Podcast: “Interview with Activist Alicia Cook”
This week’s episode of Coming up for Air may have had some technical difficulty, but Laurie and Annie powered through it to welcome their guest The Alicia Cook! Alicia Cook is an established writer and award-winning activist from New Jersey. Her work has appeared on the Huffington Post, CNN, USA Today, Teen Vogue, and many more. She gained international attention with the publication of her essay “The Other Side of Addiction,” which explores how the family is affected by addiction. Cook is extremely active in her efforts to combat the heroin epidemic, including writing, podcast appearances, and speaking to students and their parents. PBS Executive Producer, Steve Rogers, created an episode of his Emmy-nominated documentary series, “Here’s the Story” around Cook and her efforts entitled “A Family Disease.” The episode was dedicated to Cook’s cousin, Jessica, who passed away from a drug overdose in 2006. The episode was officially selected in the New Jersey Recovery Film Festival in 2017.
Coming Up for Air brings together two Allies in Recovery moms, Annie Highwater and Laurie MacDougall, for thoughtful discussion on a range of topics pertaining to addiction in the family. Both Annie and Laurie spent years struggling with an addicted loved one. In this podcast series, they share their stories and experiences in the hope that you will relate in some way, that you will learn from them and be reminded that you are NOT ALONE.
Meet our hosts:
Laurie MacDougall is the mother of three, and a former high school math teacher, residing in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work at Boston University. She is particularly interested in how community organizations can improve the impact they have on the opiate epidemic. Laurie’s overarching goal is to end the stigma associated with the disease of addiction, through education. She loves skiing and ice hockey, and is at her happiest when spending time with her family.
Annie Highwater is a long distance runner, health and wellness advocate, and researcher of behavioral science. She is particularly interested in family pathology and concepts of dysfunction and conflict. Annie resides in Columbus, Ohio where she enjoys writing, hiking, the great outdoors. She also visits her son in Southern California as often as possible. In 2016, Annie published her memoir, Unhooked: A Mother’s Story of Unhitching from the Roller Coaster of Her Son’s Addiction. The story is especially relevant in helping us all understand the personal challenges facing parents and family members, and how family dynamics both help and hinder the recovery process.
Allies in Recovery Blog & Member Site
You can also check out Allies in Recovery’s blog, where Laurie and Annie are both contributors.
Join the Allies in Recovery member site today for full, unlimited access to our e-learning platform, expert guidance, and the chance to connect with others in your situation. Learn more here.