Childhood Experience and Addiction – Hole in the Soul
Childhood Experience and Addiction – Hole in the Soul I grew up in a family where my dad died when I was only 6 months old. My mum re-married and because of that, my brothers and I had a different surname than she and my stepdad. We wanted to keep our father’s name. All this […]
Saturday Programming, Addiction Treatment – Limelight Interview
Sanford House at John Street for Men is quiet on a Saturday. After a long week, the men in residential treatment embrace the weekend and Saturday programming with a more casual vibe. This is not to say we set aside the evidence-based practices we employ during the week, but the work is more relaxed […]
Isolation and Addiction – 3 BIG Reasons Folks With SUDs Isolate
I have a friend who tells a story about the final days of his isolation and active addiction. He says he was smoking then, and he was not allowed to light up in the house. So, he would take a bottle of Jack Daniels to the unheated garage behind his house, sit on a […]
Watery Me – Crying in Recovery
At the start of the pandemic I cried for two weeks. Not all day, every day, but very regularly. The enormity of the crisis, the fear about the virus, the concerns about lock down – it was a lot to deal with and get my head around. Every time an email came through from […]
Recovery Adventures Outdoors – 5 Favorites in Michigan
In April of 2020, Michigan had a spring snowstorm. I had been physically distancing since February, and somehow the surprise storm seemed like the last straw (icicle, snowdrift, chilblain?). Of course, there was more to come with COVID-19, but at the time I felt trapped. No adventures, working from home, and far from family […]
Calling All Alumni – Virtual Groups During COVID-19!
There has been a spate of articles, webinars and Zoom presentations talking about the negative impact of COVID-19 on those in recovery from addiction. Isolation, limited in-person connection, and uncertainty are just a few of the stressors that affect everyone during a pandemic. But those with substance use disorders have additional challenges. And Sanford […]
Sober Challenges – My COVID-19 Move & Job Change
The last 3 years of sobriety have thrown many challenges at me, but 2020 threw the biggest ones yet. At the start of this year I was unhappy in my job. It was causing me stress and reigniting some of my depressive behaviours. I talked to the bosses within my company, and managed to get […]
Thinking vs Acting – the First Steps to Recovery
Making changes to your alcohol habits is a massive undertaking. It can take months – years even – to get to the point where you actually stop drinking. And that’s okay, because transformation is a long process and it starts from deep within. Often things can be moving well along in the direction of change […]
Sober Curious: Does Moderation Management Work?
I promise I am not researching moderation management for myself. It’s been a while since the little guy in the red jumpsuit on my shoulder has whispered, “Who would it hurt if you had one glass of red wine with dinner?” In fact, he’s been too busy the past three months to bother me, convincing […]
Update: Sanford Outpatient and Virtual Treatment
The Governor issued Executive Order 2020-21, requiring all people in Michigan to “stay home and stay safe” three months ago. Since that time, Sanford has worked to provide addiction treatment for our clients under these extenuating circumstances. Our Residential Programs are available with testing, increased policies and response protocols. And we were able to pivot […]
