New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work? Implementing Change with GUSTO
Updated 12/30/24 Welcome to 2025! In your social circles, the “buzz” is probably about New Year’s resolutions. Did you make any? I want to share some perspectives on how humans make behavioral changes, such as resolutions or adjustments to our relationships and lives. Resolutions & Change When it comes to a resolution for […]
Family Guide to Understanding Addiction Relapse
For family recovery to become a reality, each household member must have an accurate perspective on addiction relapse and their recovery plan. Any situation that stimulates old addictive pathways can lead to relapse in the person with an addictive condition, likewise, to family members. The most important thing is what the individual with a substance […]
How to Navigate Your Eating Disorder at Family Gatherings
Family gatherings can be challenging for those in eating disorder recovery, especially during the holidays. Today on the Anatomy of Addiction podcast, we interview Dr. Anna Flores, a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition. She gives us valuable tips on managing eating disorder recovery during the holidays, into the New Year, or whenever families gather. […]
How to Set Boundaries in Addiction Recovery
As the family program facilitator at Sanford Behavioral Health, I spend a lot of time helping loved ones establish boundaries. Establishing healthy boundaries is possible in family recovery. Establishing boundaries is essential to effectively work with a loved one with a substance use disorder (SUD). Healthy boundaries are at the heart of any positive relationship […]
Alcohol-Free Mocktails, “That’s What I Prefer”
It’s party time, and drinking alcohol-free mocktails can seem antisocial to someone new to recovery or practicing an alcohol-free lifestyle. After all, it is rare to attend a holiday gathering without the omnipresent open bar. But when Uncle Joe picks a fight, or your neighbor falls into the sunken living room, splashing his bloody mary […]
You’re Stressed? Women Feel the Holiday Hassles More than Men
My mother used to do this predictable thing whenever I would indicate frailty, especially during the holidays. If I said, “I’m tired,” she said, “You’re tired. I slept three hours last night worrying about how I would seat everyone at dinner tonight.” I could not top her ever-escalating descriptions of exhaustion, aches and pains, and […]
Benefits of Art Therapy for Mental Health
At Sanford Behavioral Health, we are always asking patients to “show me.” Show me where in the image you are feeling a conflict. Show me how you would change that. Of course, when we ask someone to show us something, we ask them to show themselves. In Sanford’s mental health treatment, patients participate in […]
6 Family Activities for the New Year
The year is coming to a close, and it’s time to celebrate the arrival of a new year with family and friends. Whether you like to ring in the New Year with festive traditions or prefer quieter family activities, there are plenty of fun ways to celebrate this special occasion safely and inclusively. Are […]
A Toast to Brain Health – 10 Strategies to Embrace the Holiday Season
If you or a loved one are experiencing your first sober holiday season, I’ll bet I can predict the questions you are noodling. I can also assure you (nine years after my first dry yuletide) that most of your concerns are unfounded. I quit drinking in July, so I had time to get used […]
5 Signs of an Eating Disorder
An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition affecting millions of people in the United States and worldwide. Understanding the signs of an eating disorder is essential to help yourself or a loved one and access appropriate outpatient treatment options. Sanford Behavioral Health offers comprehensive outpatient treatment programs for eating disorders and can help […]
