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 Loved One About Their Drinking?
Updated 7/7/2025 One of the questions I get as an addiction counselor with an advice column (Ask Rae) is, “How do I talk to my partner, loved one, or friend about their drinking?” In fact, some of Sanford Behavioral Health’s most viral articles are about the subject of alcohol ruining relationships. It is one of […]
Do Men and Women Crave Alcohol Differently?
There has long been a complicated relationship between alcohol drinking and stress. On the one hand, alcohol has anxiety-reducing properties and can actually relieve stress. However, alcohol also acts as a stressor, activating the sympathetic (stress response) nervous system. Stress is also associated with poor outcomes or relapse for those in treatment and recovery, […]
5 Summertime Tips for Long-Term Recovery
Like the line from Coleridge’s poem, water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink, summer feels like alcohol, alcohol everywhere. It seems unfair to those in long-term recovery, but summer vacation and boating equal drinking and partying for many. Additionally, Michigan summer fun is fleeting, so there is a sense of urgency. Many of the […]
Excursions in Rehab – 12-Step, Alum, GLAD & Outdoor Group Meetings
Since 2016, Sanford Behavioral Health has prioritized excursions into the community as a vital part of addiction treatment and recovery. Today, at Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus, recreational therapy, art therapy, and recovery outings provide residents with an opportunity to participate in real-life scenarios in the safety of treatment. Coupled with other evidence-based practices, excursions […]
ALL THINGS ALCOHOL – The Sanford Library
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and we have searched Excursions Magazine for interesting articles on alcohol. Over the years, we have interviewed people in recovery from alcohol addiction, posted current stats, and analyzed the reasons alcohol is normalized in social activities. We have opined on hangovers, detox, the joys of sober vacations, 12-step methodology, Superbowl […]
Vacations Without Alcohol – Our Favorite Dry Destinations
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and it is also the time of year when we begin to think about our summer vacation. For those who are new to recovery, the thoughts of summer vacation without alcohol can be stressful. No glass of wine on the plane to “calm the nerves?” No sunset umbrella cocktail in […]
Virtual Programs for Eating Disorders & Mental Health Primary
Sanford Behavioral Health has offered virtual addiction treatment options since before the pandemic. Virtual treatment or telehealth is designed for those who need help with a mental health condition but have real-life obligations like work, school, or childcare. If in-person treatment is inconvenient or impossible because of a remote location or physical restrictions, virtual options […]
