Alcohol Ruins Relationships and Marriages, Even Brad Pitt’s
In a spate of articles and talk show banter over the past few years, actor Brad Pitt has blamed his alcohol use for the demise of his marriage to Angelina Jolie. It seems there was a defining incident on a private plane when Brad was inappropriately rough with one of his children. I can […]
Managing Stress – Slow Down, Take Stock, Make Choices
I am sitting at my desk, typing away, and my head is pounding. The coffee I had this morning didn’t fix it. The gallon of water I am halfway to drinking hasn’t done anything. Maybe I am grinding my teeth at night? Or maybe something else is going on? My instinct? To push through. […]
Establishing a Safe Space – Limelight Interview
When we talk about establishing a “safe space” in addiction treatment, what does it mean? There is no question that an outpatient facility should be private and secured. But Clinical Therapist, Ellen Sork, says it takes more than that. It is a combination of physical environment, allowing client groups to participate in setting the expectations, […]
Sanford and Roderic Townes are WZZM’s One Good Thing
Roderic Townes, started doing drugs when he was 12 years old. He continued until the age of 43, when he sought treatment and began working a life-long recovery program. Today, Roderic is not only clean and sober… he’s also the House Manager at Sanford House at John Street for Men. In a true full circle, […]
New Day, New Year, New Video – Sanford Addiction Treatment Centers
‘Tis the season to be thankful. It’s also the season to look back on the previous year and forward to 2020. In 2019, the Sanford team did what they do best. We continued to provide an addiction treatment exemplar in our residential houses – Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women and Sanford House […]
My Drinking Dreams – They’re a Nightmare!
I get so much out of living my life sober. And I am really working towards happiness and fulfillment. I feel like I am on the precipice of something or someone. But I haven’t quite worked out what or who. I suspect this is my spiritual awakening to a new life. And this time it […]
Gratitude, Thankfulness and Recovery in the Real World…
I went away to a retreat last weekend. I was feeling a bit “rusty” in my recovery and decided I could use a tune-up. One of the things that hit me like a gong at a Buddhist temple while I was there, was the fact I had stopped doing a daily check on the […]
What Does it Mean to Fail? Open Up to Imperfection!
Confronting the “F” word in early recovery… In addition to my clinical work, I also do freelance gigs in the community. Over the weekend, I had one such engagement. For whatever reason, I wasn’t quite myself that night. Walking into the workshop, I felt uneasy – dread creeping in. You see, I have a […]
Dysfunctional Drinking – Am I Being the Fun Police?
I was scrolling through Instagram a couple of days ago when I saw a photo that a local celebrity had posted. It was of a takeaway cup filled with wine and the caption read: “Sneaking a light beverage into the school prize giving tonight.” The photo was liked by over 2,000 people […]
Boredom and Isolation in Recovery…
Yesterday afternoon at about 4pm I sat at the kitchen bench and stared off into space. I felt bored and restless. I would have rather been somewhere else. Working at an office in town maybe. Or out doing something – anything – stimulating and interesting. But because I’m a stay-at-home mum who works part-time […]
