Why Recovery is America’s Biggest Challenge with Nick Kristof

In this impactful episode of Soberness, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nick Kristof brings his expertise and compassion to a conversation about addiction, poverty, and recovery in America. Drawing on decades of investigative reporting, Nick sheds light on the systemic factors fueling addiction and the urgent need for recovery-focused solutions.

From the devastating effects of childhood trauma to the role of economic hardship, Nick discusses the interconnected roots of addiction and how they impact individuals and communities alike. He also shares lessons from global approaches to recovery, including Portugal’s groundbreaking policies, and reflects on his personal experiences that shaped his understanding of resilience and healing.

Whether you’re on your own recovery journey or passionate about addressing addiction at a societal level, this episode provides both hope and actionable insights.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The link between addiction, poverty, and systemic inequality.

• Why childhood trauma is a major predictor of substance abuse.

• Lessons America can learn from Portugal’s approach to addiction recovery.

• The role of community and connection in healing addicted populations.

• How journalism can amplify voices and inspire change.

ABOUT THE SOBERNESS PODCAST

Soberness is a new podcast  from Cat Greenleaf, creator and host of Talk Stoop. 

Cat brings her legendary interviewing style and ten years of sobriety to wild conversations with celebrities and notable people who have been on their own sober journeys, either out loud in public or quietly at home.

Soberness is not a somber show about sobriety. 

It’s about the one-of-a-kind stories that define the lives of people we all know, sharing the aching humor and the meaning that comes with a life in recovery. 

And it’s about how that life redefines the work and the art of the actors, musicians and thinkers around us. 

Soberness is built upon the primary belief that there’s no one definition for sobriety and no one way to get sober …and there are a million stories that can lead the way for anyone who’s trying to make it happen.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE: https://youtu.be/_T1FeK3bC5g

LISTEN TO THE FULL AUDIO PODCASTS HERE: https://open.spotify.com/show/6CT7iEJi0PIzaVHxEBVZVi

ABOUT CAT GREENLEAF

Cat Greenleaf is a veteran TV personality and host, best known for her long-running series, Talk Stoop, where she interviewed and entertained actors, musicians, politicians, and other notable folks on the stoop of her Brooklyn brownstone. When she’s not TV-ing, she’s working on her non-profit the Restorative Housing Organization which provides employment for formerly incarcerated folks and affordable waterfront housing.  She also leads AA meetings for inmates at Bedford Hills Women’s Maximum Security Prison, and for formerly incarcerated men and women in East New York.  She lives in Brooklyn’s Coney Island with her husband, two sons and three dogs.

KEYWORDS:

Sobriety stories, addiction recovery, Nick Kristof, Soberness podcast, America’s addiction crisis, recovery journey, childhood trauma and addiction, poverty and substance abuse, systemic solutions for addiction, breaking the cycle of addiction, Pulitzer Prize writer Nick Kristof.