Nutrition for the Recovering Body and Mind – Limelight Interview

Learning to prioritize healthy food is an important aspect of the treatment and recovery from a mental health disorder. So is rekindling the social aspects of eating, and at Sanford Behavioral Health we provide farm fresh options and a “family style” environment. Stimulating conversation and comradery occur around our dining tables.   Today we talk […]

Women and Alcohol – the Unique Health Risks

  According to the CDC, nearly half of adult women report drinking alcohol. 13% of adult women, and 18% of women of child-bearing age binge drink. Females in their teens and early twenties drink/binge more than their male counterparts. In fact, the gender gap is closing on women of all ages, and the impact of […]

women lake

Milestones, Legends & Michigan Summer – Best of Excursions

  Michiganders feel a hint of melancholy during the Labor Day holiday each year. This is the time we dry dock the boats, close up cabins, and buy back-to-school supplies. It is also the last big blowout of the summer and picnics, waterskiing, tubing, hiking and camping excursions abound.   Milestones, Legends and Summer… But […]

Michigan up north 6 mile lake

Remembering Early Recovery in an Empty House

  I had what will probably be a once in a lifetime experience this summer. Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women in Grand Rapids, Michigan was closed for a short time for restoration. This is something that happens rarely in the 24/7 world of residential addiction treatment. The 170-year-old floors were restored, and everything […]

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Eating Disorder Treatment Expanding in West Michigan!

  Sanford Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders (Sanford CTED) is expanding its services in West Michigan during a time of significant need. Those who work in this field are aware that the pandemic increased eating disorders and disordered eating at unprecedented rates.   Eating Disorder Treatment Expanded We are also aware that the increase is […]

Eating disorder treatment expanded

Ongoing Recovery Support for Family & Friends!

  Sanford’s Family Education Program has just completed its first year of virtual service to the family and friends of our clients! Ongoing Recovery Support – A Look Back… At Sanford Addiction Treatment Centers, we have always acknowledged the significant role family and friends can play in the treatment of and recovery from addiction. Family […]

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Alcohol and Divorce – Is Drinking Ruining the Marriage?

Updated 1/2/25 In an old song recorded in the 50s, Frank Sinatra sings, “Love and marriage, love and marriage. Go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell you, brother, you can’t have one without the other.” True indeed. But a less lyrical hypothesis is also true; alcohol and divorce go together like a […]

divorce and alcohol

Addiction Stigma – How Person-First Language Helps

Stigma is defined as “a mark of disgrace or infamy”. Stigma in addiction comes mostly from the symptoms of a person’s behavior and other aspects of a substance use disorder. Addiction Stigma It is known that persons who are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs can behave aggressively or dishonestly with erratic behaviors and judgment which […]

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Anatomy of Addiction Episode 2 – Women and Addiction

  Today’s podcast episode is called Women and Addiction. By every marker, women are using alcohol and drugs more, and feeling the adverse effects more. Here’s the catch – women can’t drink or use drugs like men. We’re not built for it! Let’s discuss with Lynnel Brewster, RN, LPC, LLMFT, CCTP, AcuDetox Specialist, and Rae Green, […]

lynnel and rae AOA

Here’s Why Women Can’t “Drink Like Men”

Women and Alcohol – Drink Like a Man I spent time in The Bahamas a few years ago. The collective, benign tolerance to extreme drinking was undoubtedly a factor in the misuse of alcohol by the locals (myself included). But even I was often shocked by the drunken antics of women at the local Yacht […]

drink like men