Exercise for Stress and Anxiety – 5 Days X 30 Minutes!
I like setting small attainable goals. Tell me to exercise for my stress and anxiety, and I find myself in a quandary. Should I get up early and hit the nature center for a bracing hike (or will that take too long)? Wait, I could do Pilates in the living room and lunges with weights […]
Men’s Addiction Treatment – Take the Tour
Sanford House at John Street for Men is a residential treatment facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Following the success of Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women, Founders Rae and David Green looked for a site for their men’s facility. Their goal was to create the same type of gender specific environment for men, […]
Addiction Stigma – How Person-First Language Helps
Stigma is defined as “a mark of disgrace or infamy”. Stigma in addiction comes mostly from the symptoms of a person’s behavior and other aspects of a substance use disorder. Addiction Stigma It is known that persons who are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs can behave aggressively or dishonestly with erratic behaviors and judgment which […]
Anatomy of Addiction Episode 2 – Women and Addiction
Today’s podcast episode is called Women and Addiction. By every marker, women are using alcohol and drugs more, and feeling the adverse effects more. Here’s the catch – women can’t drink or use drugs like men. We’re not built for it! Let’s discuss with Lynnel Brewster, RN, LPC, LLMFT, CCTP, AcuDetox Specialist, and Rae Green, […]
Surge in Overdose Deaths Increased by Pandemic
Preliminary data released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show the highest overdose death toll since the 1990s, when the opioid epidemic began. According to preliminary federal data, there was a 29 percent increase in deaths from overdoses during the period between October 2019 to September 2020, compared with […]
Anatomy of Addiction Episode 1: Brain Science (101)
We are inundated with information about the rise in alcohol sales during the pandemic. The opioid epidemic and drug overdose deaths are headline news. Likewise, there is breaking news daily about the co-occurrence of substance use disorders and anxiety. Brain Science 101 But what exactly is addiction? How do you know if you […]
Recovery Expectations vs Reality – I’m Sober, What Now?
We have a nasty habit of glamorizing “getting well.” Our recovery expectations envision peak health… how our lives will look (perfect) and bodies will feel (also perfect)… The thoughts we’ll have and the ones we won’t. Sometimes, we use the idealized and far-off future to excuse our behavior. Once I’m not using, then I’ll […]
Practicing Self-Love – 3 Things I Love About Myself
When I wake up in the morning and take a long hard stare in the mirror I can easily list 3 things I dislike about myself. But when I try to list 3 things I love about myself, it gets a little more difficult. I never realized how often I put myself down or […]
Drinking Problem? How Do I Know if I Have One?
Our Admissions Specialists regularly take calls from people on the fence about whether they have a drinking problem. The caller is often in trouble, but they don’t see it. Or don’t want to see it. We appreciate these calls because they provide a non-threatening forum to discuss addiction and the treatment options available in […]
Coping Strategies for Substance Use Surge – WoodTV8 Interview
Thank you to WoodTV8 and, Donovan Long, for shining a positive light on substance use treatment during the pandemic. Donovan interviewed Sanford founder, Rae Green, and staff members in recovery, Shelby Kendrick and Ellen Long, in front of one of the Sanford residential facilities this week. Sanford is a residential and outpatient addiction treatment […]