Quit Brooding – Be Happy in Recovery!
I’ve been feeling down lately. I won’t burden you with the details. And sure, there’s nothing wrong with feeling down. I practice coping skills to move through the rough parts: physical exercise, following a routine, and asking for help. I’m also fortunate to have a handful of folks who bestow help when I ask. Sometimes […]
Fostering Feelings of Awe in Group Therapy
Updated 2/15/2025 Michiganders have always been my favorite group of people for many reasons. First, I LOVE the way that Michiganders love their state. From Detroit to Grand Rapids, Traverse City, to the Upper Peninsula – you would be hard-pressed to find a Michigander who did not endorse and thoroughly enjoy the natural beauty of […]
Mindfulness, Manageable Stress & Addiction Treatment
When I started gathering information for my graduate degree research project, it was just getting colder in Michigan. We were inching toward the winter months, and my anxiety spiked with each grey day on the horizon. The stress accompanying literature reviews and all things research in graduate school appeared to double each moment I procrastinated. […]
The Restorative Health Benefits of a Michigan Summer
Michigan summer… It’s finally Michigan summer. Last weekend I was mired in a rather “snakey” looking bog on the edge of Big Seven Lake. I could hear, but not see, the frogs with their burping, throaty chirps. There were tiny dragon-flies hovering over the water lilies and my inflatable kayak was listing to starboard. […]
Dear Rae: I Relapsed – How Do I Move Forward?
Dear Rae: I am (or was) a recovering alcoholic. I have been sober for three years. Yesterday, it was raining and gray and my husband was out of town on business. For some reason I went to the liquor store and bought a bottle of vodka. I didn’t really even think about it – […]
WHO is Your Addiction Treatment Experience?
In the past two weeks I have spent more time than I would like in a hospital. In fact, any time spent in a hospital is too much for me. But I have an ailing mother and there is something so sad about a hospital inhabitant without a plethora of primrose toting visitors. So I […]
Shame – Being VS Doing Something Wrong …
I struggle to facilitate conversations about shame. And I’m transparent about that with my clients. This is for a few reasons: shame is difficult to conceptualize. Unlike “coping skills” or “aftercare planning,” shame is nebulous. Open for discourse. Dependent on our unique perspectives and past experiences. Additionally, I’ve yet to master managing shame in my […]
What Men Want (from their Addiction Treatment)
What do men want when they check in at an addiction treatment center? According to Rae Rabideau, Sanford Manager of Clinical Operations, most men enter treatment to “learn how not to relapse”. The details of their stay are not something they’ve really thought about, and the continuum of care and the future is unknown. […]
Gracefully Welcoming Change: Recovery in an Ever-Changing World
Change. Many of us struggle to navigate it gracefully. To create meaningful change, we have to do things differently. We must engage in some self-reflection. And practice self-awareness. And admit our shortcomings… It’s a lot of work. I could draw a metaphor, here, about the changing seasons (it’s finally starting to feel like spring […]
Dear Rae: Why Can My Boyfriend Drink More Than Me?
Dear Rae: I am a currently a Junior and I have been drinking heavily for my entire time at college. Mostly beer, but we also do shots. Lately, after a night of partying, my hangovers seem to be getting worse. If I’m honest, I don’t feel that great most of the time… but it […]
