Mark Suppelsa, the 5 and 9 p.m. anchor at WGN, has announced that he will take a month off from the Chicago CW-affiliate to be treated for alcohol addiction. Suppelsa shared the news with WGN staffers in a note on Friday:

I’m driving soon with my family to Hazelden in Minnesota where they’ll drop me off for a month long alcohol recovery program. I have felt for some time that this would become necessary and I’ve now crossed a bridge in my life where I want and need to do this. It’s my choice. No one is forcing me to do it.

Simply put, I have been abusing alcohol at the end of my work day as my family slept. It was my secret and I became very accomplished at hiding it. I do my best to function at a high level and I know that it is my responsibility to correct anything that potentially interferes with my family or my work.

Suppelsa is expected to return to the WGN anchor desk next month. “We are supportive of Mark’s efforts to deal with this issue and look forward to his return,” VP-GM Marty Wilke said in a statement. “We, and he, appreciate the support from our viewers.”