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Warning – Bariatric Surgery Can Lead to Alcohol Addiction

  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. […]

I Am Wickedly Rebellious (Sober)

  One of the things I love most about being sober is the notion that it’s a wickedly rebellious act. It is! Think about it.  An alcohol soaked world… We live in a world that is literally soaked in booze. Every social occasion, gathering, celebration, achievement, commiseration, high point, low point and Friday night is […]

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Anthony Bourdain: Shining a Light on Suicide, Addiction and Depression

  The deaths by suicide of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade last week, brought mental health and suicide to the forefront. Perhaps that is the only positive that can be gleaned from the tragic and avoidable loss of such robust, talented people.   When Celebrity Shines a Light… In the celebrity magazine Us Weekly, there […]

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Early Recovery – Strategies to Push Fast Forward

  Early recovery … … is hard as hell. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. It takes guts, commitment, and bravery to remove alcohol from your life and relearn how to live as a sober person.   It does get much easier the more time that goes on not drinking… But there’s no getting away […]

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Boredom and Isolation in Recovery…

Yesterday afternoon at about 4pm I sat at the kitchen bench and stared off into space. I felt bored and restless. I would have rather been somewhere else. Working at an office in town maybe. Or out doing something – anything – stimulating and interesting.   But because I’m a stay-at-home mum who works part-time […]

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Inside Sanford House at John Street for Men – Before and After Pics

  MLive’s business reporter James Harger and photographer Cory Morse were two of our first visitors to 221 John Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jim called the house, “hidden in plain sight”, because the former Hazeltine mansion sits far back on a hilly lot. You can miss it if you are not looking carefully.  It is one […]

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Sanford House at John Street for Men – Grand Opening

  It was an evening for friends, family and business colleagues to gather at Sanford House Addiction Treatment Centers’ newest facility. Located at 221 John Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan, the restored mansion will serve as a residential and non-residential addiction treatment center for men.   The Green family hosted a party to officially open the […]

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What are My Kids Thinking (About my Sobriety)?

  I have so many “how on earth could I be doing this if I was still boozing” moments nowadays, but none more so than when I’m driving my kids around in the evening to their activities. My Three Sons… This happens a lot given I’ve entered that phase of parenting when I seem to […]

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Craftsmen & Artists – Restoring Men’s Addiction Treatment

  What does it take to realize a big vision? When the vision includes restoring historic homes to serve as addiction treatment centers? For Sanford House founders, Rae and David Green, it takes a small army of craftsmen and artists (and a bit of patience). Following the success of their Cherry Street location for women, the couple are building […]

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How to Be a (Sober) Legend in Your Own Lifetime…

  You know the saying ‘The only constant is change’? I know it’s a terrible cliche, but boy is it true.   I’ve been noticing this recently with regards to my emotional and physical health. I get in a good rhythm with things and I’m firing on all cylinders being happy and healthy and I […]

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