Red Wine a Day Keeps Heart Disease Away? A New Study Debunks the Adage
A new study debunks the concept that drinking modestly protects the heart. Instead, its conclusion is that there is no level of drinking that does not present heart disease risk. The risk is minimal if people consume an average of seven drinks per week (as compared to abstaining). But the risk rises dramatically as […]
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 […]
10 Reasons a Michigan Winter is Good for Your Health!
At the beginning of winter 2020, there is no question what was in the minds of Michiganders far and wide. After almost a year of isolation, distancing and COVID-19, we are heading into the months when we normally sequester. How are we going to handle this? And when the first snow fell in October […]
Studies Show 75% of Individuals With Addiction Recover
In a world of doom and gloom news, addiction from drugs and alcohol gets its share of bad press. The CDC reported more than 100,000 overdose deaths from April 2020 to April 2021. This is the single highest death toll recorded in a 12-month period. We also hear about the tsunami of increased alcohol […]
Alcohol-Free Cocktails from the Sanford Kitchen
Sober friends and recovery partiers, we are at the tail-end of the 2021 festivities. Anybody else getting a little club soda logged? Even with the parred down events of the last couple years, you might want to toast a better New Year. There is something unnerving about a proffered champagne tray, especially when you […]
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 […]
10 Common Excuses for Avoiding Addiction Treatment
It’s the holidays. The time for pageants at church and school, office parties, and family responsibilities. As a person in recovery, I can remember this time of year while in active addiction. On top of the crushing TO DO list of everyday holiday tasks, there was the exhausting schedule of drinking, planning to drink, […]
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 […]
ADHD and Substance Use Disorders in Young Adults
Young adults with ADHD have a high prevalence of alcohol and other SUDs. Targeted outreach and interventions for this extremely vulnerable population are warranted. Findings from a Canadian Nationally Representative Survey, Fuller-Thomas, Lewis, Agbeyaka, et al. A new study by lead author Esme Fuller-Thomas, PhD, a professor at University of Toronto, documents the connection […]
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 […]
