Dear Rae: How Do I Talk to My Spouse About Their Drinking?
Updated 1/2/25 Dear Rae: Iโll get right to the point. Lately, my husband has been using alcohol as a crutch. In other words, he drinks to reduce his stress, but it adds to the stress in our home. He drinks every evening (sometimes starting at lunchtime). It definitely impacts our relationship because when he drinks, […]
Happiness in Recovery – Reset Your Day!
It has been a long winter, and some of us may be feeling a bit down lately. To be sure, thereโs nothing wrong with feeling down. Happiness is not a prerequisite of recovery for our clients at Sanford Behavioral Health. However, we do teachย coping skills to help our clients move through the rough patches: […]
10 Recovery Slogans – Why They Work
Updated 1/2/25 Much of my writing is intense (e.g., Family Guide to Understanding Relapse). So, I’m ready to try something a little lighter yet equally informative. For example, a part of the recovery dialogue that I’ve learned over the years is the use of slogans in recovery. At first, I thought they were silly. I […]
A New Look at 10 Addiction Relapse Triggers
You are new to recovery and innocently pushing your cart down the aisle at the local Fresh Market. Let’s say it’s a gloomy Sunday afternoon. You round the corner, and there in front of you is the alcohol aisle. Aisles more like it, all shapes and sizes of beer and wine stacked and displayed artfully. […]
The History of Women and Wine Culture
The United States is the largest wine consumer in the world, exceeding the wine-producing European countries such as Italy and France, which long dominated world markets. According to the Beverage Information Group, 52 percent of women prefer wine, compared to 20 percent of men. Women make up 59 percent of wine buyers. It bears […]
Shame and the Self-Conscious Emotions
You are walking down a busy street and trip on an uneven sidewalk. Or you are looking at old photographs and unearth one from when you were in active addiction, wearing a party hat that says, KISS ME, I’M IRISH. Or, as an adult, your mother says something about your lack of progress at work, […]
What is a Hangover? Why Aren’t Hangovers a Deterrent to Drinking?
Ahh, the morning after. Those who have overindulged the night before rise like zombies holding coffee cups to their foreheads. They dig in messy purses and junk drawers for painkillers and stomach settlers, piecing the previous evening’s events together like tattered scraps of paper. No one with a hangover wants to see the sunrise or […]
Sanford Library of Virtual Recovery Resources
Sanford Behavioral Healthโs use of telehealth to continue providing virtual treatment services and recovery resources receives favorable reviews from many clients, even in the aftermath of the pandemic. Individuals who choose virtual connection express gratitude for the groups and individual services we provide. In addition, our clients say they look forward to telehealth sessions to […]
The Effects of Eating Disorders on the Whole Body – Limelight Interview
At Sanford Behavioral Health, we are proud of the team we have assembled, with some of the brightest minds in the behavioral health field. At Sanford Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders (SCTED), the interdisciplinary team works to treat the whole person. According to our Limelight interviewee, Amy Boshoven, her “welcoming” teammates have an open-door […]
New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work? Implementing Change with GUSTO
Updated 12/30/24 Welcome to 2025! In your social circles, the “buzz” is probably about New Year’s resolutions. Did you make any? I want to share some perspectives on how humans make behavioral changes, such as resolutions or adjustments to our relationships and lives. Resolutions & Change When it comes to a resolution for […]
