Podcast Summary: Dr. Laura Call of the Day

Episode: "Worry Won't Change Anything"

Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: September 6, 2025
Main Caller: Kathy

Overview

This episode centers on a deeply personal call from Kathy, a mother struggling with worry over her adult son’s homelessness and her inability to reconnect or help him change. Dr. Laura listens, asks clarifying questions about Kathy’s family history, and provides her signature no-nonsense advice, emphasizing personal responsibility and acceptance of life’s difficult, sometimes unfixable realities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kathy’s Backstory and Main Concern

• Kathy reveals her son is homeless by choice (01:48–05:18).
  • She traces the origins to a difficult family situation, a turbulent divorce, and her ex-husband’s negative influence on their son.
  • Kathy struggles with guilt and a sense of helplessness as her son refuses contact and chooses a transient life.

2. Family Dynamics and History

• Dr. Laura probes for context on the family environment (02:21–04:49).
  • Kathy explains that after a bitter divorce, her son was caught in the middle and eventually left to live with his father in another state.
  • She wonders if her decision to follow “tough love” advice contributed to the outcome.
  • Other children in the family are discussed and appear to be doing well, adding to Kathy’s complex feelings (08:24–09:05).

3. Dr. Laura’s Core Advice: Acceptance vs. Control

• Kathy asks how she can get her son to open up and reconnect.
  • Dr. Laura is direct: "You can't. You can't. If he's unwilling to do that, you can't. You can't do that one-sided. I'm sorry. I wish I really had a technique for that. Some things you can't fix. Some things you can't fix. They have to be endured." (10:01–10:19)
  • She reiterates the necessity of accepting what cannot be changed and not expending energy trying to fix what is out of one’s control.

4. The Reality of Worry and Unsolvable Problems

• Dr. Laura compassionately, yet firmly, tells Kathy:
  • "I can't [make you feel better about this]. Nobody can. You're just going to have to feel bad until you're dead and you won't feel bad anymore." (09:37–09:55)
  • She normalizes the pain and sadness that comes with certain parental situations, affirming these emotions are sometimes simply to be endured, rather than solved.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On One-Sided Reconnection:

  "You can't. If he's unwilling to do that, you can't. You can't do that one-sided. I'm sorry. I wish I really had a technique for that. Some things you can't fix. Some things you can't fix. They have to be endured."
  — Dr. Laura (10:01–10:19)

• On Accepting Sadness:

  "I can't [make you feel better about this]. Nobody can. You're just going to have to feel bad until you're dead and you won't feel bad anymore."
  — Dr. Laura (09:37–09:55)

• Caller’s Resignation and Hope:

  "Well, I've been accepting that for decades already and I'm just hoping nothing is going to change."
  — Kathy (10:19–10:32)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:48–05:18] — Kathy describes her son's homelessness and troubled family past
• [08:24–09:05] — Overview of Kathy’s other children and their life paths
• [09:35–10:19] — Dr. Laura’s advice on one-sided relationships and enduring unfixable problems
• [10:19–10:32] — Kathy acknowledges decades of acceptance and lingering hope

Episode Tone and Style

As always, Dr. Laura delivers her counsel with her trademark bluntness and candor, refusing to offer false hope or platitudes. Her approach is empathetic but grounded in realities—she encourages listeners to accept difficult feelings when change is not possible and to recognize the limits of personal influence over others' choices. Kathy’s vulnerability is met with respect and honest guidance.

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a poignant exploration of the limits of parental power, the enduring pain some family issues bring, and the importance of learning to accept rather than fix certain realities. Dr. Laura’s message: Worrying and wishing cannot change what someone else does not want to change, and sometimes, the healthiest option is to endure the discomfort rather than futilely seek a nonexistent solution.