Are You Supporting or Enabling Your Addicted Loved One?

Over the many years I have spent working with family members of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), the number one question I get is, “What can we do to help?” The question leads to a discussion about supporting and enabling behaviors to engage in while attempting to get a loved one to acknowledge a […]

Ask Rae: Is My Recovery at Risk When I Help an Addicted Person?

Dear Rae: I have been in recovery for more than ten years, and I recently had a strange experience that makes me wonder if I have put my recovery at risk. One of the tenets of recovery is to help others, and I am a recovery advocate. Over the years, I have been open about […]

CRAFT and Family Treatment in the Addicted Home

If you have followed my two previous articles, you are aware of how a substance use disorder (SUD), a dangerous disease by itself, becomes a family disease. An SUD negatively impacts the current and future generations of a family. Negative consequences of this disease will impact every relationship and situation in the life of a […]

The Impact of Addiction on Children Ages 10 and Older

This article is part two of a series on the impact of addiction on children. Part one (ages ten and younger) was published in July. Before reading this article, I recommend reviewing the first article by clicking the link below. In the Sanford Behavioral Health  Family Program, we address the impact of addiction on children […]

The Myth of the High-Functioning Alcoholic

A high-functioning alcoholic is someone who exhibits a pattern of excessive or frequent alcohol consumption yet is able to maintain their drinking habits within socially acceptable boundaries. They may hold a prestigious job, have apparently stable and fulfilling family relationships, and possess the outward appearance of leading a happy life despite their underlying struggles with […]

What is the Impact of Addiction on Children?

At Sanford Behavioral Health, we treat adults with substance use disorders (SUDs). Part of client treatment is to educate and create informed support for the significant folks in their lives. Our clients can be young adults with siblings in their primary family, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, friends, and partners; most have relationships with young children. […]

What is a Continuum of Care in Mental Health Treatment?

At Sanford Behavioral Health, we provide comprehensive and personalized treatment for individuals diagnosed with addiction, eating disorders, and mental health conditions. We utilize a “continuum of care,” which means giving support at every level of recovery, from intensive inpatient treatment to virtual therapy. All of our programs are entry points to the recovery continuum of […]

Holidays, Relationships, and Alcohol – Best of Excursions

There is a phenomenon that occurs at Sanford Behavioral Health after a holiday: website traffic increases, and phone calls surge. Our most viral articles about holidays, relationships, and alcohol misuse are accessed from the recesses of our blog. Why? The downtime, family time, and festivities around holidays often illuminate problems with drinking and fissures in […]

4 Summer Addiction Triggers to Avoid

Addiction recovery presents challenges and obstacles, especially in the early days and perhaps surprisingly in summer. Anyone who is trying to make a significant life change may experience relapse triggers that arise unexpectedly. A trigger is an emotional, environmental, or social situation that evokes memories of past drug or alcohol use, threatening to weaken one’s […]

How Do I Talk To My Partner About Their Drinking?

  One of the questions I get as an addiction counselor with an advice column (Ask Rae) is, “How do I talk to my partner about their drinking?” In fact, some of Sanford Behavioral Health’s most viral articles are about the subject of alcohol ruining relationships. When someone in the household is misusing alcohol, it […]