Did We Damage Our Son?

Summary

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The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: Did We Damage Our Son?
Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Main Callers: Michael & Natasha

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a heartfelt call from Michael and Natasha, a married couple seeking advice about the emotional well-being of their 10-year-old son. The discussion delves into Natasha's history of severe mental health struggles, their family dynamics, and the question of whether their son needs counseling in light of the challenges he witnessed throughout his upbringing. Dr. Laura delivers direct, compassionate—but firm—guidance on parental responsibility, mental health, and the importance of addressing a child's potential trauma.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family Background and Presenting Concern

• Callers Introduced: Michael and Natasha, both 36, married for nearly 15 years with three children aged 10, 6, and 2 ([02:03]-[02:37]).
• Natasha's Role: Full-time homemaker caring for the children ([02:45]).
• Key Issue: Michael describes ongoing disagreement and concern for their oldest child's emotional well-being after witnessing Natasha's mental health struggles.

2. Natasha’s Mental Health History

• Trauma Background: Michael shares that Natasha endured a traumatic childhood, including time in a cult and being a victim of abuse ([02:52]-[04:07]).
• Impact on Parenting: Natasha was hospitalized multiple times and suffered from depression, hallucinations, PTSD, and schizoaffective disorder, including postpartum psychosis after each birth ([04:10]-[04:46]).
• Children as Witnesses: Their 10-year-old son experienced his mother's mental health episodes for the first seven years of his life.

3. Parenting Choices and Difficult Questions

• Dr. Laura’s Inquiry: She asks Natasha why she decided to have more children after severe postpartum psychosis with the first child ([04:51], [08:29]).
• Natasha’s Rationale: Wanted her first child to have a sibling and describes a strong "baby urge" behind her third pregnancy, acknowledging the surprise and emotion involved ([08:42]-[09:04]).
• Michael’s Input: He notes things are better now, that they've developed coping mechanisms, and expresses optimism ([09:04]-[09:12]).

4. Dr. Laura’s Direct Advice and Parental Responsibility

• Counseling Recommendation: Dr. Laura concludes quickly and emphatically that the son would benefit from counseling ([09:12]-[09:26], [10:26]).

• Addressing Denial: She challenges Michael’s view that his son is simply "a little sensitive" and highlights Michael’s denial—especially regarding decisions to have more children despite clear risks ([09:12]-[10:24]).

• Responsibility: Dr. Laura holds Michael accountable for decisions made during Natasha’s illness, stating,

  "For you to go ahead and make two more babies after you saw what happened is denial to the nth degree. So don't put this on Natasha...you were the one who made this move along in this way. You have a lot of culpability here and responsibility."
  — Dr. Laura Schlessinger, [09:31]-[10:03]

• Credit to Natasha: Dr. Laura acknowledges Natasha’s awareness and responsibility regarding her children’s needs, offering her "lots of points" for vigilance ([10:39]-[10:44]).

5. Counseling Path Forward

• First Steps: Child should begin with individual counseling, with openness to family counseling in the future—for both healing and prevention ([10:44]-[11:16]).
• Validation: Natasha admits her ongoing worry, and Dr. Laura strongly supports her instincts ([10:43]-[10:44]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On parental denial:

  "Michael, do you know what denial is?"
  — Dr. Laura Schlessinger, [10:21]

• On personal responsibility:

  "You were the one who made this move along in this way. You have a lot of culpability here and responsibility."
  — Dr. Laura Schlessinger, [09:48]-[10:03]

• On seeking help:

  "Yes, I think the kid would benefit from counseling."
  — Dr. Laura Schlessinger, [10:26]

• On acknowledging concern:

  "I've been worried about it."
  — Natasha, [10:43]

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Important Timestamps

• 02:03 – Michael and Natasha introduce themselves and family situation.
• 02:52 – Michael details Natasha’s mental health and trauma history.
• 04:10 – Natasha describes the scope of her struggles and their impact.
• 08:29 – Dr. Laura asks why more children were born after known risks.
• 09:31 – Dr. Laura addresses Michael’s role in family planning decisions.
• 10:26 – Dr. Laura repeats her recommendation for counseling.
• 10:44 – Natasha admits to worrying about her son’s well-being.

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Podcast Tone & Style

The episode is marked by Dr. Laura’s signature blend of directness, compassion, and refusal to indulge denial. She asserts responsibility where due and gives clear, actionable advice, striking a balance between empathy and accountability. The callers are earnest, with Natasha especially forthright about her past and present concerns.

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Summary for Listeners

Listeners are taken through a deeply personal family situation that addresses generational trauma, mental illness, and the complexities of parental decision-making. Dr. Laura’s advice emphasizes:

• The necessity of counseling for children witnessing severe parental mental health episodes.
• The importance of honest self-reflection and humility for parents.
• The value of early intervention and validated concern, especially from the parent most attuned to the child.

This episode is particularly poignant for families dealing with mental illness, as it demonstrates the power of direct communication, the hard truths of accountability, and the hope provided by professional support.

Transcript

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Thanks for listening to my call of the day. Sponsored by Vibriant Super C Serum, my personal solution for smoother, more hydrated skin. Super C Serum is a full line of skin care products all in one bottle. Get 37% off plus free shipping by going to vibriance.com DrLora remember, you can hear my radio program daily on SiriusXM triumph and connect with me [e-mail] Michael and Natasha, welcome to the program. Hi.

[Michael]

Hi Dr. Laura.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Hi, Natasha. Hi Michael. How old is Everybody?

[Michael]

We're both 36 and we're calling with a bit of a disagreement about our.

[Natasha]

10 year old son.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Okay. How long have you been married?

[Michael]

Since 2011. So 15 years. Almost.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Got it. So how old is your son again?

[Michael]

He's ten.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Ten. Got it. Okay. Any other children? Yes or one and done.

[Michael]

A six year old and a two year old.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Got it. Oh man, you guys are busy. Natasha, are you kind of full time taking care of little kids?

[Natasha]

I am a homemaker yes.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Excellent. Okay, so how can I help?

[Michael]

Well, the, the problem that we were to with our son, I think is, I think it might be more of a Natasha issue. She has past trauma where she was, unfortunately for developmental years of her life in a, in a cult situation where her, her mother had given her to a predator. And for three years of important, you know, life issue, she was inside a house, it was from 10 to 13. Ultimately she was saved from that situation and I didn't know when I met her that that was going on. And we ran into a nervous breakdown in her 20s. And you know, she's battled severe depression and hallucinations and things, been in and out of the, you know, mental facilities. But the past few years we've seen remarkable improvement. We finally made it through the, through the thick and all the hard things and she's doing much better. Our 10 year old son, he saw a lot of the, the bad and saw his mom go away and things, but I think he's pretty resilient and tough.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

What's the bad that he saw?

[Natasha]

I had postpartum psychosis for two babies, him and his sister and his three babies. Sorry, my brain. So I had postpartum psychosis for all three of my kids. And he's my first. So he went through it three times. And then I, for the first seven years of his life was PTSD and schizoaffective disorder with severe depression. And so he's just seen me struggle mental health wise for basically his whole life.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

And now may I ask a sensitive question?

[Natasha]

Yeah.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

After you went through that the first time, how did you come to the decision to make two more babies? The best stories are inspirational, about people following their dreams and achieving their goals. And that's the main ingredient in the Food Network Obsessed podcast. Each week, Food Network Obsessed host Jamie Syre sits down with your favorite show hosts and chefs to dish on all things delicious in the food world. Yep, Food Network Obsessed is about food, but it's also about the people behind the restaurants and the cookbooks you love. You'll get a taste of Food Network's hottest shows and a sprinkle of history, too. Chef Duke Chase shares how his grandmother, the queen of Creole cuisine, became the inspiration behind Disney's first black princess. And food stylist Christine Tobin shares what it was like to recreate Julia Child's iconic dishes for television. Even if, like me, you're not into cooking, you'll discover a story to savor in the Food Network Obsessed podcast. So dig in and listen to Food network obsessed. Wherever you get podcasts, this is the.

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[Natasha]

So when I I didn't think I would ever want kids and so the first time that I ever had the.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Urge to no, no, no. I'm talking about going through the postpartum psychosis. Why did you decide to have two more kids when one was already reasonably traumatized?

[Natasha]

Because he had to have a Sibling. Because when I knew I was going to have the first one, I knew I had to have two of them because I didn't want him to be an only child. And then the second, the third one was another baby urge. It was a shocking, out of nowhere. Had no idea it was going to happen, but it was a, oh, man, I want another baby.

[Michael]

I think we're doing much better. I feel like we have the coping mechanisms. We have the process.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Michael, I think you've been in denial for all sorts of things in this situation for a very long time. So if you're calling to find out if your boy might benefit from counseling, I would say yes.

[Michael]

Okay. Because I, I was thinking he's just a little sensitive, but it's counseling.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Michael, Michael, for you to go ahead and make two more babies after you saw what happened is denial to the nth degree. So don't put this on Natasha. She's got a mental. She's got mental issues. Don't put this on her. You were the one who made this move along in this way. You have a lot of culpability here and responsibility.

[Michael]

Okay. Yes. I didn't realize it was a writ.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Yes, you did.

[Michael]

Okay, right. I misspoke. What I meant was. I know that it was. I didn't realize he was at that level. He seems so good to me. He seems happy.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Michael, do you know what denial is?

[Michael]

Yes.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Good. Yes, I think the kid would benefit from counseling.

[Michael]

Okay. All right, I'll accept that as I'll accept your advice.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

I think Natasha is well aware of it.

[Natasha]

I've been worried about it.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Yes, yes. And she's been responsible about that. So I give you lots of points, Natasha. So, yes, I support that. And at some point it would turn into family counseling. But I think to start out, it would be good if he had a counselor and then we could go to family counseling. There's a lot going on here. Line number 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course. I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

[Chase Sapphire Lounge Announcer]

The day begins at the Chase Sapphire Lounge by the club at Boston Logan Airport. You get the clam chowder in San Diego. It's Tostadas, New York. Espresso martini. It's 10am why not? It's the quiet before your next flight, the shower that resets your day. The menu that lets you know where you are. This is access to over 1300 airport lounges and every Sapphire lounge by the club. And one card that gets you in Chase Sapphire Reserve now even more rewarding.

[Chase Sapphire Reserve Advertiser]

Learn [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase bank and a member FDIC, subject to credit approval.