Looking Forward to Spring Mental Health (10 Ideas to Anticipate)

I am preparing for the family egg hunt next weekend. An extravaganza that accumulates new participants each year. It means dragging bins of plastic eggs from the attic, buying candy and trinkets, and planning brunch. Looking forward to the gathering of family and friends, children running on the grass, and the inevitable sighting of the […]

Binge Drinking and Your Liver

Recently, we wrote an article on alcohol-related liver disease being on the rise. It didn’t seem like a particularly exciting piece. It listed stats from the CDC and a description of the stages of liver disease. Interestingly, the article garnered a large readership and an abundance of comments on Facebook. Everything from wisecracks to political […]

Is Alcohol Ruining My Marriage?

  In 2017, I wrote an article about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s divorce and the role alcohol played in their relationship’s demise. Brangelina was secondary to the theme of the article, but it has gone on to garner more than 150,000 views over the years. I have updated it many times, and it remains […]

Therapy Dog Apollonia Inspires Patients at Sanford Behavioral Health

At Sanford Behavioral Health, therapy dog Apollonia (Apol) is a celebrity of sorts. When she trots through the halls with Sanford Founder Rae Green, both patients and team members brighten. She has inspired artwork in art therapy, love letters from patients leaving treatment, and even a set of personalized note cards. Apol also holds the […]

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease on the Rise

According to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol-related liver disease is on the rise. Alcohol-related liver disease is also the leading cause of death from excessive drinking. Alcohol-related deaths have increased over the past 20 years. Notably, there was a 29% increase from 2019 to 2020, attributable to […]

Ask Rae: My Real Life is a Mess and I’m Too Busy for Rehab!

Dear Rae:  I saw one of Sanford Behavioral Health‘s posts on social media for real-life recovery, and I have to admit it got me thinking. My “real life” is a mess. I have a problem with alcohol for sure, but I can’t go away to some rehab for 30 days. I promised my partner I […]

The Importance of Food in Mental Health Treatment with Chef Peter

Chef Peter has been with Sanford Behavioral Health through a couple of kitchen moves. He has worked in the confined kitchens of historic homes and the vast, shining kitchen at Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus. He says over the years of growth at Sanford, he has also gotten “street-smart” when it comes to feeding those […]

What to Expect From a Loved One in Early Recovery

“What can I expect?” is a question many therapists hear from families when their loved one enters treatment. The thing is, there is no clear answer to that question. Many different statistics float around the internet on addiction recovery, but there is no ironclad rule book on what to expect from a newly sober family […]

12 Hopeful Ideas to Improve Your Mental Health 2024

  During the holidays and beyond, we posted 12 articles with hopeful ideas to improve your mental health. We are heading into February with 2024 firmly under our belts. It seems like a good time to recap those 12 ideas while we still feel the newness of the New Year (and while our resolutions are […]

Human Resources (HR) and Recovery – Limelight Interview

Since mid-December, we have been publishing all manner of articles and interviews on hope for 2024. One name that came up several times was Sanford Behavioral Health’s Human Resources Generalist, Sam Domine. Sam is a breath of fresh air; almost six years sober herself, she works within Sanford to advocate for both team members and […]