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Practicing Self-Love – 3 Things I Love About Myself

  When I wake up in the morning and take a long hard stare in the mirror I can easily list 3 things I dislike about myself. But when I try to list 3 things I love about myself, it gets a little more difficult. I never realized how often I put myself down or […]

Anybody Else Having Trouble Sleeping?

  I have a sleep history. For most of my adult life I have been a card-carrying insomniac. Waking at 3:00 am with a crazy energy, sweeping the front porch at dawn and banging pots and pans (or any other noisy handiwork) by 5:00 am. Loved ones stuffed toilet paper in their ears to deaden […]

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Holidays Past & Time-Honored Tips – Best of Excursions

We’ve all made it through a pared down Thanksgiving 2020. And we’re on to December’s festivities. One good thing about the holidays this year, is that we are dealing with smaller, more intimate groups. For those in recovery, new or long-term, it takes the worry out of attending a large gathering. Or having to “explain” […]

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Finding Joy in an Unsettled World

I was sitting on a bench at Kirk Park taking in the fall colors, when a couple passed by. I watched them walk along the path toward Lake Michigan. A gale was blowing and they linked arms and bent against the wind off the water. The beach is eroded at Kirk Park, and there is […]

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The Role of Nurses in Addiction Treatment – Limelight

  The residential houses and outpatient facility at Sanford Addiction Treatment Centers are homelike and non-institutional for a reason. Treatment begins in a particular place, and an aesthetically pleasing environment can contribute toward reducing stress, promoting self-care, and serve as a vehicle to healing.   Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) & Medical Management However, behind the peaceful […]

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Kicking Up the Best of a Michigan Autumn (I’m not SAD)!

  Updated September 2023 My daughter and her husband visited from Florida last year to see the fall colors (and what a difference a year makes). Sometimes it’s nice to see the world through someone else’s eyes. For a couple of hot-house flowers, the weather was blustery, but the autumn color was at its finest […]

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Living Michigan Recovery – Best of Excursions

During the past six months, it has been a boon to live in Michigan. Especially for those in recovery from substance use disorders. With 103 state parks and recreation areas covering 306,000 acres, and lots of wide open spaces, those who were feeling cabin-bound were able to explore safely. And we all know that exercise […]

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Anxiety Disorder 2020 – What are the Signs?

During a family Zoom meeting last week, my son asked us a question his boss had posed in another Zoom meeting. The question was, “What new thing have you learned during the pandemic?” My son, who is clever as well as handsome, answered, “I built a table from scratch.” Another person said, “I learned to […]

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Boundaries, New Life, Nutrition Reboot – The Best of Excursions

It’s spring and in Michigan everything is chirping, budding and flowering. It makes you feel alive, awakened after a long sleep …ย  We’ve been distancing for several weeks, and one of the interesting things that seems to have come from our stay-at-home charge, is determining what is essential.ย  So, as the world begins to open […]

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Addiction Treatment Admissions SOS – Limelight Interview

The admissions team at Sanford has always offered help to those who are struggling with substance use disorders (SUD). And they have always served as a port in the storm for individuals and their families who are looking for the right answers, facilities and programs to treat SUDs.   During this difficult time, we are […]

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