Description

Host Heather Venegas has a conversation with Chris about his recovery journey; he shares what he’s learned about what it takes to get and stay sober, the difference between sobriety and recovery, and why he doesn’t see relapse as a failure.

In a touching exchange, Chris’s mom Maureen joins them to share her role in Chris’s recovery, alongside her own awareness and health. “It’s really up to me to be healthier, and it’s up to Chris to be his own healthy,” she says. “It’s not up to us to make the other person healthy.” 

Heather also welcomes Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Family Programs Manager Jessica Garrison into the conversation. Chris and Maureen have benefitted from Hazelden’s family programs, which are free to anyone who wants and needs them. The skills Hazelden teaches apply to people in recovery but also have broad application to life in general – especially when it comes to healthy ways to communicate.

This episode is a beautiful example that it takes a community to help people get into and stay in recovery. It also shows the value of the King County Recovery Coalition as a catalyst for convening people in the recovery community for good. 

Resources from the episode: 

1. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Family Program provides free and virtual education, skills set workshops, grief support, and peer support groups for all ages (children, adolescents, and adults). Learn more here or email family@hazeldenbettyford.org. Additional resource links (by role) can be found here.
2. Visit Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Amazon store for book recommendations to help people recognize, understand, and overcome addiction.
3. Join King County Recovery Coalition on Sunday, August 27, at T-Mobile Park for Recovery Day! The pregame rally starts at 10:30 am, followed by a march to the ballpark, game, and resource fair on the 306-310 concourse. Specially priced tickets include a limited-edition Mariners-themed Recovery Day T-shirt. $3 from every ticket sold will benefit the Washington Recovery Alliance.
4. Celebrate National Recovery Month in September with King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division’s Recovery Art Showcase. Join in person on September 8 and October 13 at the Belltown Art Walk, or virtually through the Recovery Art Showcase website site at any time. Click here if you’d like to share your artwork or poetry for either showcase; submissions are due by August 11.
5. Connect with show host Heather Venegas on LinkedIn. 
6. Learn more about King County Recovery Coalition and the work they do here. To become a volunteer, a member, an advocate, or an event guest, visit their website.
7. The King County Recovery Coalition is a regional coalition of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA). Learn more about the WRA and the work they do here. To become a member, volunteer, or donate – and change hearts and minds around mental health and substance use disorder in Washington state – click here.
8. If you are experiencing substance use disorder, problem gambling, and/or a mental health challenge, please visit the Washington Recovery Helpline for resources and a 24-hour helpline.

King County Recovery Conversations is a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health.  In each episode, policy experts, program professionals, and those with lived experience join host Heather Venegas to share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone seeking recovery, in recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. 

Connect with King County Recovery Coalition online, on Facebook (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition), or on YouTube (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition).

If you have feedback or show ideas, contact host Heather Venegas at heather@kcrecovery.org.