The Sober Holidays Q&A
If you or a loved one are experiencing your first sober holiday season, you might worry unnecessarily about saying “no thank you” in the “yes please” season. We want to put your concerns to rest by answering some of the questions you are probably asking yourself. One of the difficulties of recovery is saying no […]
Family Health Matters – Eating Disorders
Thanks to Shelley Irwin and WGVU’s Family Health Matters for including us in their panel of experts to discuss eating disorders. Joining Shelly were Sanford Behavioral Health clinical liaison Dr. Anna Flores, Kathy Robinson, parent, and Gail Hall, executive director of Michigan Eating Disorder Alliance. Some of the questions the panel answered: What is an eating […]
Do I Have Binge Eating Disorder? Signs, Symptoms & Treatment
Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the U.S., affecting about 3% of the population at some time in their lives. Of people with eating disorders, 47% have binge eating disorder. BED is characterized by recurrent binge eating without compensatory measures to counteract the binge, such as purging, laxative overuse, and […]
Psychiatrist-Led Mental Health Treatment with Dr. Gilbert Masterson
The internet is full of addiction and other mental health treatment websites that tout having a psychiatrist on staff. This is important information to challenge when seeking treatment, as there is a growing psychiatrist shortage in the U.S. “Psychiatrist on staff” may mean psychiatrist on call or shared with other treatment facilities and available infrequently […]
Seasonal Allergies and Mental Health
For those who live in Michigan, spring is a welcome reprieve from a long, dormant winter. Unfortunately, however, the beautiful buds, flowers, and green leaves come with seasonal allergies for millions of Americans. Sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, and itching can bring a dark cloud to spring’s splendor. The physical signs are apparent, but a […]
Mental Health Awareness Month – Join the Community
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the time to bring attention to mental health and its importance to overall health and well-being. At the same time, we are also experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States. In a new Surgeon General’s Advisory, Dr. Murthy raises the alarm about the impact of loneliness […]
Addressing Trauma with Alternative Therapy
Trauma is an event or circumstance that results in emotional, physical, and life threatening harm. It is important to note that trauma is highly individualized. This means, we all respond to events differently. How we respond is largely based on prior experience. For this reason, one person may demonstrate resilience after an event while another […]
10 Recovery Slogans – Why They Work
Much of my writing is intense (e.g., Family Guide to Understanding Relapse). So, I’m ready to try something a little lighter yet equally informative. For example, a part of the recovery dialogue revealed to me over the years is the use of slogans in recovery. At first, I thought they were silly. I couldn’t […]
Join Us – Free CEU Eating Disorder Summit
Please join us for an in-person Eating Disorder Summit, on April 13, 2023, in Midland, Michigan. Thank you to our CEU partner, My Michigan Health, who provides 6 Social Work CEUs for the event. We have gathered a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to discuss all aspects of eating disorder treatment and recovery. The summit is […]
A New Look at 10 Addiction Relapse Triggers
You are new to recovery and innocently pushing your cart down the aisle at the local Fresh Market. Let’s say it’s a gloomy Sunday afternoon. You round the corner, and there in front of you is the alcohol aisle. Aisles more like it, all shapes and sizes of beer and wine stacked and displayed artfully. […]
