes first.
Then clarity.
Then steadiness.

Because you are no longer carrying this alone.

I chose the name carefully.

What parents feel when they’ve heard the phrase, “I’m fine”, once too often. You know there’s something deeper. Something heavier. The best way to describe it is “When Something Feels Off”.

This wasn’t built as a program.
It was built as a response.

If you’re tired of pretending you’re fine, you don’t need to explain yourself here. You can read. You can listen. You can join when you’re ready.

When your teen struggles, you struggle too.
Your needs matter.