Ideas to Bolster Your Mental Health – 12 Days of Hope Series
12 Days of Hope Series #1 Last year, we published a series of hopeful ideas for improving mental health during the winter holidays and beyond. (Even playing in the snow can be good for mental health!) We’re doing it again this year, beginning with the best ideas from last year. As we head into 2025, […]
Hope for Creating Personal Boundaries in the Addicted Home
Recently, Sanford Behavioral Health Founder Rae Green and I presented an educational in-service for the Mental Health Association of Michigan. Our focus was on boundaries (personal or external) for recovering families. After the presentation, I began thinking deeply about boundaries and recovery. I became even stronger in my belief that families dealing with addiction have […]
Dopamine Rush – 27 Things to Do Instead of Scroll
These days, there are studies, marketing campaigns, and warnings about excessive scrolling on smartphones, but many of us reach for our phones the moment our eyes open in the morning or a beep tells us we have a message. Grabbing the phone can be practical, such as checking the schedule, weather, and time. However, according […]
The Holiday Season is Upon Us! Recovery Plans and Tips
The 2024 Holiday Season is upon us! No matter whether and what you celebrate, the season is enjoyable and stressful. The stress comes along with the disruption of our usual day-to-day routines and the added tasks related to the celebrations of the season. Odd isnโt it that the very enjoyment we crave and anticipate, one […]
How Can We Establish Family Boundaries in Recovery?
Let’s face it: family members can push every button. When a person is in recovery from a substance use disorder, the entire family is involved in the delicate process of transitioning beliefs, feelings, and actions. How can we establish family boundaries in recovery? In an upcoming webinar with the Mental Health Association in Michigan, […]
Are You Supporting or Enabling Your Addicted Loved One?
Over the many years I have spent working with family members of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), the number one question I get is, “What can we do to help?” The question leads to a discussion about supporting and enabling behaviors to engage in while attempting to get a loved one to acknowledge a […]
Ask Rae: Is My Recovery at Risk When I Help an Addicted Person?
Dear Rae: I have been in recovery for more than ten years, and I recently had a strange experience that makes me wonder if I have put my recovery at risk. One of the tenets of recovery is to help others, and I am a recovery advocate. Over the years, I have been open about […]
4 Good Reasons to Choose Residential Treatment for Eating Disorders
The purpose of residential eating disorder treatment is to provide structure, safety, and accountability with 24/7 nursing and clinical support. This degree of support reduces the harmful effects of eating disorders efficiently and starts individuals on their recovery path. We understand that the needs of each person seeking treatment are unique, and we work with […]
The Benefits of Virtual and Outpatient Treatment for Mental Health
If you are feeling overwhelmed, it is important to remember that nearly one in five American adults live with a mental health condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH). Shockingly, only half of the people who suffer from mental health disorders receive treatment. Across the country, there is a significant gap in […]
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 […]