What is a Continuum of Care in Mental Health Treatment?
At Sanford Behavioral Health, we provide comprehensive and personalized treatment for individuals diagnosed with addiction, eating disorders, and mental health conditions. We utilize a “continuum of care,” which means giving support at every level of recovery, from intensive inpatient treatment to virtual therapy. All of our programs are entry points to the recovery continuum of […]
Holidays, Relationships, and Alcohol – Best of Excursions
There is a phenomenon that occurs at Sanford Behavioral Health after a holiday: website traffic increases, and phone calls surge. Our most viral articles about holidays, relationships, and alcohol misuse are accessed from the recesses of our blog. Why? The downtime, family time, and festivities around holidays often illuminate problems with drinking and fissures in […]
9 Tips for Recovering Families – Letting Go this Summer
As the 4th of July weekend comes to an end, many of us look forward to enjoying the summer holidays with sun, water fun, and gatherings with loved ones. However, it’s essential to be mindful of the unique challenges that recovering families managing substance use disorders may face during this time. The festivities, which often […]
What Motivates Someone to Choose a Helping Profession? Limelight Interview
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), helping professions are “jobs or positions that offer health and education services to individuals and the community.” Helping jobs are often motivated by a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Today in the Limelight Interview, we discuss the role of helping others with Sanford […]
How Do I Talk To My Partner About Their Drinking?
One of the questions I get as an addiction counselor with an advice column (Ask Rae) is, “How do I talk to my partner about their drinking?” In fact, some of Sanford Behavioral Health’s most viral articles are about the subject of alcohol ruining relationships. When someone in the household is misusing alcohol, it […]
Do Men and Women Crave Alcohol Differently?
There has long been a complicated relationship between alcohol drinking and stress. On the one hand, alcohol has anxiety-reducing properties and can actually relieve stress. However, alcohol also acts as a stressor, activating the sympathetic (stress response) nervous system. Stress is also associated with poor outcomes or relapse for those in treatment and recovery, […]
The Health Benefits of a Michigan Summer
In Michigan, Memorial Day weekend symbolizes the beginning of summer and the end of a tough winter and often disappointingly dreary spring. Docks are fully installed, boats are out of dry dock, and winter coats are confidently stowed in closets. Summer is cherished here because we know it is fleeting – a time to grab […]
Excursions in Rehab – 12-Step, Alum, GLAD & Outdoor Group Meetings
Since 2016, Sanford Behavioral Health has prioritized excursions into the community as a vital part of addiction treatment and recovery. Today, at Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus, recreational therapy, art therapy, and recovery outings provide residents with an opportunity to participate in real-life scenarios in the safety of treatment. Coupled with other evidence-based practices, excursions […]
ALL THINGS ALCOHOL – The Sanford Library
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and we have searched Excursions Magazine for interesting articles on alcohol. Over the years, we have interviewed people in recovery from alcohol addiction, posted current stats, and analyzed the reasons alcohol is normalized in social activities. We have opined on hangovers, detox, the joys of sober vacations, 12-step methodology, Superbowl […]
Michigan Recovery – Looking Forward to Summer
Our winter was long, and spring in the Midwest always brings a mixed message of warmer days and sleet. But part of Michigan’s charm is that blaze of blue sky after a stretch of gray days—the contrast of technicolor after sepia. And now that it’s unlikely we will get another snowstorm, we can look forward […]
