Finding connection, overcoming stereotypes, leading with kindness—the skills Kate's learned in recovery are benefiting her whole community.

Barbecues, birthday parties, baby showers—Kate and her friends show up for each other for all the big moments in life. They also show up when things get tough, like when one of them loses a job or a partner. That connection is one of Kate's favorite things about her recovery from substance use disorder. Good times, tough times—she doesn't have to face them alone.

Kate thought she had a clear picture of what substance use disorder "looked like." She never thought it could happen to her. When she met other people her age with SUD, she felt supported and seen. "You can be a young adult with substance use disorder," she says. "It doesn't have to look a certain way."