Michigan Excursions – Nature Therapy in the Great Outdoors
I work for Sanford Behavioral Health, and as the marketing director, I notice the organization’s communal language. Words have power and we are in the business of stigma busting, so we are mindful about our words when it comes to addiction, eating disorders, and mental health conditions. A few years ago, when we launched […]
BEST Vacations in Recovery – Sober Summer Travel
Every year at this time I think of those who are new to recovery. Summer vacation, a time to relax and enjoy life can be stressful to the newly sober traveler. In my drinking days vacation began with the first glass of wine on the plane. It often ended with bruised shins, battered relationships, […]
Soul Hunger, Eating Disorders and a Historic ED Treatment Center
Residential Eating Disorders Multidisciplinary Team On the Anatomy of Addiction Podcast, I had the opportunity to interview two members of the residential eating disorder team. Dr. Anna Flores and Erin Carrigan, MA, LLPC, LPCC, are both transplants to Michigan. They moved here to help build the residential eating disorder treatment center at Sanford. Sanford […]
Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders Before/After Bariatric Surgery
There are times on the road to wellness, when the only thing one can say is, “No fair.” I remember thinking no fair when six months sober, a long dormant eating disorder popped up like the head of a Hydra. Just when I had my alcohol use disorder (AUD) licked, another trial presented itself. And at […]
Alcohol – Still the “King” of Addiction
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at alcohol advertisements lately. Which is perhaps an odd thing for someone in recovery to do. After all, glamour shots of sweating wine glasses and the implied comradery of women toasting with Skinny Girl Chardonnay certainly influenced me in the past. But as an ex-imbiber and marketing […]
The Importance of Human Connection. Pandemic’s Silver Lining?
There is no argument – 2021 has been a tough year on our mental health. We have been challenged by the seemingly never-ending COVID pandemic. And in the behavioral health field the increase in overdoses, caused by multiple factors linked with the pandemic, resulted in more than 100,000 deaths. Is Connection the Pandemic’s […]
What is Medical Detox? Anatomy of Addiction Podcast
Today on the podcast we talk to Sanford Chief Operations Officer, Katie Vokes and Chief Clinical Officer, Jenny Selent. They define “medical detox” and talk about the criteria for entering a detox facility. Also, they give us a good idea of what it feels like to take the first step in the addiction treatment […]
What to Expect When You Call a Treatment Center – Anatomy of Addiction Podcast
Have you ever wondered what happens when you call an addiction, eating disorder or mental health treatment center to ask for help? Who answers the phone? What questions do they ask you? What should you have available? Do you have the telephone jitters, but just want to talk to someone about entering a mental […]
Flying High: Why Airports Are Triggers for Those in Recovery
The holidays are coming, and we have begun to venture back to the friendly skies. It seems that everyone is donning a mask and getting on a plane going somewhere. For those of us in recovery, walking through a brightly lit airport has the potential to trigger memories of a high flying past. And […]
Remembering Early Recovery in an Empty House
I had what will probably be a once in a lifetime experience this summer. Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women in Grand Rapids, Michigan was closed for a short time for restoration. This is something that happens rarely in the 24/7 world of residential addiction treatment. The 170-year-old floors were restored, and everything […]
