Facing a Family Disease with Congresswoman Madeleine Dean & Son Harry Cunnane

Heart of the Matter

Congresswoman Madeleine Dean thought she understood addiction – but it wasn’t until her son Harry Cunnane was struggling that she came to truly realize what it means when a loved one has a substance use disorder. Now Harry has been in recovery for more than eight years, and the mother and son have written a joint memoir, titled Under Our Roof: A Son's Battle for Recovery, a Mother's Battle for Her Son. With this book, the pair hope to share the lessons they’ve learned about addiction and recovery with other families impacted by this disease.

In the 19th episode of Heart of the Matter, Elizabeth interviews Madeleine and Harry about what they gained from writing Under Our Roof, what it means when people refer to addiction as a family disease, and the importance of amplifying the possibility of recovery – not just the horror of active addiction.

Today, Madeleine continues to serve Pennsylvania’s fourth district, and Harry remains active in the addiction recovery community, even working as a resource director at the same treatment center where he originally sought help.

Related reading:

After you listen, explore these resources from Partnership to End Addiction to learn more about the topics and themes discussed in this episode:

• How to Identify Substance Use Disorder & Addiction
• How to Make a Discharge Plan When Your Child Leaves Addiction Treatment
• Get One-on-One Help to Address Your Child’s Substance Use

To learn more:
Partnership to End Addiction website
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