9 Extraordinary Health Benefits of a Michigan Spring
Spring sneaks up on you when you live in Michigan. Suddenly, there is a fresher feel to the air – birds are tweeting, warbling and chirping as you amble to your car in the morning. And miraculously, the barren trees are sprouting a riot of flowers. The grass is lush and green. I have to admit, as […]
The Moment of Action – Creating Meaningful Change
How do we know when we are ready for change? How do we enact change in our lives? When we anticipate profound change, we believe the moment will come to us in an equally profound way. We want the moment. We expect it. I’ll change when the moment presents itself to me—someday when it’s right. The moment permits […]
Addiction Treatment Alphabet Soup – What Do All Those Letters MEAN?
I remember using acronyms in grade school to help me recall items for upcoming quizzes and tests. One of my favorites was “HOMES”, the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. When I got to college, I still made up acronyms to help me study and memorize for tests. While […]
You ARE What You Eat – How Nutrition Helps the Therapeutic Process
Working in the field of addiction, it is not uncommon for me to hear people say; “I should be able to indulge in all the sweets, fats and junk food I want.” There is a shared belief that “treating themselves” to processed foods is better than using their drug of choice. This, however, is proving to […]
When the Booze Soaked World is In Your Face…
Sometimes it’s just in my face a whole lot more. You know… the fact that I live in a booze soaked world. Some days it’s just more evident than at other times. Most days I get to potter about my community, interact with my friends, spend time online, look after my kids, and […]
The Rise of Older Women Seeking Addiction Treatment
As the Clinical Director of Sanford House, one of my duties is to collect data and put it together in an annual Performance Management Report. Age ranges of the persons served are among the statistics collected. I have found it interesting to note the increasing number of older women entering addiction treatment. The Older Woman in […]
Rapid Growth for Sanford House at John Street
As our newest project continues, we are committed to keeping you in the loop. Have you heard? Sanford House Addiction Treatment Centers is restoring another one of Grand Rapids’ iconic mansions. This time it will serve as a men’s treatment facility. We will open in June 2017. Rapid Growth And in case you didn’t see […]
Why Is Group Therapy an Important Part of Addiction Treatment?
Why is group therapy so prevalent in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs)? As demonstrated by self-help groups, and particularly as stated in 12 Step groups, members “share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problems and help others to recover.” Groups allow those in treatment opportunity to […]
Powerful Allies in Recovery – Educating the Family About Addiction
Why is it important to include family in recovery? At Sanford, we believe family involvement is one of the most important components for a healthy, long term recovery. Family members can be powerful allies in the recovery process. And while a person is in treatment, it is the perfect time to involve family members. […]
Every Therapy Dog Has His Day – Addiction Treatment
Therapy Dog … I’m not exactly a dog person. In fact Santino, the Sanford therapy dog, and I have an unwritten “hands off” policy. In other words, I don’t pat his belly or give him full body hugs. He doesn’t lick my face. We usually just ignore each other companionably. But last week, Santino […]
