Allison Bottke - How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children: Effective Strategies for Families in Pain

Allison Bottke has once again written a book that will capture your heart. Much like her acclaimed Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children , this long-awaited follow-up will captivate you from the very first paragraph. Allisons transparency is powerful. Relating to some of the stories in this book almost took my breath away. As a mother with troubled adult children, I often feel no matter the age of my children, the labor pains never seem to end. How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children is insightful, informative and inspiringa true page-turner. At last someone is addressing the opioid epidemic and the associated issues of emotional and mental illness boldly and without fear.

~Sharon Hill, founder, On Call Prayer Ministries and senior executive vice president of Christian Women in Media Association

The pain of a parent can run very deep, believe me. I know this personally. Many of us are facing serious relationship challenges that must be addressed. Allison writes candidly and openly from her own experiences and broken heart. Her brutal honesty combined with practical insight has produced a self-help book that is concise and will prove effective for so many. How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children is a must-read for hurting parents.

~Dr. Victoria Sarvadi, teacher of Hebraic studies and Selah finalist author of Just a Little Girl

Allison Bottke has learned how to live a healthy lifea sane lifedespite the drama a troubled adult child often brings into their relationship. Her courageous candidness and words of wisdom give parents the strength and hope needed to make choices that will benefit everyone involved. Help awaits in the pages of what is certain to be a landmark book. How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children will empower millions of weary, broken-hearted parents and be a catalyst for the restoration of families all over the world.

~Andy Lee, author of A Mary Like Me

No one understands the painthe effortthe hoped-for joy of connecting with troubled adult children as much as those who have walked the path. Those who have fought the fight. Those whose knees are calloused from hours in prayer. Those who have put their trust in the Supreme Parent, but who also know that, as in all battles, we soldiers have armor to don. We have ammunition to use. Allison Bottke knows. She understands. Trust me; you can trust her with this.

~Eva Marie Everson, bestselling, award-winning author, www.evamarieeversonauthor.com

What do I do? Who do I call? Why is this happening? Parents of troubled adult children are often left feeling bamboozled. While we often support the decision to give our kids tough love, we seldom shine the same critical light on ourselves. In her newest book, Allison gives usthe adult parentstough love. She lays it out as youve never heard it before! Practical, hopeful, and sometimes hard to hear, her SANITY strategies must be implemented to keep parents healthy, financially secure, and most important, spiritually and mentally sane!

~Dr. Euphemia Gans, author of What Is a Learning Organization? Ethics and Critical Thinking Journal

In How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children , Allison Bottke captures the painful reality that many of the children we once knew are no longer with us. As she writes, Layer by layer, we see our kids buried along with our hopes and dreams for them. Addressing the painful topics of drug abuse and emotional and mental illness, this is a book whose time has come. With her trademark tenacity and transparency, Allisons advice stoked the fire of hope and joy in my spirit. Once again, Allison has given us a fresh perspective on the reappearance of Jesus and the possibility of restoration even in the most difficult passages of life when we love a troubled adult child. Shes been there and knows of what she speaks.

~Jonathan Settel, international messianic recording artist

What can you do when parenting gets painfully complicated? When substance abuse has transformed the child you love into a stranger you dont recognize? How can your actions be helpful and not harmful when your adult childs mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health issues are driving you to despair? When your child has reached (or long since passed) the point of independence, its difficult to know what your help as a parent should look like. What is God really calling you to do? In a world desperate for answers and direction, there is no greater champion than Allison Bottke for broken-hearted parents who struggle in challenging relationships with their adult children. Allison bares her soul in an inspiring book that is destined to change lives and restore relationships. How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children will become the go-to resource for Christian parents, grandparents, counselors, and therapists as it addresses drug addiction and emotional and mental illness from a spiritual perspective.

~Ann White, founder, executive director of Courage for Life and author of Courage for Life and She Is Strong and Courageous

A LLISON B OTTKE

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE , OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Verses marked ESV are taken from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation in Todays English Version- Second Edition Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover by Aesthetic Soup, Shakoppe, Minnesota

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SETTING BOUNDARIES is a registered trademark of The Hawkins Childrens LLC. Harvest House Publishers, Inc. is the exclusive licensee of the federally registered trademark SETTING BOUNDARIES.

Published in association with the literary agency of The Steve Laube Agency, LLC, 24 W. Camelback Rd. A-635, Phoenix, Arizona 85013.

The names and identifying information of the people discussed in this book have been changed to protect their identities and to respect their confidentiality.

This book is not intended to take the place of professional medical or psychological advice. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any liability for possible adverse consequences as a result of the information contained herein.

How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children

Copyright 2018 by Allison Bottke

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6239-1 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6240-7 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bottke, Allison author.

Title: How to connect with your troubled adult children / Allison Bottke.

Description: Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018030161 (print) | LCCN 2018037850 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736962407 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736962391 | ISBN 9780736962391(paperback) | ISBN 9780736962407(eBook)