Coping With Winter SAD – Helpful Tips

Itโ€™s been a great fall season in West Michigan!ย  The weather has been warm and sunny with very little rain, and it has lasted through October.ย  The sunny days and cooler nights have created great colors in the foliage.ย  Almost any day, a person could go outside and enjoy the fresh air and scenery of […]

Are You Supporting or Enabling Your Addicted Loved One?

Over the many years I have spent working with family members of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), the number one question I get is, “What can we do to help?” The question leads to a discussion about supporting and enabling behaviors to engage in while attempting to get a loved one to acknowledge a […]

CRAFT and Family Treatment in the Addicted Home

If you have followed my two previous articles, you are aware of how a substance use disorder (SUD), a dangerous disease by itself, becomes a family disease. An SUD negatively impacts the current and future generations of a family. Negative consequences of this disease will impact every relationship and situation in the life of a […]

The Impact of Addiction on Children Ages 10 and Older

This article is part two of a series on the impact of addiction on children. Part one (ages ten and younger) was published in July. Before reading this article, I recommend reviewing the first article by clicking the link below. In the Sanford Behavioral Health ย Family Program, we address the impact of addiction on children […]

What is the Impact of Addiction on Children?

At Sanford Behavioral Health, we treat adults with substance use disorders (SUDs). Part of client treatment is to educate and create informed support for the significant folks in their lives. Our clients can be young adults with siblings in their primary family, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, friends, and partners; most have relationships with young children. […]

9 Tips for Recovering Families – Letting Go this Summer

As the 4th of July weekend comes to an end, many of us look forward to enjoying the summer holidays with sun, water fun, and gatherings with loved ones. However, it’s essential to be mindful of the unique challenges that recovering families managing substance use disorders may face during this time. The festivities, which often […]

Hopeful Resolutions – How to Make Behavioral Change Stick in 2024

In less than two weeks, it will be 2024. In your social circles, the โ€œbuzzโ€ is probably already about New Yearโ€™s hopeful resolutions. Have you made any? According to the Statista Global Consumer Survey, the top resolutions for the coming year are to exercise more, eat healthier, and lose weight. The resolution to deal with […]

Trust and Mistrust in Addiction Recovery

The concepts of trust and mistrust are important to recovery from addiction. The family of a loved one in treatment must “trust” the process. However, mistrust has ruled the roost during their family member’s active addiction. When a family loses trust, the sense of connection as a family is also lost. And for the family […]

Addiction Defenses: Denial, Justification, Deception, Manipulation

I wrote the complete series on people’s dynamics and defenses as they develop a substance use disorder (SUD) for the Sanford Behavioral Health Family Program. The primary defenses used as addiction progresses are denial, justification, deception, and manipulation.   Denial, Justification, Deception, Manipulation For the family members of an individual developing an SUD, these defenses […]

10 Components of a Recovery-Friendly Home

The family programs at Sanford Behavioral Health were created to include our clients’ loved ones during treatment and beyond. The Family Program provides education and support about the disease of addiction, recovery, and how to create a recovery-friendly home. Family involvement is one of the essential components of a healthy long-term recovery. Because of this, […]