We Thought She Was Just Struggling With Friends, But It Was Something Much Worse

As a parent, there are certain things you never think you’ll have to face. Watching your child fight for their life is one of them.

In this episode, I sit down with Jheri South, a mother of seven whose story is filled with heartbreak, addiction, mental health struggles, suicide attempts, and an unbelievable determination to keep fighting.

Jheri shares how her seemingly picture-perfect life unraveled when her husband’s crystal meth addiction tore their family apart. Years later, she would face every parent’s worst nightmare when her daughter Grace attempted to take her own life and collapsed into her arms having seizures.

What follows is a raw conversation about suicide, autism in girls, ADHD, neurodivergence, parenting teenagers, and what our children may be carrying without us ever knowing.

In this episode:

• Addiction tearing apart Jheri’s family

• The warning signs she never saw coming

• The night she almost lost her daughter

• Discovering undiagnosed autism and ADHD

• How parents can truly connect with struggling teens

  
  

This conversation gave me a lot to think about as a father. I think it will do the same for you.

Key Moments:

0:00 I Thought My Daughter Was Dying 

6:36 Leaving Home at Just 15 

10:02 When My Kids’ Mental Health Changed 

16:01 The Loneliness Nobody Saw 

23:26 The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything 

29:16 The Suicide Attempt That Haunts Me 

35:22 The Night My Daughter Tried to Die 

40:02 “Are We in Heaven?” 

47:32 Parenting vs. Connecting With Your Teen 

54:22 The Hidden Damage of Seeking Approval 

58:02 Are You Borrowing Your Self-Confidence? 

1:04:02 Your Thoughts Aren’t Always True 

1:06:57 Breaking Free From External Validation

Connect with Me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/

Connect with Jheri:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jherisouth/