Living Sober for My Kids
I had one of those classic “couldn’t do this if I was still boozing” parenting moments the other day. Our nine-year-old had a friend over for a sleepover late in the evening. At around 9:30 p.m., we were interrupted in the living room by a little boy in tears saying, “I want to go home!” […]
Avoiding the Whack-a-Mole Eating Disorder Game
I’ve never liked the carnival game whack-a-mole. Bashing heads with a cartoon hammer while an endless succession of new rodents appears. It is too stressful and unpredictable. But I could relate when a friend in recovery said they thought eating disorders, popping up during addiction treatment, reminded them of playing whack-a-mole. Because just when […]
Choose Alcohol over Family?
One of the most challenging questions for those recovering from an alcohol use disorder is, “Why did you choose alcohol over me?” No matter how often you tell the family of a person in active addiction their loved one has a chronic, progressive brain disease, someone will stand up and say, “Yes, but they […]
What is Recovery Awareness?
September is Recovery Awareness Month, and at Sanford Behavioral Health, recovery is a word we hear all the time. One of the tenets of our mission is to support and educate those who are in recovery, their families and communities, but what does recovery awareness mean? The dictionary defines recovery as a return to a […]
Admissions to Mental Health Treatment: Limelight Interview
One of the most daunting parts of entering mental health treatment is picking up the phone to ask for help. Often, when people call, they are overwhelmed, contacting us on what might be a very bad day. But every person who calls Sanford Behavioral Health will know they are no longer alone. The Admissions team […]
Men’s Alcohol Addiction – The Bad and Good News
Let us begin with the bad news: statistically men are more likely to use every type of illegal and legal drug than women. When it comes to men’s alcohol addiction, men drink more than women in every category. This includes binge drinking, overall consumption, and substance use disorders. According to a CDC Fact Sheet […]
Do Alcohol Delivery Apps Feed Isolation & Addiction?
For someone in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, there are a few simple tenets. Be careful of the people, places, and things that might cause emotional triggers. Take things one day at a time. And the one that has become a sticky wicket in the past three years: do not isolate. Isolation and alcohol […]
Who Needs Botox? 4 Reasons Sober is Beautiful Inside and Out
I work for Sanford Behavioral Health in Grand Rapids. Michigan, and my job gives me a bird’s eye overview of our patients in recovery. I don’t see them every day, which means I am privy to the cumulative effect recovery can have on a person’s overall look. And what a difference even a week […]
Steven Tyler Long-Term Recovery Relapse – Why Does it Happen?
In a series of articles, we heard last week that rock band Aerosmith have cancelled the first two months of their Los Vegas residency. The reason cited is that front-man, Steven Tyler, checked himself into rehab after more than a decade of sobriety. The star is said to have relapsed after taking pain medication […]
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, […]
