Did you know that more than half of Americans love someone who is struggling with an addiction? As some of you may know, September is National Recovery Month. But when thinking of recovery, there are so many other beautiful “r words”: rest, restoration, redemption and renewal to name a few.

I was raised in a family where significant generational patterns surrounded alcoholism. Addiction is a disease of relationships, which affects family members incredibly deeply. The disease shows up and embeds itself on all of the family members - not just the one struggling with an addiction.

Saying “I am in recovery” was no easy thing to accept. There have been moments I abandoned myself, times I chased things that would take me out of myself, and times I was tremendously disconnected from myself. Recovery continues to teach me to let go of all control mechanisms to find that at the intersection of desperation and gratitude is hope and freedom.

As I lean deeply into the power of connection for recovery, these are the pillars I hold to be true:

I hope this episode has brought light to the darkness of addiction in a real, honest way. As the Buddhists say, “no mud, no lotus.” Finding your way out of the mud can feel impossible at times, but know that recovery is always possible. We are leaving a light on for you and saving you a seat. Thank you for joining us this week.

To connect with Karen, follow her on social media: @karenjhardwick and visit connectedleaderbook.com to order The Connected Leader today.