Angry & DUI – Should I Call the Police?
If you live with someone who drinks or drugs too much, the following scenario should be familiar. The argument begins (as it always does) about mid-way between sobriety and your loved one’s peak inebriation and ends in DUI. It may start because of a missed milestone or unbecoming behavior in public. It may erupt […]
Recovery Kayaking – The Uncomplicated Joy
Sobriety, once you get the hang of it, makes life uncomplicated. Take kayaking for example. In my active addiction, a kayaking trip would have been an elaborate affair. I would leave the sunblock, water and bug spray behind, but stockpile wine in plastic water bottles. My balance was so bad, I would never have been […]
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 […]
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 […]
Marriage & Family Therapy in Rehab – Limelight Interview
Clinical Director, Lynnel Brewster has a lot of initials after her name. And with 24 years of experience, she has worked in hospital and home settings, residential addiction treatment centers and private practice. Lynnel is a registered nurse and a licensed professional counselor. She also has her limited license in marriage and family therapy, […]
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 […]
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. […]
Social Drinking, Social Anxiety and the Open Bar
Updated 12/4/2025 What is it about an open bar at a lively party? Friendly wait staff in bow ties and damask-draped folding tables.The inevitable lineup of soon-to-be new best friends. And for anyone like me, with social anxiety, the open bar is the ultimate event ice-breaker. New Friends, Open Bar In the movie […]
Nurse Practitioner in Addiction Treatment: Limelight Interview
Nurse Practitioner Amy Bukala (with Medical Director Dr. Dosanjh above) is not easy to pin down for an interview. She’s busy. And mobile – moving from Sanford Outpatient Center to the residential Sanford Houses, the back of her white coat flapping. As a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Amy works autonomously as well as […]
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 […]
