cherry john pretty

Sanford Behavioral Health Earns Prestigous Blue Distinction

  [Grand Rapids, Michigan 9/15/2022] Sanford Behavioral Health is proud to announce it has been named a Blue Distinction Center for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery at its Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women, and Sanford House at John Street for Men facilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan.    The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association […]

Do Alcohol Delivery Apps Feed Isolation & Addiction?

  For someone in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, there are a few simple tenets. Be careful of the people, places, and things that might cause emotional triggers. Take things one day at a time. And the one that has become a sticky wicket in the past three years: do not isolate. Isolation and alcohol […]

alcohol delivery bike

Avoiding Clinician Burnout With Self-Care

  When I was a newly graduated counselor, over thirty years ago, I took my first job in an outpatient alcohol and drug treatment center. I didn’t know about clinician burnout, but I remember my feelings of anxiety upon seeing my first clients. At the time, I wondered, “What treatment modality should I apply?” I […]

japanese garden

Ask Rae: How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Center?

Dear Rae: My wife’s addiction and mental health issues have gotten out of hand. It is impacting our quality of life, and our children’s lives. But I am overwhelmed by the options for treatment. How do I find the best addiction treatment center for her? And how do I know what she needs? Also, we […]

Rae Green

Who Needs Botox? 4 Reasons Sober is Beautiful Inside and Out

  I work for Sanford Behavioral Health in Grand Rapids. Michigan, and my job gives me a bird’s eye overview of our patients in recovery. I don’t see them every day, which means I am privy to the cumulative effect recovery can have on a person’s overall look. And what a difference even a week […]

Alcohol-Free for One Month – Health Benefits

  We are winding down the 4th of July weekend with parties and firework displays and alcohol in every cooler. For those in recovery, weathering another holiday rife with temptation is par for the course. For those waking with another hangover or who just feel like they’ve over indulged, we’d like to offer a challenge. […]

alcohol-free man with sparkler

Michigan Excursions – Nature Therapy in the Great Outdoors

  I work for Sanford Behavioral Health, and as the marketing director, I notice the organization’s communal language. Words have power and we are in the business of stigma busting, so we are mindful about our words when it comes to addiction, eating disorders, and mental health conditions. A few years ago, when we launched […]

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Announcing Sanford In-Network with BCBS and BCN for Detox Treatment

  [Grand Rapids, Michigan 06/09/22] – As part of its full continuum of care, Sanford Behavioral Health provides medical detox treatment for our patients. We are proud to announce we are now in-network with BCBS and BCN for detox services. According to the Milliman Research Report (August 13, 2020), 23% of adults 18 or over […]

BCBS and BCN serving more peopls

Red Wine a Day Keeps Heart Disease Away? A New Study Debunks the Adage

  A new study debunks the concept that drinking modestly protects the heart. Instead, its conclusion is that there is no level of drinking that does not present heart disease risk. The risk is minimal if people consume an average of seven drinks per week (as compared to abstaining). But the risk rises dramatically as […]

wine glasses empty

Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders Before/After Bariatric Surgery

  There are times on the road to wellness, when the only thing one can say is, “No fair.” I remember thinking no fair when six months sober, a long dormant eating disorder popped up like the head of a Hydra. Just when I had my alcohol use disorder (AUD) licked, another trial presented itself. And at […]

bariatric surgery