Clever Addicted Brain – Sabotaged when Contemplating Change
Revised January 2026 My favorite scene in the movie Jurassic Park doesn’t end well. The Australian park ranger is hunting raptors, and one of the creatures rattles the fronds in front of him. While he prepares for the kill shot, another raptor sneaks up from behind. The ranger is eaten alive, but not before uttering […]
Thoughtful Connections from the Family Program – The Forest & the Trees
Suppose you have 100 acres full of sick trees who want to get well. Â If each tree leaves the forest to find wellness and then returns to the forest, they get sick again from the infection of the rest of the trees. Â The Elders taught us that to treat sick trees you must treat […]
I Knew I Was an Alcoholic Long Before I Quit Drinking….
I knew I was an alcoholic long before I finally put the alcohol down. Â I knew this because I became emotionally dependent and would use a drink to satisfy everything. Â Coming home from work I would slam the bottle of wine on the counter and tell myself that I deserved a drink. Â Whether I had […]
Dear Rae: What Level of Care is Best for My Wife?
Dear Rae: I feel completely helpless. My wife has been drinking heavily for years, but she has a good job and is very active. She runs three times a week and we have a pretty big social life. Here’s the problem – lately, she seems to be drinking more and it is impacting her quality […]
Drone’s Eye View of Sanford Addiction Treatment Centers 2019!
The New Year has begun and the Sanford team is busy inspiring our clients to find their inner grit, rekindle their interests and engage their passion for the long haul in recovery. As always, our evidence-based treatment begins in a particular place…. And the historic homes that make up the Sanford Addiction Treatment […]
Sober New Year’s Parties and Resolutions? Not a Fan…
I am not a fan of New Year’s Eve parties and nights out. I find all that hugging and Happy New Year chanting a bit much and incredibly uncomfortable. In my active drinking days, I would rarely remember midnight as I almost always blacked-out – either awake or asleep. What I do love is […]
Spend the Holidays in Rehab? I’ll Think About That Tomorrow
When Scarlett O’Hara said I’ll think about that tomorrow, she was putting aside a difficult decision for a more convenient time. That’s the problem with procrastinating about something painful, like addressing a substance use disorder (SUD). There is never a good time, but there’s always a good excuse. No excuses to put off […]
Dear Rae: Is My 15-Year Old Using Alcohol & Drugs?
Dear Rae: My teenage son has begun to worry my husband and me. He is sullen and non-communicative – which is very new behavior in our house. We are a close family and he is our only child. In the past, John was open about school, friends and outside activities. But recently, he has been […]
Do You Really WANT to Change (and Be Sober)?
You have to want to change in order to change. I could type a million words about why I love being sober, but if you don’t want to stop drinking it will make no difference. The tools and techniques of change… I could talk until I run out of puff about all the […]
Sanford Founder Rae Green & WZZM13: Talking to Teens About Marihuana
Michigan is the 10th state to legalize recreational marihauna for adults over the age of 21. And yes, Michigan spells it “marihauna” – harkening back to the Marihauna Tax Act of 1937 for its chosen spelling. But an English lesson is not what our children need on the subject of marihauna, no matter […]
